http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ba8696p Houston receives: Gasol Jamison Lakers receive: Josh Smith Toney Douglas Royce White Atlanta receives: Delfino Aldrich Patterson Motie The Lakers don't take back any long term salary, Atlanta gets some youth at PF and the Rockets get a solid, albeit expensive PF for the next two years. It takes the Rockets out of free agency this year, but it should help get them to the playoffs and helps to fulfill their pick obligation this year. It also gives them a large expiring contract to use in trades either this summer or up to next year's trade deadline. Or they could just wait and have the money available next summer. While nobody likes Pau's contract, it's probably a better option than the idea of simply waiting until next summer to use their cap space.
This is the type of deal that would make sense to me: http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=bbqnwby Lakers-Wolves. I don't know that the Rockets can get a piece of it, but I like it for Pau and for the Wolves, and the Lakers get depth and tax savings.
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=a5ee4bp Bucks get a big man to pair with Jennings/Ellis (whichever stays) who still, IMO, has all-star level talent. Get a young PG to replace Udrih. With the development of Henson and Sanders, they can afford to let Udoh go. Lakers get 2 expirings who can provide some energy off the bench in their hunt for the playoffs, and get a young PF/C in Udoh. The Lakers would have $13 million worth in expirings, and Udoh would expire the nest year.
Seriously - the only stretches of success D'Anto has had have correlated directly with the presence of prime Nash and/or Stoudemire - literally every time he hasn't had that (LAL, NYK, DEN) he's been a failure.
Pau's situation is much like Jeremy Lin's situation here. Being asked to play a role he'll likely fail in. Pau is a C, not PF. He needs to play close to the rim to utilize his skills soft touch around the rim and passing. He's a guy that you can play inside out with. But you can't put him next to Asik. Worse than putting him next to Dwight.
I like Pau. I think he can be great again on a new team. But, Houston isn't the right fit. He's 32 and has a big contract, so the time horizons aren't right.
While we don't want 19M tied up in an aging Gasol, I think he gets us over the hump for the next 2 seasons as far as the playoffs go. And, when all that is said and done, you'll have a nice $19M expiring contract on your hands to use in acquiring another piece. I think you roll the dice if you're the Rockets, as long as you're not giving up any of your flexibility or valuable youth (Harden, Parsons, Asik).
That is what I was thinking. The question is, would you deal Asik, Lin and Morris in a 3 way.... the facilitator team gets Asik and Lin.... the Lakers get expiring contracts and the Rockets get Gasol and keep their cap space. Gasol plays the 5 with Patterson at the 4 and Douglas/Beverley at the 1.
It isn't a lack of media awareness.... MDA is just arrogant and always has had a whipping boy. He did it with Hill and Douglas.
Come on man.... most people could not make a WC Finals appearance with Stoudamire, Nash, Johnson, Marion and Barbosa.
Those who still want Pau only consider what his skill set and height would bring our team without considering how much he would sulk and be a baby about playing on a team that might not make the playoffs rendering his skill set and height a big fat zero and his contract a negative. Now, put him on an elite team in a big city and watch him ball all out to prove everyone he's still got it but was being used wrong in LA. He's a big baby. Let him get what he wanted, which was to stay in LA when he was nearly traded to Houston.
Probably because Bynum's availability is even more rare than last night's Jupiter-next-to-the-moon appearance. You may have found the one do-able trade out there. Makes sense for both teams. Hell, even Udroh/Brown/Dunleavy and a pick would make sense. It's not like the Lakers would hurt their chemistry. And, therefore, none of this will happen.
It all comes full circle. The Lakers trade Kwame fricken Brown to get Gasol. Five years later he's benched in favor of Earl Clark.
We know why Pau is taking more midrange shots this season, but why did he start doing it last season too? 2010-2011 only 30% of his shots taken in midrange. 2011-2012 up to 40% of his shots were from midrage. How would Harden fit with Pau? I don't think any recent Laker player drives to the basket as much as Harden. Kobe is taking more of his shots this season @ the rim but it's only 26% of his shots up from 17% last season. It seems to me unless Pau is always moving and cutting his defender would always be close to the lane. Harden was able to work with all the OKC midrange shooters because they were all athletic and able to cut or roll if needed. We have Asik who is almost always around the rim. Harden is taking 40% of his shots @ the rim this year and pretty close to the 38% last season. Last year 46% of his shots came from 3P, but down to 33% this year. Bynum had more range than Asik so he was able let Pau get more low post plays. It might not be so easy to just plug Pau in to our offense.
