Eric Bledsoe brought athleticism and energy to the Phoenix Suns. (GETTY IMAGES)

The Los Angeles Lakers are suffering through one of their worst seasons in franchise history with their rash of injuries for the second straight season. The Lakers have been limited to 17 games between Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash combined, not to mention Pau Gasol, Xavier Henry, Jordan Farmar (has been hurt three times), and Steve Blake have all missed significant games due to injury.

They gave Bryant a heavily criticized $48.5 million extension, preventing them from bringing in two maximum salary free agents.

So, where do they go from here? I may have some answers.

The Lakers will get a top 5 draft pick most likely.

There are a lot of talented players available in this draft that they could select and bring in. Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, Jabari Parker, Julius Randle and Dante Exum are all projected as the top-five players in this draft.

Parker has said he may stay at Duke. The incentive is there since the Blue Devils got bounced early in the NCAA tournament and they have a great player in high school All-American Jahil Okafor enrolling this fall.

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Wiggins, one of the best prospects to come out of Canada, is likely to be the No. 1 overall pick. The Lakers will need to secure more ping pong balls from new commissioner Adam Silver to make sure they get the first pick.

Embiid is a raw project who reminds me of Michael Olowokandi, and his back injury may give teams caution when taking him too high.

They wouldn’t need a player like Exum if Bledsoe is acquired, unless they want to bring Exum as a possible replacement for Bryant in a few seasons. He has drawn comparisons to Michael Carter-Williams, except he has a better jump shot. Exum says he wants to play with Bryant (he and Kobe share the same agent in Rob Pelinka).

Exum could replace Bryant at shooting guard when he retires. When he played at the 2013 Nike Hoop Summit with Germany’s Dennis Schroder (rookie with the Atlanta Hawks) he played off the ball and was able to get to the rim off the dribble. He wow’ed NBA scouts, reinforcing that he was an impressive player to keep their eye on.

Anthony Bennett’s lackluster season may give teams a second thought in taking Randle. Randle is another tweener forward may cost a general manager his job if he doesn’t pan out.

Sign Eric Bledsoe to the poison pill contract that has been rumored.

Earlier this year, ESPN reporter Chris Broussard said the Lakers may be interested in overpaying Bledsoe (a restricted free agent) so that the Suns don’t want to match it and head in another direction. They have two point guards playing in the backcourt together and don’t seem like they will be able to keep both, the Suns have multiple selections in the upcoming NBA draft. If the Lakers offer Bledsoe $14-15 million per season that may be too much for Phoenix to match.

Bledsoe has had a breakout season with the Phoenix Suns (17.2 points per game, 5.7 assists per game, 4.5 rebounds per game) after being traded from the Los Angeles Clippers. Bledsoe is just 24 years old and has the dynamic personality and talent to replace Kobe once he retires in a few seasons. Bledsoe would be able to carry the torch for the Lakers as their next superstar to build a team around.

Sign Spencer Hawes to a 3-4 year deal worth $8-9 million per season.

Hawes is an underrated center who has always reminded me of Brad Miller, I like him a lot. He’ll be a seven year veteran but he’ll be just 26 when next season starts. He can score (13-14 points), rebound (8-9 rebounds), pass (3-4 assists) and he can shoot the 3-pointer (40% this season and 35% for his career). He isn’t a great defender but he’s a solid big man who could help replace Pau Gasol if he walks as a free agent, like he’s expected to. Hawes would give them a versatile big man who can step out and hit the outside shot, poor Mike D’Antoni would love to have him this season but D’Antoni will be gone by the time Hawes shows up in Los Angeles.

Sign Drew Gooden.

Gooden has only played in 11 games this season for the Washington Wizards but he’s still just 32 years old. Bring him in the veteran minimum of 1.8 million and he’s capable of putting up 10ppg and seven rebounds. He’s not going to play much defense but he can give the Lakers a serviceable PF, provided he stays healthy. If he can’t stay healthy, Kelly gets more on the job training as the stretch four (4?).

Use the stretch provision on Steve Nash.

