Cam Johnson's ridiculous feat should have the Lakers calling immediately

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a 41-point loss at the hands of the Miami Heat on Wednesday night, which set off alarm bells in the fandom (and in the locker room). JJ Redick was understandably frustrated at his postgame press conference. It feels as though this Lakers team is slowly coming apart at the seams, tanked by aging stars and lackluster depth.

It's hard to complain too much about a 12-10 record in the rough and tumble West — some of this is just the nature of the beast — but LA clearly has a lot to work on. The defense has been a mess despite an off-and-on Herculean effort from Anthony Davis, while the offense just isn't operating at the level one expects from a LeBron James-led unit.

James is clearly bumping up against Father Time, now more than ever, but the supporting cast leaves a lot to be desired, too. The Lakers were expected to jack 3s under Redick's stewardship, but instead, Los Angeles ranks 27th in 3-point attempts and 3-point makes. It doesn't help that Los Angeles' low volume is accompanied by a success rate that ranks 20th. This Lakers team just can't shoot, no matter how much fuss Dalton Knecht stirs up.

Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets are about to embark on the fire sale to end all fire sales at the trade deadline, and a certain sharpshooting wing stands out as the perfect Lakers target. It's past time for Rob Pelinka to go out and trade for Cam Johnson.

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Cam Johnson looks like the perfect Lakers trade target right now

The Nets are an inspiring 10-13 under new head coach Jordi Fernandez, who has made the most of disparate parts as Brooklyn awaits the eventual trade deadline detonation from the front office. Johnson has stood out above the rest. He recently set the Nets franchise record for points scored (26) in a single game without a 2-point field goal, drilling 7-of-13 from long range in a win over Indiana.

Johnson is averaging 18.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on .484/.431/.901 splits this season, threatening 50/40/90 territory as Brooklyn's No. 2 scorer behind Cam Thomas. He's the perfect complementary piece on paper for this Lakers team — a 6-foot-8 wing who snipes 3s, passes selflessly in the flow of the offense, and is constantly moving into open space.

There's zero chance JJ Redick doesn't fall in love with Johnson and what he brings to the table for a Lakers team in need. The Lakers have D'Angelo Russell's expiring $18.7 million contract and a couple first-round picks to throw at Brooklyn, so the stars are aligned. Now it's up to Rob Pelinka to operate with the necessary aggression.

And, despite what the above accomplishment indicates, Johnson can score inside the arc. He's a remarkably well-rounded off-ball scorer, comfortable attacking closeouts off the catch or cutting backdoor for simple finishes inside. He's intuitive in nature and he doesn't need to dominate touches in order to pour in points, all of which should appeal to the Lakers.

Few teams are better equipped to absorb Johnson's salary while benefitting from his on-court exploits. This should happen yesterday.