1. It's your assumption he'd pout. He clearly seems unhappy in LALAland. So I'd assume he would welcome a change. 2. Even though we're under the cap, we'd still have to 'match salary' to an extent. The Lakers can't really take back 5 players and send 1 out since they'd then have to make 3 cuts to trim their roster back to 15. So making a deal would prove quite difficult without a 3rd party involved.
well, they have a lot of d-league level players they could cut. but yep, the Rockets aren't so far under the cap. it's still not so easy to pull off, but possible. i think he'd welcome a change too. but at this point i'm a bit less optimistic about the fit. tendinitis isn't a big deal, but then you add plantar fasciitis, add the fact that the first long rest didn't really help much - he looked better for a few games, or rather for the first halves of the first few games, and then he slowed down again - and i'm not so optimistic about him as a PF unless the center had some range and it was a slower system.
i think if gasol is traded he is going to play harder than he has in the last few season. I think Gasol is still a 20/10 guy and probably will be for another 2-3 years -- the lakers though are not using him effectively at all though. Putting Howard in the post just because he is athletic and is big is not smart at all since he has little to no post moves whatsoever. Gasol is probably the best big in the game today when it comes to playing in the post - in terms of being of being able to face up, back to the basket and pass out of the post. They should have Howard play weak side and gobble up and rebounds (as he is the better rebound) I would welcome Gasol in Houston actually depending on who we'd have to give up besides asorbing his salary. If we can keep the starting 5 (minus the starting PF) intact and keep delfino as well then its well worth it. I am guessing Patterson or Morris, Douglas would have to go. Probably a future first as well. The complete lack of a post player is sorely hurting the Rockets and its showing in the recent slide - during times when they arent able to score they have no one they can throw it down to- help slow the game down a bit and get easier baskets.
This... Gasol can still play and defend. I would welcome him to the Rockets for the right price. I don't blame Gasol at all for being pissed. He has been a star, and the best player on the court during the Lakers last Finals. Every year he is crapped on by the media, Kobe... Mentioned in trade rumors or called soft. He is not perfect but has accomplished more than that carnival barker MDA.
Can anyone explain to me how we could trade for Gasol without giving up Harden, Lin, Parsons, Asik? How would the contracts work? I don't see it being possible in a 2-team trade, just numbers-wise.
I couldn't swing it either, but I had some fun making up three team trades. Maybe someone like Bargnani (signed for more years than Gasol but at a lower AAV) would appeal to the Lakers and we could send some youngsters and picks (no idea how many we have) to Toronto, with Pau coming here?
We'd give up all of Delfino, Aldrich, Patterson, Douglas and Morris, AND THEN throw in one more player. Alternatively we could cut all of Smith, Beverley and Andersen, and then make the deal but keep Morris. I don't see the benefit for the Lakers except that it saves them some $7m this season and nets them one useful guy (Delfino) an upgrade to their backup point situation (from nothing to Douglas) and then 2 'prospects' in PPatt and Morris. I guess there is SOME benefit to that, but I suspect they'd get a better deal out of Gasol than that.
I wonder if the Pacers have any interest in Pau? g7 We could get in on the deal, have Pau sent to them, Granger to us, and West to the Lakers. We'd then give the Lakers Douglas/Aldrich (for salary matching) and give Indiana whomever they wanted (Patterson + Motie?) Both Indiana and Lakers save ca$h. Indiana turns the team over to George and Gasol for the playoffs (let's face facts, Hibbert/West isn't a ECF frontcourt is it!). The Lakers get the 'outside in' bigman who is a fringe all-star in return, West is a much better fit alongside Howard in a D'Antoni offence. They also get a backup PG who can do slightly more than Duhon. We get Granger by giving up nothing more than 'fodder'