If Nash doesn’t retire — and he has said he’s sticking around to collect the paycheck — the Lakers could use the stretch provision on him and his contract counts just $3 million towards the salary cap (instead of $9 million). Nash has shown he’s unable to stay healthy and they have a need to save as much money as possible with a lot of free agents this summer. Nash makes too much to keep as a backup to Bledsoe and they have to fill out a roster.

Re-sign some of the young players who have shown some promise this season.

Nick Young is most assuredly gone since he has had a good season (16.8 points and instant offense off the bench) and has a player option for $1.2 million. I’d be shocked if Young exercises that after having a solid enough season where he should be able to command $3-5 million as a sixth man off the bench for a good team.

Re-sign Xavier Henry. Henry showed some flashes this season but has played in just 40 games due to injury. They should be able to bring back Henry on a two-year deal worth $3 million, he made $884,000 this season. And the Lakers gave him a chance to save and revive his career.

Re-sign Wesley Johnson. Johnson was one of the few players who gave 100% effort on the defensive side of the ball. When he signed him, Mitch Kupchak said he could turn into a Michael Cooper-type defensive player, while that is a stretch Johnson has been a consistent defender all season. Sign him to a two-year deal worth $3 million also.

Re-sign restricted free agents Kent Bazemore and Ryan Kelly. Bazemore showed he could play after the trade from Golden State, averaging 13.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He can be re-signed relatively cheaply, say $1-1.2 million or so, a slight raise from this seasons $788,872 salary. Have him come off the bench as Young’s scoring replacement.

Kelly has averaged just under 10 points since January 1st and has shown the capability of being a shooter off the bench. He has also shown he is a better rebounder than expected coming out of Duke. He had 24 points and 11 rebounds in a 134-126 loss to the Denver Nuggets on March 7. He had a career-high 26 points in a loss against the Philadelphia 76ers in February.

Fire Mike D’Antoni and hire Byron Scott.

First, let’s get this out of the way. Is this season D’Antoni’s fault? No.

They have been snake-bitten by injuries like I mentioned earlier. But life isn’t always fair as any coach knows and Byron Scott is just biding his time, waiting for the job in the Time Warner Cable SportsNet studio. Any incoming coach has to signed off by the Mamba. Scott returned to Los Angeles in 1996-97 (after playing for the Pacers and Grizzlies) and mentored Bryant when he was a rookie. They got along well and Bryant has a lot of respect for Scott.

He would most likely bring Michael Cooper as an assistant and he’d help give the Lakers some defensive focus, something they desperately need.

Here’s the Lakers’ potential lineup next season:

PG-Bledsoe
SG-Kobe
SF-Henry/Johnson
PF-Gooden
C-Hawes

Bench

Exum, Henry/Johnson, Kelly, Kendall Marshall, Robert Sacre, Bazemore, second round pick.

Is this a playoff team? Probably not. But, it’s a team that could be in the mix and competitive, which is all you can ask from a team that has to manage the salary cap. It also leaves them some flexibility in a few seasons when Kevin Love hits the free-agent market and Kobe retires.

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @djroxalot.

Kevin Garnett and Antawn Jamison will become free agents this summer. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

There are some quality players available this summer for those teams that have money under the NBA’s salary cap and here is one jabroni’s opinion on the top talent available:

1-Kevin Garnett

KG played well in the postseason and showed that he can still bring his A game when needed. For the first couple rounds of the playoffs, he was the NBA’s possible postseason MVP.

2-Gerald Wallace

He has decided to opt out and test the free agent market. Wallace is an excellent defender that can also provide 15 points per game to a team that needs a third or even a fourth option on offense. And he will get paid.

3-Chris Kaman

He might be often injured, but he will be in demand. That’s for sure. When DeAndre Jordan signed a four-year contract worth $12.8 million per season before last season, this assured Kaman will get a very similar deal since he is a better offensive option at center. Kaman would be a very nice fit on a team like the Boston Celtics that need a legit center in the low post.

4-Kris Humphries

Humphries isn’t a top 5 PF, but he averaged just under 14 points per game and 11 rebounds per game. He is a solid option that would be a seamless fit for a lot of teams. If the Indiana Pacers hadn’t signed David West last year he would have been a perfect fit on their team. Some team will be very happy with a very good young player.

