Well, if the Lakers somehow get Josh Smith ... he and DH12 are very good friends. I hope David Stern is still around to block that trade ... :grin: http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=aaubkec The Hawks lost Williams for the season and could use Blake and Meeks in the backcourt. Gasol gives them more frontcourt offense next to Horford. The Lakers will receive all expiring contracts in return in order to resign DH12 and Josh Smith after this season. Adding Johnson and Tolliver gives them also more depth at the C/PF position after losing Jordan Hill with an injury.
Josh Smith is not the answer in LA. Like Gasol, he's at his best playing closer to the basket. He's not a strong player beyond 15-20 feet. Spacing issues would still exist, only Josh is a horrendous FT shooter just like Dwight; which would create some serious rotation issues during crunchtime when both are needed out on the court.
Pau has definitely lost a step this year. He is still very skilled and has size, but he is not the same player he was a few years ago. At this stage of his career Pau is not worth a max contract nor a long term commitment. Morey should pass.
That's where I am, too. Because Gasol would definitely help the team this year, and I don't think of us, in our gut, sees Dwight signing here this summer. But it could happen, on paper, and the upside (two legit superstars) is too much for Morey not to go after, even if the odds are low. He almost has to. That said, I don't think Pau has declined to the extent many think. He's still a very good player. More importantly, his deal isn't long-term. You'd basically be delaying your "cap room" offseason from 2013 to 2014, and you'd also have Pau's expiring contract to dangle at the 2014 deadline in a move for Love or Aldridge. As far as the Rockets' future is concerned, it would be equivalent to signing Gasol to a 1-year, $19-million deal. Unless we can get Dwight or CP3, I think that's a better outcome for this summer than anything else (Smith, etc.). It would make us much more competitive over the short term while still retaining the flexibility to be a player in significant trades and the upcoming summer. Problem is, I think there are a lot of teams that will share this outlook come July, once Gasol's deal has just one year left and Dwight/CP3 are off the market. Thus, the Lakers could command more in a trade and possibly make it not worth our while. I think the only way to get Gasol at a true bargain price is to do it in the next month, and you'd probably be waving the white flag on Dwight (barring a S&T) if you do that. Tough decision.
I've said to Laker fan-friends w/ an added argument about fit in the system. But they're really buying into "franchise player" talk about Howard. Not sure if Howard will ever be what he was after his back injury. He can't jump anymore.
And Linas Kleiza "schooled" Durant. Which means Kleiza is better than Durant and probably at the same tier as Rudy Gay.
Well fellas. Here comes another Lakers Dynasty. They get what they want. Gasol for Superstar and an unprotected 2014 lottery pick that turns out to be Andrew Wiggins or Jabrari Parker
Lamest argument ever. Yi dropped thirty on the soft Spaniards, I don't need to put "" around the word schooled. Plus the point isn't really about Yi. If you have watched any Laker game this year, you'll see that it isn't really all that hard to get 20 or so points on Gasol. I don't care if you're not producing on O, but when you also consistently give up points in the paint and failto secure easy rebounds, it means you belong on the bench. At this point Kwame Brown is a 100X better defensive wise than Gasol. I hold no hatred for the guy, but he's done. Injuries, lack of motivation, call it whatever you want. He's done
I think Gasol needs a change of scenery BADLY. Motivation will come back from that. He has taken a lot of **** over the last couple of years from Kobe and this year he gets his role changed completely to something he isn't. I don't think the Rockets have the right contracts to fit in a trade unless they give up Asik or Lin, both of which are worth more than Gasol at this point, so this whole thread is a moot pt.
when Gasol is unomotivated he plays like ****, which is why memphis ditched him . He would do really well here.
