NBA rumors: Lakers are really hoping the Charlotte Hornets buy out Kyle Lowry

After being involved in the deal that brought Terry Rozier to the Miami Heat, Kyle Lowry is heading toward the buyout market unless the Hornets make a deal before the trade deadline. According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Lowry might end up in a Lakers jersey if the veteran point guard is bought out.

L.A. has been searching for upgrades at the point guard spot for the entire season as D'Angelo Russell's defense has rendered him almost unplayable in the playoffs last season. While Lowry would likely not be the squad's starting point guard, the championship-winning guard could end up filling out backup minutes for the franchise.

Lowry's duties would include playmaking for the Lakers' second unit. While the Toronto Raptor legend isn't the same All-Star that he used to be, it is entirely reasonable to expect him to be good enough to produce well for the Lakers in this potential role. With Lowry being a small part of the answer to the question, what other things does L.A need to do in order to end up doing a lot better than their Western Conference Finals appearance last season?

What other moves do the Lakers have to do in order to compete for a title this season?

The franchise will most likely need a veteran point guard who is a proven two-way player. The Lakers may have to package D'Angelo Russell to get a deal done. The franchise also probably needs to find a way to move Jalen Hood Schifino and probably Cam Reddish for one or two veterans who can play some rotational minutes in the playoffs.

At the end of the day, L.A. will most likely need to find a similar mid-season trade that they found last season where they were able to find Jarred Vanderbilt and other veterans which allowed the Lakers to make a run for the Western Conference Finals. They ran out of suitable rotational players who could help them avoid a sweep of the Denver Nuggets but the deadline turned the Lakers around last season.

In addition to possible Lowry backup minutes for the franchise, the Lakers probably need a solid trade return to get LeBron James his fifth NBA title and Anthony Davis his second.