I consider myself quite the optimistic person. When it comes to sports teams, I’m optimistic to a fault. I predicted the Vikings (my favorite football team) to go 8-8 this year and contend for the Wild Card. I’m known for penciling my favorite college basketball team straight to the the national championship, then defending my choices along the way. When it comes to the Lakers, they are title contenders every year and, in my world, are the favorites.
I say all this because this year’s Lakers team isn’t good enough. They aren’t good enough to win a title, to make the Finals, to make the Conference Finals. Heck, they’re barely good enough to make the playoffs. Their ‘Big 3′ – Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum, and Pau Gasol – rank as some of the best in the league. However, it’s the rest of the team where the problems lie.
Ron Artest is a liability offensively, more so than he helps on defense at this point. Derek Fisher seems physically and mentally drained, probably from the lockout. Jason Kapono is not a suitable back-up shooting guard. Troy Murphy and Josh McRoberts are serviceable big men, but there are better.
On top of all that, of all those players I mentioned, only McRoberts is under 30. That means not only is this team struggling now, but they have no foreseeable plan for the future. Their “post-Kobe” plans rely entirely on a free agent to come to L.A., which might have worked in the past, but it’s not a plan that you can rely on too much, especially when you consider the two biggest free agents seem to have other cities in mind rather than the City of Angels.
The team did gain a first-round draft pick for this year’s draft, assuming that Dallas makes the playoffs. And while they lost Lamar Odom, it appears as though the trade might work out in favor of the Lakers in the end as Odom has struggled this year. With two first round picks in their pocket, much of the talk was how this could be used as ammunition for Dwight Howard or Deron Williams. However, with the lack of a future for the Lakers, I’ve thought the Lakers should hang on to the picks and possibly make a move to gain more.
Which brings me to one Pau Gasol. The one trade-able asset the Lakers have has been involved in trade talks since the end of last season. While he’s handled it like an absolute professional, it began affecting his game prior to the All-Star break. And when GM Mitch Kupchak offered very little reassurance that Pau wasn’t being shopped around, Gasol’s fate seemed written on the wall.
While he’s been a popular player, it’s time for the Lakers to move Pau for whatever they can get. Don’t get me wrong, I fully appreciate everything he has done for this team. Without him, banners 16 and 17 wouldn’t be hanging and Lakers fans’ heads would not be filled with memories, especially of Game 7 in 2010 against the Celtics.
With that being said, Pau remains the most coveted and available player the Lakers have to offer. The Timberwolves, Rockets, Celtics, Bulls and Magic have all been linked to Gasol. And with the Lakers needing to make a move to either be contenders this year or in the future, what they do with Gasol is going to affect their future.
With the help of the NBA Trade Machine, I came up with some specific trades involving most of the interested teams that make the most sense for the Lakers and their counterpart.
Next Page: Possible Trade Scenarios
Boston Celtics
Lakers get: Rajon Rondo, Jermaine O’Neal, JuJuan Johnson
Celtics get: Pau Gasol, Darius Morris
If the Celtics are really interested in making a Gasol-for-Rondo swap, the Lakers should absolutely jump all over that. While I find it hard to believe they’d want to make this trade, the rumor has been persistent enough that it seems possible.
For the Lakers, they get the absolutely perfect point guard to play with Bryant in Rajon Rondo. He doesn’t need to shoot, and can drive and create for others. While they’ll have to eat O’Neal’s contract, it expires this summer, so little harm done. They also get a young JuJuan Johnson, who has shown some promise and could be a future role-player.
With the Celtics, they get the piece they wanted in Pau Gasol. With Gasol, I believe Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce give it one last shot and put everything they have into the remainder of this season. While they’d likely have to make a move for a point guard, a starting five featuring Gasol, KG, Allen, and Pierce is a title contender, which is what they want in Boston.
Houston Rockets
Lakers get: Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Jonny Flynn
Rockets get: Pau Gasol, Darius Morris
This trade is still the one I’m most enamored with. These two tried this trade with New Orleans involved, as we all remember. While it fell through, I was curious as to why the Lakers wouldn’t go back to the drawing table with Houston to get the same players they wanted to give up.
The Lakers get younger and better with this trade. While Scola is 31, Martin is just 29 and Flynn is 23. The Lakers have shown a lot of interest in Flynn in the past while he was with the ‘Wolves, and recently with the Rockets, so he would have to take the place that Goran Dragic held in the Chris Paul trade. Still, the Lakers get Scola to step in to Gasol’s starting spot, plus get two players who can come off the bench and immediately make the Lakers better.
The Rockets get Gasol, who can be a building block for this team. With a rather young team, the Rockets could benefit from a veteran big man like Pau Gasol. They could also go after someone this summer to create a title contending team.
Atlanta Hawks
Lakers get: Josh Smith, Kirk Hinrich
Hawks get: Pau Gasol, Devin Ebanks, Mavericks 1st-round pick
This is the most interesting trade I came up with, most certainly. Similar to how the Lakers seem stuck in neutral, the Hawks sit at 1.5 games back of fifth place and 2.5 games up on seventh place. This trade would shake up both teams.
The Lakers not only get a piece for the future in Smith, they get a point guard for now. Hinrich is another point guard they’ve shown interest in and one that fits their needs. An above average defender, Hinrich would solve what has been the Lakers biggest weakness: stopping younger, more athletic point guards. Smith is very underrated and in Mike Brown’s defensive system, he and Bynum would create a formidable front line.
The Hawks not only get Pau and Ebanks, but a first round pick to pry away Hinrich. With Gasol, the Hawks have a forward who can fill in at center, if needed, but also provide a great line with Al Horford next season. Ebanks gives them a young player for the future and the Mavs first-round pick gives them another first-rounder in this deep draft class.
Minnesota Timberwolves/Denver Nuggets
Lakers get: Andre Miller and Kenneth Faried (DEN), Derrick Williams (MIN), 2013 1st-round pick from Minnesota
T’Wolves get: Pau Gasol (LAL), Rudy Fernandez (DEN)
Nuggets get: Martell Webster, Wes Johnson, and Anthony Randolph (MIN), Derek Fisher (LAL)
While the Minnesota trade possibility is interesting, it would require a third team as Minnesota can’t match Gasol’s contract without giving up half their roster. By bringing in Denver, each team offers up a little, but gets something in return.
The Lakers immediately start building for the future. Not only do they get both Derrick Williams and Kenneth Faried, both young forwards, but they get Minnesota’s first-rounder next year. On top of that, you get Andre Miller who is an expiring contract. In all, the Lakers would actually lose a significant amount of money in this trade, possibly freeing up space for Deron Williams or Dwight Howard.
The T’Wolves get a Spanish dream come true. Their big three would become Rubio-Gasol-Fernandez. Tell me the Spanish market wouldn’t be all over this team, and tell me the T’Wolves wouldn’t jump all over this idea. Add Kevin Love and Michael Beasley in that starting lineup and that’s a very good playoff team.
The Nuggets free up some cap space by ridding themselves of Andre Miller’s contract. Derek Fisher, one would assume, will retire this off-sesaon. Anthony Randolph is a restricted free-agent this off-season and Martell Webster has a team option for this summer. For a team in need of some young talent, freeing up cap space is huge.
All of these deals are nothing but speculation right now, but it’s a tough decision for the Lakers. Should they pull the trigger on a major trade that includes one of their best players? For now, there’s nothing to do but sit back, wait and see.