5-Goran Dragic

Talk about a player that took advantage of an opportunity. Dragic averaged 18 points and eight assists per game in 28 starts when Kyle Lowry got injured. He is a good ball-handler, passer and a solid outside shooter.

6-Spencer Hawes

A lot like Humphries, he isn’t a top-five center, but he is a top-10 center in the NBA. He reminds me a lot of a younger Brad Miller. He’s a good rebounder and passer, a solid scorer and an improving defender.

7-Ray Allen

He can still shoot and would be a solid fit on the Los Angeles Clippers or Chicago Bulls.

8-Nate Robinson

He probably isn’t a starter for most teams, but he provides a lot of energy and scoring off the bench.

9-Brandon Bass

Bass decided to opt out to test the free agent market after a solid season in Boston where he averaged 12 points and six rebounds.

10-Antawn Jamison

His starting days might be numbered, but he’d be an excellent sixth man on a contending team that needs instant offense on their second unit. You wouldn’t want to bring him in to start because he tends to be a chucker, but a very viable option as a backup.

Others that are available are:

Andre Miller

He is a steady influence as a PG and could play late into his career like Jason Kidd has. His game isn’t built on speed and quickness, but rather intelligence and smart basketball play.

Leandro Barbosa

A solid scoring presence off the bench, but he is slowing down a bit.

Carl Landry

Undersized tweener forward, but he gets the most out of his talent and plays hard. He hustles and provides a lot of energy off the bench.

Darren Jacks is contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Email him at djroxalot@gmail.com.

1-Trade Pau Gasol and a first-round pick to the Hawks for Kirk Hinrich and Josh Smith.

Why the Lakers should do the deal: They get a younger PG with Hinrich who is just 31 and hardly washed up. Hinrich isn’t the fastest PG in the league, but he is a solid veteran and a respected defender. He is the son of a coach and has a high basketball IQ and would be a good player for Mike Brown in his halfcourt system. Hinrich is also a pass-first player and Kobe Bryant wouldn’t have a problem playing with him. He is also a capable outside shooter, making 37.8% of his 3-pointer’s in his career, and last season he made 39.9% between Atlanta and Washington. His career assist-to-turnover ratio is 2.6, which is solid for a PG and an drastic upgrade over what L.A. has this season.

Josh Smith is a younger and more athletic PF than Gasol. He plays great defense and would be a solid third scorer behind Kobe and Andrew Bynum. He can post up, but he can also step outside and hit the three as well.

Pau Gasol has been the subject of trade talks the last four months. (GETTY IMAGES)

Why the Hawks should do the deal: Hinrich has fallen out of favor in Atlanta with Jeff Teague playing well. They are looking to move his contract. Smith needs a change of scenery and Gasol gives the Hawks a top-five PF who could team with Al Horford (when he returns from injury) and give them a better 1-2 punch in the frontcourt.

2-Trade Bynum to Philadelphia for Andre Iguodala and Spencer Hawes.

Why the Lakers should do the deal: Jim Buss really likes Bynum and may not be willing to do it, but this gives the Lakers a lockdown defender in Iguodala. Iggy is also a very good player to run the offense through at the point forward position. He made the All-Star team in the East this season and is averaging 5.4 assists per game. His versatility has been compared to Bulls great Scottie Pippen. Iggy’s playmaking skills will mesh well with Kobe and Gasol, and he’s also a good third scoring option. He’s averaging 12.5 points, but making a career-high 38% on 3-pointers – a definite need for the Lakers because they’ve been awful shooting threes this season. Hawes is a slight downgrade from Bynum, but he is a solid rebounder and passer for a big man. Before getting hurt, he was having a solid season.

Why Philly should do the deal: They get rid of Iguodala and move Evan Turner to the starting lineup. Turner, the Sixers’ first-round pick in 2010, hasn’t been getting much playing time because he has Iguodala in front of him. Bynum is an improvement over Hawes and he’s from New Jersey so it’ll be a homecoming for him. With Elton Brand declining, it makes sense for Philly to upgrade the center position and become better in the low post.

