I’ve had a few conversations with front office types around the league in the wake of the Lakers trade for Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown yesterday, and a couple reactions surprised me.

First off, the general thought was that Morrison might not be here very deep into next season unless he shows some tremendous upside. And even if he does, all the better, because his expiring contract would hold that much more value.

Also, Shannon Brown is no throw-in. One Western Conference executive said that he thought, right now, Brown was better than Morrison and would help the Lakers more.

“He’s more athletic, he’s quicker and he’s a better defender,” the executive said. “I think Shannon Brown is going to help them more than Adam Morrison because he can guard faster players.”