After failing to win a third straight NBA title in the 2010-2011 season, the critic-wire is abuzz with talk about the Lakers and how they need to blow up the roster.  Rich Bucher thinks the team as constructed has run its course and needs to make a blockbuster move.  Magic Johnson thinks the team needs to be blow up and that the Lakers need to get more athletic.  Many other pundits believe the team is aging and needs to get younger in order to stay competitive in the Kobe Bryant twilight years.  While I am not sure I agree that you “blow up” a team that has won 2 of 3 NBA titles and looked like a contender for a third straight until they ran into the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks in round two of the NBA playoffs (a Mavericks team that, by the way, was as “old” as these Lakers are), I do agree that it couldn’t hurt for the Lakers to look to get younger and more athletic as we head into the 2011-2012 NBA season.  So, to try and plant some seeds in the great mind of Mitch Kupchak, here are four trade ideas I think the Lakers should try to make a reality:

• Pau Gasol, Shannon Brown and 2 future first round picks (2012 and 2013) for Kevin Love and Michael Beasley. It is no secret that David Kahn, the GM for the Minnesota Timerbwolves is horny for Gasol.  As a top 5 forward/center, Gasol would provide the Wolves with immediate credibility in the paint.  Shannon Brown is an athletic freak who is longing for a bigger contract and a bigger role, Minnesota could offer him both.  The two future first round picks are the carrot that could push Kahn over the edge in his decision to move a young and talented Kevin Love, for a more talented but much older Gasol.  Beasley is a solid talent, but with a reputation as a troublemaker, he is not someone a young/influential Minnesota team is going to value as highly as a veteran team like the Lakers would.  While Minny is in rebuilding mode (making the Gasol trade seem less sensical), the two future first rounders allow Kahn to stockpile future youth to make up for getting older in this trade.  Gasol + Rubio would surely bring some fans to the arena next year as well.
• Pau Gasol for Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh and Al Thornton.  Yes, the Lakers don’t want to move Gasol, but the chance to get a significant scoring upgrade in the back court in Ellis (24 ppg) all while getting younger and more athletic might be too good an opportunity to pass up.  Moving Gasol will hurt, as the Lakers do not have the front court depth to be able to recover from his loss without making another trade, but Ellis is a prize.  Udoh adds some young depth at the 4 spot and Al Thornton (who would need to be signed and traded) would provide some useful scoring off the bench and is still young enough to offer some upside.
• Andrew Bynum, Steve Blake and a future first round pick for Chris Paul and Carl Landry.  Adding Chris Paul, who tore the Lakers apart in the playoffs last season, would be the prize the Lakers would need in order to part with the young and talented Bynum.  The injury histories of Chris Paul and Andrew Bynum would be a wash in terms of risk, so the merits of this deal come down to whether or not you think the Lakers need a start point guard over the emerging Bynum at center.  Landry, who would need to come in a sign and trade, is a nice player to tack on to this, and could slide into the 4 spot with Gasol moving to center for the Lakers.
• Derrick Caracter, Luke Walton and Steve Blake for DJ Augustin and Boris Diaw.  This gives the Lakers another young point guard to throw into the mix while ridding them of Luke Walton’s salary.  The only sense this could make for Charlotte is that it rids them of Diaw’s $9M salary for 2011-2012 and gives them a more veteran point guard to help groom their #1 pick Kemba Walker.  Caracter adds some young size to the Bobcats front court.

So, those are four trade possibilities to be considered.  None of them seem overly likely but it sure is fun to think about.