3-Trade Gasol, Luke Walton, and Andrew Goudelock to Philadelphia for Elton Brand, Lou Williams, and Jodie Meeks.

Why the Lakers should do the deal: PG is L.A.’s biggest weakness and they get a fast young PG in Williams. Williams helps L.A. against the quick PGs in the West such as Chris Paul, Tony Parker, and Russell Westbrook. Dealing Gasol opens up more shots for Bynum.Meeks is a solid outside shooter that can provide some depth. Getting rid of Walton’s contract would be a huge victory for the Lakers.

Why Philly should do the deal: Losing Williams would be a blow to the Sixers’  backcourt, but they still have starting PG Jrue Holiday and an up-and-coming in Turner. Gasol is a significant upgrade over Brand.

Darren Jacks is a contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Send him an email to djroxalot@hotmail.com.

Former Philadelphia 76ers star Doug Collins (second from right) has the Sixers off to their best start in 10 years. (US PRESSWIRE)

Philadelphia has been a tortured city when it comes to its sports teams. The Flyers lost in the Stanley Cup final in 2010 and have not won since 1975; a loaded Phillies squad was a heavy favorite to win the 2011 World Series but got eliminated in the first round; and the “Dream Team” Eagles and all its expensive free-agent acquisitions finished a disappointing 8-8 in the NFL.

But have no fear Philly fans because the 76ers are about to embark on a very special season. The Sixers are off to their best start in 10 years, which was also the last time the team went to the NBA Finals. Winning a championship may be a bit far-fetched at this point, but the 2011-12 Sixers are at least showing signs that they are on the rise and ready to fill the huge void after Allen Iverson left town.

There are several reasons for the Sixers’ fast start, but the No. 1 reason has been their defense.

The team has bought into Doug Collins’ defense-first philosophy. Philadelphia is currently holding its opponents to under 86 points per game and 39% from the field. Defense has created more opportunities on offense as the Sixers are averaging 101 points per game and six players are averaging double figures in scoring. And the team’s leading scorer, Lou Williams, doesn’t even start.

Before Collins took over two seasons ago, the Sixers were an underachieving team that didn’t have an identity. They relied on a lot of isolations and forced shots on offense and gave up too many easy shots on defense. But 60-year-old Collins, who was the Sixers’ first overall selection in the 1973 draft, has managed to bridge the generation gap between his old-school ways and his new-school players that the foundation of a championship run starts with a solid defense and balance on offense.

“To me, it doesn’t matter if it’s Andre [Iguodala], Thad [Young] or Spencer [Hawes] stepping up, we’re a team,” said veteran forward Elton Brand, who is only averaging nine points a game but has bought into Collins’ balanced approach. Brand has benefited from the recent play of center Spencer Hawes, who could challenge for Most Improved Player of the Year in 2012. Hawes, who allows Brand a respite on defense, leads the team in rebounds (9.1) and blocks (1.8).

Another player who has bought into Collins’ concept is Andre Iguodala, arguably the Sixers’ best all-around player. Iguodala has accepted the role of defensive stopper, a position he embraced while on the 2010 U.S. national team that won the gold medal at the FIBA World Championship in Turkey.

With Iguodala, Jrue Holiday and Thaddeus Young, the Sixers have three players who are averaging close to two steals per game, and creating turnovers plays a big role in triggering fast-break opportunities especially for a team loaded with greyhounds who thrive in the open court.

Young is part of a very active Sixers bench, which also includes leading scorer Williams, sharp-shooter Jodie Meeks and last year’s first-round pick Evan Turner, that have given teams fits because there is not a lot of dropoff between the starters and the bench, and the reserves often are the ones building the leads.

“Their bench is their strength and gave them a huge lift,” said Sacramento Kings coach Keith Smart, whose team lost 112-85 to the Sixers on Jan. 10. Kings guard Tyreke Evans concurred: “They have a great bench. They just put a whipping on us.”

Miami remains the team to beat in the Eastern Conference, but Philadelphia is a team that could make waves in the Atlanta Division and become a huge threat in the playoffs.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastbreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.