Nah, Heat is relying Grant to do everything in the paint for them right now. I think a Cato+Rice for Grant trade is more likely to be accepted bby Heat.
If I was Rudy and my secretary said Jerry West was on Line 1, I would tell her to say I was out to lunch. Otherwise, I might succumb to his Jedi mind tricks, and next thing I know, be taking on the remaining contract of Big Country straight up for Yao and Steve.
here is another source talking about this. http://www.bergen.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2JmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2MzM4NTYy "The Knicks' goal is to get taller and younger by the Feb. 20 trading deadline. A league source said Thursday that the Memphis Grizzlies are willing to part with a player who fits that description. Second-year forward/center Pau Gasol, who won the NBA's Rookie of the Year last season, is available, according to the source. That person also said Knicks' general manager Scott Layden has talked to Memphis general manager Jerry West about Gasol. It's unclear what Memphis would want in return for the 7-foot, 227-pound Gasol, but it's probably not Latrell Sprewell. The source said the Grizzlies are considering trading Gasol, who is averaging 18.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 2.77 blocks, because they like Cezary Trybanski, a 7-2 rookie from Poland. Trade talks throughout the league are expected to heat up during this weekend's All-Star break. Most teams have the next four days off, but the league executives will have their cell phones on at all times. The fashionable theory is that if Layden makes any move, Sprewell will be the one to go. But the Knicks have been trying to move Sprewell for at least two years. They could have had Glenn Robinson from Milwaukee over the summer. Layden turned it down. Layden will continue to gauge the interest in Sprewell. But for all the knocks against Layden, he won't just give Sprewell away, even if it is believed that owner James Dolan has told him he must trade Sprewell. Layden is looking for an All-Star caliber player in return for the Knicks' best and most popular player. Since many of Layden's deals have backfired - he was here when Patrick Ewing was traded, and he made the moves for Howard Eisley, Shandon Anderson, Antonio McDyess, and Frank Williams - any trade of Sprewell would be the most important transaction he will have made during 3½ years with the franchise. "
I'd be afraid to do it if West is *willing* to. The man rarely makes bad moves. Apart from becoming the Grizzlies' GM, that is.
Difference is, Clippers don't want to pay and want POTENTIAL. The Grizzlies want to give up potential for talent. What I'm trying to say is that, Brand for Gasol sounds like a very good possibility now. But it's beyond me why West would trade Gasol. Why not Gooden? Lots of teams would want Gooden and would offer a nice package of players. Maybe West just lost it? I think he's so obssesed with the players HE likes (J-Will, Gooden, TRYBANSKI!!) that he just wants to get rid of the rest. Another possibility is that he's asking the other team to take on Bryant Reeve's contract, which is still on the books.
Steve and Cat complain as much as anyonein the leauge. By the way what has J West done that has everyone here so impressed?
One of the guys on NBA TV said that the rumers of Jerry West trading Gasol or Gooden were exagerated and in fact those two were untouchable.
Memphis trades: PG Brevin Knight (4.1 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 4.4 apg in 17.5 minutes) PF Pau Gasol (18.4 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2.8 apg in 35.9 minutes) SG Wesley Person (9.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.5 apg in 25.6 minutes) Memphis receives: PG Moochie Norris (4.7 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.6 apg in 48 games) C Kelvin Cato (4.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 0.3 apg in 40 games) SG Cuttino Mobley (18.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.0 apg in 40 games) Change in team outlook: -4.4 ppg, +0.1 rpg, and -2.8 apg. TRADE ACCEPTED I would do it without blinking an eye! Our team bb IQ would increase tenfold after this trade. For all you people saying Gasol is soft, he's only 22 years old for gods sake. For everyone that says he cant rebound. He averages more rebound per game than anyone on our team and he's 22. For all those people that say he is a defensive liabilaty. He averages more blocks per game than anyone on our team and he's 22. I will take an inteligent, young, savy all around basketball player with good court vision and good overall skill over a muscle head rebounder any day. Just about any argument you can make defending Ming against the critics can be used with Gasol. You pare Gasol with Ming and we would have one of the biggest, youngest and smartest front courts in the NBA and one of the best for the next 12 to 15 years. Its a no brainer.
I'm intruiged that you didn't blow this rumor out of the way with your first post MemphisX. Is there in fact any truth to the rumor? I though Gooden was going to go?
To be totally honest any time you hear Jerry West is 'shopping' a player it is a lie. In one of his first interviews here he said he never leaks out that players are available. He says that always puts the other team in the position of power. I think it is more like other teams want to acquire Pau Gasol. Gasol is one of the few true low post offensive threats that are young, along with Ming and Amare, combine that with our pathetic record and you get the rumours.
ok, i'm one of the those people who don't believe in pau gasol. he is a soft player who can't rebound and defend. because he averages close to 9 rebounds per game, it doesn't mean he's a good rebounder. every team will have couple players averaging 7 to 9 rebounds; they don't have to be any good to get them. in fact, any 7 footer can put up his number by standing in the paint because no other grizzlies except Lorenzen Wright, averaging 7 a game, will fight for the rebound. this is also true about points and blocks. y'all remember charles smith, former clipper and knick, who was an 18-point scorer for the cllippers.
Gasol is still on a <i>modest</i> contract, so it is quite likely that the acquiring team will have to take expensive flotsam & jetsam in addition to gaining Pau. Some BBS members expect a <i>free lunch</i> in trades with other teams.
Vlade Divac Byron Scott A.C. Green Michael Cooper Shaquille O'Neal Kobe Bryant Derek Fisher not to mention the multiple championships.
