The NBA trade deadline has come and gone. This year’s deadline has been one of the most wild in recent memory, with a new trade seemingly happening every minute. Many teams made moves that may put them into the NBA’s upper echelon, while others dumped bad contracts in hopes of rebuilding.
We saw the Melo-drama finally end, Deron Williams’ shocking departure from Utah, Boston’s puzzling decision to send Kendrick Perkins packing and a plethora of other moves. One team was quiet during this year’s trade deadline though, and that team was your two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. 
Despite heavy rumors surrounding the Lakers making a change and the belief by many that the Lakers needed a change in order to 3-peat, Lakers’ General Manager Mitch Kupchak stood pat. Even after an embarrassing end to the annual Grammy road trip, the Lakers did not push the panic button (perhaps because management knows that the Lakers do not need to trade for that much-needed spark, as he will be making his comeback soon). That spark is the feisty, yet tough small forward Matt Barnes.
Next: The value of Matt Barnes
Matt Barnes will not wow anybody on the stat sheet, but the fact of the matter is that he is an extremely valuable piece to the Lakers’ puzzle. Especially considering the way the Lakers have played recently, as they suffered back-to-back losses against Charlotte and Cleveland. The Lakers have been lethargic and uninterested; luckily help is on the way.
Barnes tore his lateral meniscus in a Jan. 7 game against the Hornets, and since that point, the Lakers have faced their fair share of ups and downs. The story of the 2010-11 Lakers revolves around inconsistency and boredom with regular season tilts. These are areas that Barnes can help solve. 
One thing that Barnes will bring to the Lakers is effort – perhaps the one thing the Lakers need when they often don’t seem interested in some games. Barnes will do all of the little things, whether it be playing lockdown defense, diving for loose ball or crashing the offensive boards. The lack of these kinds of effort plays has been part of the reason that the Lakers have been so inconsistent since Barnes’ injury.
Barnes’ effort will not just end with him though, as his type of effort is contagious. As Barnes makes his comeback expect more effort and focus out of each and every Lakers player in response to his energy.
Barnes will also give the Lakers the chip on their collective shoulder, which they desperately need. Whether you love or hate Barnes, he is the type of player who you would love to have on your team. We all remember his confrontation with Kobe last season, which proved that Barnes is not afraid of anything or anyone. Barnes will without a doubt be a valuable asset to the Lakers come playoff time, as he could potentially get into the head of great scorers, such as Kevin Durant or LeBron James.
Barnes’ 7.4 points per game and 4.8 rebounds per game may not look like much on the stat sheet, but the intangibles he will bring back to the Lakers will be a sight for sore eyes.
Next: The stability Barnes will bring
Perhaps the best thing Barnes will bring the Lakers is stability in two areas. These areas are the small forward position and the bench, both of which have been terribly shaky since his injury.
The small forward position has been a weak spot for the Lakers since the injury to Barnes. Due to this, the Lakers were rumored to be in the market for a small forward such as Gerald Wallace, but Mitch Kupchak ultimately kept the team status quo.
The position still has question marks though, as Ron Artest has struggled with his shot, but possibly even more alarming is the fact that the former Defensive Player of the Year has been shaky on defense at times too. A great example of this was the Boston game in Los Angeles, in which Paul Pierce was able to do whatever he wanted.
Inconsistency has been a trend throughout Artest’s career, but he has looked slow at times, and is showing that age may be catching up to him. Artest also seems to have a lack of focus and at times seems more concerned with his ventures outside of basketball.
Barnes will not take Ron’s spot in the starting lineup, but Barnes will be called on to play important minutes if Ron struggles. The Portland game was an encouraging one for Artest, but he has just been too inconsistent to trust this season.
Barnes will provide the stability the Lakers need at the small forward position, not only through his toughness and defense but also his three-point shooting. This will be a must in order to giver Kobe and Pau room to operate, rather than having defenses collapse on them.
Perhaps Barnes’ greatest contribution will be stabilizing the Lakers’ bench. Despite a great start, The Renegades have struggled in this season. Although an all-star caliber player, Lamar Odom, joined the group, the Lakers’ bench has been on a milk carton for many of the Lakers’ struggles. 
Although Walton is a great passer and a smart player, swapping him for Barnes in the rotation will unquestionably be a huge upgrade. Walton is a liability on defense and has struggled with his outside shooting, while Barnes thrives in those areas. Barnes’ return will also help to limit the number of minutes Kobe Bryant has to play at small forward also.
With the addition of Barnes, the bench can hopefully return to the form they had during the Lakers’ hot start to the season. Shannon Brown and Steve Blake have struggled recently, so hopefully the addition of Barnes will enable this group to play to its potential.
Next: An overlooked piece
While most look to superstars to win their team a championship, the fact is that it is often role players who make the big plays that put their team into basketball lore. Lakers’ fans can attest to this as we have seen unsung heroes such as Derek Fisher, Robert Horry and Brian Shaw all make major plays necessary in bringing the Larry O’ Brien trophy to Los Angeles.
Who better than the tough, gritty, championship hungry Matt Barnes to be this June’s unexpected hero? Barnes has gotten a taste of the playoffs with other teams, but has never had the opportunity presented to him like he will this season. Whether he takes advantage or not remains to be seen.
One thing is certain though, Barnes will do whatever it takes to win a championship – regardless if his contributions show up in the stat book or not. Barnes has been sorely missed over recent months, and he seems to be an essential piece to the Lakers’ championship puzzle.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_wQ6wASQgY&feature=related
So while teams across the NBA scrambled to find that final player to put them over the hump, Mitch Kupchak stood pat. Likely because he knows that the energy and spark the Lakers need has been chomping at the bit to return.