In the latest rumors surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers, it appears there's interest in forwards Jermaine O'Neal and Elton Brand to add more depth to their roster.

The hope is that any one of the pick-ups could preserve their mini-mid level contracts in case a Howard deal goes down, multiple players will be needed to fill a void.

Brand, who averaged 11.0 points and 7.2 rebounds for the 76ers, would be a legitimate contributor to the Lakers next year, but the chances of that happening are not good.

Brand must clear waivers before signing a free agent contract with a team over the cap. This means the only way the Lakers will be able to sign the veteran is if every team in the NBA falls under the cap and passes on the opportunity to sign him.

Brand also reportedly has gained interests by the Dallas Mavericks to sign and is now a frontrunner for a Mavs offer. Unlike the Lakers, the Mavs have the ability to sign him off waivers and have expressed serious interest to do so.

If Brand was somehow able to clear waivers, he would be a good addition to the Lakers, maybe even more so than O'Neal.

O'Neal has played 49 games over the last two seasons, and was last sighted to be a productive player back in the 2008-09 season with Miami. Having missed most of last season with a wrist injury, his battered knees still remain questionable.

If O'Neal manages to stay healthy and keep his knees in tip-top shape, he may serve as a useful backup, particularly in defense where he continues to be pretty productive. O'Neal is a big "IF" and if the Lakers plan to contend this season, they need reliable bodies behind Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

Even though O'Neal would be cheap to sign, his health seems like it will turn out to make O'Neal a bust for the Lakers.