The Los Angeles Lakers might have put themselves in position to make a big trade between now and the February 19 trade deadline following their acquisition of power forward/center Tarik Black.

Basketball Insiders' Yannis Koutroupis provided a deeper insight into the Lakers' acquisition of Black and its trade implications in his latest NBA Rumors round-up.

According to Koutroupis, the decision of Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchack to bring in a young big man like Black despite the fact that their playoff chances are decreasing significantly as the season progress might have to do with the front-office's plan of selling off other frontline players to acquire more assets in the form of draft picks or another young player to develop.

Power forwards Ed Davis and Jordan Hill are both having solid seasons so far with Davis showing a lot of potential on the defensive end while Hill turning into a more polished offensive player. Both players also have salary-cap friendly contracts with Davis playing on a one-year deal and Hill just signing a two-year, $20 million deal (with a team option on the second year).  

Koutroupis believed the Lakers appear more interested in developing Black than committing for long-term deals with Davis or Hill. After all, the Lakers could capitalize on the growing demand for skilled big man.

The Cleveland Cavaliers is an example of a title-chasing contender desperately needing some beef in their frontline after the season-ending Achilles injury to Anderson Varejao last week.

"The Lakers had to waive Xavier Henry, who was out for the year with a ruptured Achilles, to create a spot for Black - but already have a crowded center position with Jordan Hill, Ed Davis and Robert Sacre," according to Koutroupis.

"There is a market for big men right now, though, primarily in the Cleveland Cavaliers. They just lost Anderson Varejao for the year and have long been rumored to be interested in an additional center even prior to losing their starter for the year.

"Hill and Davis could provide major boosts for them in light of Varejao's absence, but they have also been linked to Sacre in previous reports as well."

Even prior to losing Varejao, the Cavs had been attempting to trade for shot-blocker, which many analysts think the missing piece for the Cavs to become a real threat not only in the East but in the entire league.

Davis and Hill could certainly provide the size and length for the Cavs, but it's unlikely the Lakers would surrender these big men unless a first-rounder or a promising player like Dion Waiters is offered.