As if there hasn’t been enough drama in the Lakers’ season, there’s now speculation that all-star power forward/center Pau Gasol and the team have reached an untenable level of mutual dissatisfaction, one that will inevitably result in a parting of ways.
Gasol was recently quoted as saying: “Now it’s a different personnel, different need, different look, different system, different positioning. As a professional, you adjust to a different position in your company and try to do your best so the company still finds you a valuable asset and the company still performs as well as it did before.”
The notion that the Lakers might be willing to move Gasol shouldn’t come as any great surprise. He isn’t a natural fit in Mike D’Antoni’s famed uptempo offense; a system that in the past has functioned at peak efficiency when employing a single, savvy pick-and-roll big flanked by a floor-spacing, 3-point-shooting, under-sized athlete, like Shawn Marion in Phoenix or Wilson Chandler in New York, at the ostensible “power forward” slot.
The question then arises, if the Lakers are shopping Gasol, what assets might they garner in return? We’ll examine three possible trade partners and the respective merits of each transaction. The Knicks, by the way, aren’t on the list. Although there’s a certain nostalgic logic to reuniting Amar’e Stoudemire and the coach with whom he’s had his greatest success, there are more attractive, healthier offers out there. To wit:
Atlanta Hawks: Josh Smith and Kyle Korver for Pau Gasol
Despite losing star guard Joe Johnson and weathering an underwhelming performance from Josh Smith, Atlanta has remained competitive in the Eastern Conference. An impending free agent, Smith isn’t the long-range shooter that D’Antoni craves, but the Lakers would benefit from his off-the-charts athleticism and ability to score in transition while Korver would see significant minutes as a 3-point specialist on the wing.
For Atlanta, the trade would represent a significant financial investment but Gasol’s acquisition would allow Al Horford to shift to power forward, giving the Hawks the infusion of size that they’ll need to advance deep into the playoffs; a serious possibility given the early struggles of Boston, Indiana and Chicago.
Milwaukee Bucks: Sam Dalembert, Drew Gooden, Mike Dunleavy, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute for Gasol
With youngsters John Henson, Larry Sanders, Ekpe Udoh, Tobias Harris, and Ersan Ilyasova, the Bucks have plenty of talent to man both forward slots. The deal would be a financial wash and would allow Gasol to move back to his natural position at center and give the Hawks the low-post scorer they’ve lacked since they dealt Andrew Bogut for Monta Ellis.
For the Lakers, Gooden and Dunleavy are solid, veteran players with range, Dalembert would make for a sturdy backup to Dwight Howard and a big expiring contract, should they seek to make additional moves, and Mbah a Moute (when healthy) is a plus defender who can cover multiple positions.
Toronto Raptors: Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon and Linas Kleiza for Pau Gasol and Steve Blake
The Raptors have shown themselves willing to pony up some serious loonies recently, extending DeMar DeRozan for an additional four years and $38 million, inking Landry Fields for three years and $20 million and Kyle Lowry for four years and $24 million. Bargnani has struggled mightily with his shot this season but can be a deadly weapon on the perimeter and could thrive paired with a center like Dwight Howard who could cover up his ample defensive deficiencies.
The Lakers would also net a heady, pass-first point guard in Calderon who would back up Nash (when he returns) and could shift to shooting guard at times, giving the team two outstanding 3-point gunners in the backcourt. The Raptors would rid themselves of a player who has failed to live up to his potential and gain a half-court focus for Coach Dwane Casey’s slow-it-down, grind-it-out offense.
The Lakers will most likely wait to see how the team functions when Steve Nash returns before pulling the trigger on these or any other trades. Gasol has been on the trading block before, most notably in the deal for Chris Paul that the N.B.A. nixed. And although the Lakers wouldn’t receive a “star” in return, all of these moves would go great lengths toward balancing the team’s roster, adding much-needed depth and potentially allowing the predictions of the Lakers’ dominance to come to fruition.
Robert Silverman is a senior contributing writer at KnickerBlogger.net, a member of ESPN’s TrueHoop network. You can find him on Twitter (@BobSaietta).