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Lakers turning their back on Gasol?
Earlier this month, Pau Gasol was mentioned in a trade rumor involving Rajon Rondo. Forgive me if I dismiss that rumor as either someone's source's fantasy (not trying to throw rumor reporters under the bus - they are only as good as their sources) or one of dozens of ideas that are tossed between GMs on a daily basis that likely never got past the "hmm, that's interesting, but nah" phase.
Still, there's smoke around Gasol these days. If fact, that smoke might be the smoldering remains of the trade that wasn't this summer.
Los Angeles Lakers' Pau Gasol says possible trade 'out of my hands' - ESPN Los Angeles
With the NBA's March 15 trade deadline now less than a month away, Lakers forward Pau Gasol admits he's not sure if his future lies in Los Angeles. "There's talks and rumors every day. Today I was reading it was Minnesota is really interested in trying to put a good package together," he said. "[Other teams are] calling, and it seems like things are just waiting for the right offer to come along, for [the Lakers] to pull the trigger." Certainly Gasol has evidence of the team's willingness to move him. He was a major component of the controversial three-team trade in early December between the Lakers, New Orleans, and Houston that would have sent Gasol to the Rockets and Chris Paul to the Lakers.
Chances are, if the Lakers are going to land Dwight Howard, it will take giving up Andrew Bynum. If they want to do something smaller or complimentary, Gasol is going to be the bait.
0 recs | 9 comments
February Trade Rumors?
alalalalalalalala….I can’t hear you……………..alalalalalalala
Master Po - February 17, 2012
Funneeeee.
lygafe - February 18, 2012
Didn't I say this yesterday...
SparzWizard - February 18, 2012
The problem is
you re trading an argurably top 5 point guard for a maybe a top 10 big man.
short term, yes gasol MIGHT give a boost to the celtics but long term ? rondo is cheap(considering his contract) and the fact that hes young, you just shouldnt make the trade.
MrCross - February 18, 2012
I'm sure there are plenty of great, younger, approaching PGs
In the future.
SparzWizard - February 18, 2012
Uhh....
If we’re trading Rondo we need to get either:
a) a star point guard of similar caliber (Deron Williams, for example) who we can build around
b) a young athletic center who can be a monster on the glass next to KG (maybe Hibbert, maybe Jason Thompson or JJ Hickson + filler + draft picks) AND something to build around (draft picks, young prospect, something).
otherwise, why do we dump the best thing we’ve got going for the future?
milt palacio's shot - February 18, 2012
Pau Gasol is none of those, by the way. He's redundant with KG on the floor. Helps our rebounding and interior scoring - true - but does nothing for our athleticism or defensive toughness.
milt palacio's shot - February 18, 2012
I don't even know what article you guys are reading
Jeff Clark - February 18, 2012 via iPhone app
Anybody consider the possibility that we stand pat until the summer, with just a small change or two?
Why are so many people in panic mode? This has been one snake-bit season so far; starting out with a shortened season with no pre-season to speak of; the loss of a potential key piece in contending strongly, right from the start for at least the season, if not forever; and a series, as usual, of ongoing injuries, every time the team starts to get its act together.
Keep the current roster, except for the possiblity of adding in a big body prior to the trade deadline, and dropping a player [ no names at this time ] in time for him to fit into the team before the playoffs.
The best that will happen this season is that the Cs will pull together in time for the playoffs, and make a decent run to the finals, as they did a couple of years ago and surprise everyone [ always a possibility with this team ].
The worst that will happen is that the season ends early this year, which leaves the Cs in a very good position to re-build for the next season, with some of the remaining players, a couple of decent 1st rd. draft picks, and a lot of available cash, in order to entice at least one, if not two, max players.
I wouldn’t trade Rondo, unless a Chris Paul would be available [ which he won’t be ] and Pierce staying is a no-brainer to me, as well.
It’s up to Rivers to stagger his rotations this year, given some semblance of good health, so that Rondo, Pierce and co. can be effective going towards the playoffs.
If we don’t have a healthy team going into the playoffs, we can kiss this season goodbye anyway, but at least the Cs should be given the opportunity to play out the hand that’s been dealt this year.
Admittedly, it’s frustrating to watch the up and down team games, never knowing which team will show up for any given game, but I believe that if the team ever has good health for a consecutive period of time, we can still be contenders.
In the immortal words of Marlon Brando, in " On the Waterfront "- " I coulda been a contenda, I coulda been somebody ".
Lygafe.
Lionel Gaffen / Fotomix.
lygafe - February 18, 2012
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