I logged in to ESPN this afternoon as a part of my daily routine and saw that Chad Ford posted an article about potential blockbuster trades. The Lakers were included in a few of these potential deals.

I highly recommend taking a look at the entire article: “Trade talk already hot and heavy“.

If you don’t have time to look at the entire thing, take a look at what parts concern Lakers fans:

Shawn Marion to the Lakers for Lamar Odom and Coby Karl

Why the Lakers would do it: Odom came into camp out of shape and surly about being made the scapegoat in LA for the Lakers’ Finals demise. Marion is a better defender and seems hungrier for a title.

Why the Lakers wouldn’t do it: Marion is looking for a huge contract extension. He’s been known to get surly if he’s not in the spotlight. With Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum all on that team, he’s back to playing second fiddle again.

Why the Heat would do it: Pat Riley has always been a fan of Odom. The team is in desperate need of versatile players, and Odom’s ability to handle the ball could come in very handy in Miami. Besides, I’d expect Odom is looking for a much smaller deal than Marion next summer.

Why the Heat wouldn’t do it: Tough to say why it wouldn’t happen on Miami’s side unless Pat Riley strongly believes that the Heat are a serious contender with D-Wade, Beasley and Marion.

Lamar Odom, Lakers

Odom played the role of scapegoat for angry Lakers fans after LA lost to the Celtics in the Finals. He didn’t help his cause by showing up at camp out of shape. And he seemed to dig himself an even bigger hole when he criticized Phil Jackson for suggesting Odom might best help the Lakers by coming off the bench this season. In the past few days, Odom has backtracked and said he’d do what was best for the team, but most in the league think it’s only a matter of time before the Lakers find a new home for him.

The team spent some time this summer looking at a few deals, but nothing materialized. Look for the Lakers to restart those talks sooner rather than later. Jackson’s triangle offense is notoriously hard for recently acquired players to learn, and given Odom’s impending free agency, now seems to be the right time to move him.

A Marion-for-Odom swap might make the most sense for both parties involved, though I’ve heard there’s interest in Odom from quite a few teams, including Cleveland, Chicago, New Jersey, New York and Orlando.

Vince Carter, Nets

No one was sure what the Nets were thinking when they gave Carter that huge $66 million contract in the summer of 2007. Carter’s game was already in decline, and New Jersey’s chances of competing for a title looked slim. By midseason, Jason Kidd was gone. Then Richard Jefferson was shipped off on draft night. Now Carter is the only star left on a once-proud franchise. It’s clear the Nets are rebuilding and clearing cap space for the summer of 2010. While Carter could provide a stabilizing force on such a young team, I’m not sure owner Bruce Ratner wants to pay Carter $16 million a year to be a mentor on a lottery team.

The most obvious fit for Vince might be in LA, as the Lakers are looking for a more traditional small forward, and the Nets would love to make a Carter-for-Odom swap that would clear another huge chunk of salary off their books. But his terrible contract is making the Lakers (and everyone else) think twice. If the Lakers aren’t interested, the Clippers might be.