ATW, I think you can do that last trade without involving Toronto. I think Pau is a really good player but it would be tough for the Rockets to get any assets for the future in the trade. We're just not a team that is one piece away. We'd be much happier 3 years from now if they use that cap space to acquire a draft pick or a young developing player.
It pains me that Morey probably will not want to do this, but Houston is the perfect team to facilitate a 3 team trade to get Josh Smith to LA, Pau to Houston, and Asik + filler to ATL. I love what Asik has brought the Rockets this year, but lets face it... his offensive liability & Lin's lack of an outside shot are big reasons why teams are now figuring out how to defend Houston. The run & gun game is nice in spurts, but its gimmicky and will not work long term. The run & gun phoenix teams only won big because that team was able to run & gun and NEVER turn the ball over. Losing Asik in the middle hurts the defense & boards short term, but long term they can install much better more efficient gameplay in the half court to cut back on turnovers & give themselves the ability to get back on defense. I think you can play Aldrich & Smith alongside Gasol & Jones/D-Mo/Morris and still have enough size to get boards. I know Gasol is on the wrong side of 30, but we are talking about someone that just this Summer single handily forced team USA to double and triple team him. The guy is the low post option this team needs, would be a great P&R partner with Harden/Lin, and easily has another 4 or 5 years left to be very productive. -For LA, Smith seems to be right up their alley. Will excel in the run & gun system, and gives someone they have a chance at resigning on a discount next Summer, is good friends with Dwight, and is a big name to sell their fans. -For ATL, Asik is a great fit for their team. They have been wanting to go big, and move Horford to the PF position for years now. They get to build a team around him moving forward, and get something really good for a player in Smith that they were probably looking to part with anyways. I would really like to see this trade happen, but Im realistic that Morey wants a young star long term, and I understand that bringing in Pau really only gives the Rockets a good 3 to 5 years to contend. Still, it would be a really interesting 3 to 5 years.
Like CH, I have not been shy about expressing the minority opinion on this BBS that Pau Gasol would be a welcome addition to this Rockets team. Would I add Gasol at the expense of a REALISTIC shot at Dwight Howard or Chris Paul? Probably not. However, if those additions are merely pipe-dreams (honestly don't know about this), then adding Gasol would be an ideal "buy low" situation with a guy who might be the next best AVAILABLE player in the league. Since waiving Daequan Cook, the ability to make an in-season trade for Gasol got incrementally tougher. However, it's still possible. As CH has asked about before, I think (THINK, don't know for sure) that they could first make a trade for someone like Josh Smith ($13.2 million expiring contract) and then, as long as the trade for Smith does not push the Rockets over the salary cap, immediately flip Smith and another Rockets player (it can be pretty much any small salary except for Anderson and Beverley, who cannot yet be traded). Salary aggregation restrictions would not apply in this case. So, for example (purely from a mechanical standpoint; I'm not saying any team would necessarily go for this), the Rockets could do something like this: Trade 1: Patterson/Aldrich/Douglas to Atlanta for Josh Smith and a minimum salaried player Trade 2: Trade Smith and either other ATL player or another HOU player to L.A. for Pau Gasol Trade 1 would involve the use of cap space. Trade 2 would involve invoking trade rules for over-the-cap teams, trading outgoing salary for up to $5 million more in incoming salary. All this said, the Rockets may be better off waiting until this summer, take their swings at Howard and Paul, and THEN, if they can't land one of those big fish, go for Gasol using their cap space, a couple of young players, and a (protected) future first rounder. By that time, Gasol would only be a one-year commitment. If he doesn't work out, then not much was lost in the process. But if he DOES pan out, he could possibly be re-signed on a much more affordable deal.
Thats still a steal of a trade, one lakers almost shouldn't refuse with getting almost all expiring, mostly solid young players, players that will help there playoff run this season and save them so much money. Yeah our bench would be short but we can make due, Lin can backup harden with beverly at point. Jones can backup parsons and Gasol a bit. Smith will back up Asik and Gasol at times. Then you still have Motiejunas able to come in if needed. Yeah really thin, but we can make due.
Well said. I'd make the trade for Pau today....if Paul & Howard weren't impending free agents.(Yeah, yeah, very likely they both stay in LA but still.) I just don't think I can make that trade for Gasol now. As you said, maybe wait until the summer. Off-topic: I hope James catches up and/or shows some of these players around come all-star break. ; )
there's no sense in blowing our cap space until morey has a second all-star calibur player to pair harden with. gasol CANNOT be this player. if gasol can be had for $0.65 cents on the dollar... you gotta do it. IF he's your 3rd star, not your 2nd.
If Gasol ever comes to Houston, he should be paired with a strong center instead of a point guard with no range. Asik would minimize Gasol's problems with post defense, minutes and this duo gives Houston the length advantage over every team in the league. So instead of trading Asik to ATL, trade Lin to Utah. shooter pg / Harden / Parsons /Gasol / Asik would be a great balanced team.
Dwight Howard and CP3 are the only two free agents worth our space in the next 2 years, and we aren't getting them. By the time the ones we could get, Gasol's contract comes off the books. In the meantime, he'd be a monumental upgrade at center (yeah no playing him at pf anymore, just no)
This would actually be a pretty good decent deal for all teams involved. Of course the FA pool this off-season will be big though, so I doubt it would be done. And I doubt Utah wants to help Houston seeing as we're both directly competing for the lower seeds.
Have you ever watched Gasol play? He is maximized when he is playing center and is paired with a stretch 4. Part of the reason why he has struggled so much as a PF next to Dwight.
If you want to bring Pau off the bench, bring him off the bench. Why make a big deal out of it and throw around words like permanently. D'Antoni has no media awareness.
what's with these lakers? Pau and Odom (ex-Laker) don't want to be traded, don't want to go to the bench. you're pros, you play to help the team win.
