BREAKING NEWS: Lakers Acquire Pau Gasol

[Amars]

2nd that

Odom???

 

[Samphin]

Very good trade for the Lakers, somewhat questionable for the Grizz since they already have 2 very young PGs in Lowry and Conley.

Rumors are starting to surface that Mike Miller will be traded soon as well as the Grizz are gonna make their team into Gay's team.

Also rumors starting to float that Lakers have a couple deals on the table that they might pull at deadline time. Some interesting deals, but there are 4 untouchables (Kobe,Bynum,Farmar,Walton)

I have a feeling this is it for the big trades coming out of L.A. Once Bynum and Ariza get healthy, we will have one of the longest and deepest front courts in the NBA to go along with Kobe in the backcourt with the dead eye shooters (Vujacic, Fisher and Farmar). We don't need a Jason Kidd or anybody else at this point.

Besides, Walton as an untouchable? The guy has played horrid basketball this year and really can't play in any other system outside the triangle. I doubt he is considered an untouchable.

 

[Regan21286]

this is true, if they can all meche together then i cant wait to see spurs vs lakers in WCF, and maaaaaaaybe just maaaaaaaaaaaybe lakers vs celtics..bringing back the rivarly

the spurs match up good against lakers tho

I agree. Duncan has had Gasol's number each time they met in the playoffs. But Gasol never had Kobe and Kobe never had Gasol. We'll just have to see. But Gasol had better pick up the tri fast. It's a pretty complicated scheme and IQ-lite players such as Odom and Kwame still never learned it. Bynum got it down well but only because of his work ethic and long offseason training.

 

[Samphin]

Reports are surfacing now that the original deal was LAMAR ODOM and J-Critt. But when the Memphis owner found out Lamar's contract went beyond 2008, he balked and demanded that Chris Wallace (Grizzlies G.M.) substitute Odom with Kwame Brown.

Wow.

If Odom goes with Critt to Memphis, pretty much everyone agrees its an even trade I would guess. But seeing as how it was Kwame for the salary dump, this thing is so lopsided it is almost criminal. Fans of virtually every team in the league are annoyed to no end at the Lakers for how little they had to give up.

Bulls fans are gunning for Paxton's head for not get Pau and Kings fans are beside themselves (like they had been relevant in the past three years anyway).

 

[Regan21286]

Reports are surfacing now that the original deal was LAMAR ODOM and J-Critt. But when the Memphis owner found out Lamar's contract went beyond 2008, he balked and demanded that Chris Wallace (Grizzlies G.M.) substitute Odom with Kwame Brown.

Wow.

If Odom goes with Critt to Memphis, pretty much everyone agrees its an even trade I would guess. But seeing as how it was Kwame for the salary dump, this thing is so lopsided it is almost criminal. Fans of virtually every team in the league are annoyed to no end at the Lakers for how little they had to give up.

Bulls fans are gunning for Paxton's head for not get Pau and Kings fans are beside themselves (like they had been relevant in the past three years anyway).

Now that would've made some sense. Instead, they get a bag of meat. I bet Grizz fans (if there are any left) are gunning for Wallace's head.

 

[Fresh]

I don't really see what the Lakers are giving up here.

1. Kwame has $9 million expiring, but it's not like the Lakers were going to be able to sign a significant upgrade in the summer. Kobe, Odom, etc. are still tied up long term.

2. Javaris Crittenton has great potential, but he was the 19th pick of the most recent draft and hasn't proven anything as of yet.

3. Is Crittenton even a triangle PG?

4. Marc Gasol has even less credibility.

5. Two first rounders that are likely to be around 25-30? Ehhh.

 

[Fresh]

Bulls fans are gunning for Paxton's head for not get Pau and Kings fans are beside themselves (like they had been relevant in the past three years anyway).

Know what's funny? Paxton was more than willing to give up Ben Gordon and Tyrus Thomas, but wouldn't part with Luol Deng or Kirk Hinrich. I find it hard to believe that getting Gordon & Thomas isn't better than an expiring $9 million, two late round picks, and a future backup (AT BEST) for Mike Conley.

 

[Amars]

I don't really see what the Lakers are giving up here.

1. Kwame has $9 million expiring, but it's not like the Lakers were going to be able to sign a significant upgrade in the summer. Kobe, Odom, etc. are still tied up long term.

2. Javaris Crittenton has great potential, but he was the 19th pick of the most recent draft and hasn't proven anything as of yet.

3. Is Crittenton even a triangle PG?

4. Marc Gasol has even less credibility.

5. Two first rounders that are likely to be around 25-30? Ehhh.

I read a report that they wanted to get rid of Gasol who seem to have a falling out with the team on and off the court.

Donald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal has learned that the Grizzlies have traded Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers for center Kwame Brown, rookie guard Javaris Crittenton, and first-round draft picks in 2008 and 2010.

The decision was made that the Grizzlies could no longer move forward with Gasol on and off the basketball court.

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/50640/20080201/gasol_traded_to_lakers/

 

[DonShula84]

Know what's funny? Paxton was more than willing to give up Ben Gordon and Tyrus Thomas, but wouldn't part with Luol Deng or Kirk Hinrich. I find it hard to believe that getting Gordon & Thomas isn't better than an expiring $9 million, two late round picks, and a future backup (AT BEST) for Mike Conley.

LA Times said the Bulls refused to pay luxury tax, which they would have had to do if they got Pau.

With Gasol getting $49.4 million the next three seasons and Bynum's extension projected to kick in in 2009, the Lakers will go far over the luxury tax threshold, and this deal could cost $80 million in salary and tax over three years.

That's how they got Gasol. No one else would step up.

The Chicago Bulls, who eyed Gasol for years, could have offered P.J. Brown's expired $12.8-million contract and Andres Nocioni, whom Memphis wanted.

However, to put Brown's salary in the deal, the Bulls would have had to pay luxury tax on it this season, which owner Jerry Reinsdorf refused to do.

This wasn't the Lakers' only option. They could have had Chicago's Ben Wallace for Kwame Brown and Vladimir Radmanovic, according to an NBA source, incurring far less cost.

Moving Radmanovic's contract, which has three seasons worth $19 million left, would have meant the Lakers were taking on only an additional $20 million.

However, the Lakers thought Wallace was old and diminished, which was true. He's attitudinal, too, but I don't think he's as bad as he looked with the runty Bulls. He and Bynum might have been a devastating defensive tandem, but we'll never know.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-heisler2feb02,1,6098316.story?ctrack=6&cset=true

 

[Samphin]

Know what's funny? Paxton was more than willing to give up Ben Gordon and Tyrus Thomas, but wouldn't part with Luol Deng or Kirk Hinrich. I find it hard to believe that getting Gordon & Thomas isn't better than an expiring $9 million, two late round picks, and a future backup (AT BEST) for Mike Conley.

From the Gizz's perspective, they had no intention of acquirinf talent. They simply wanted some expiring contracts to write off the books for next year. Rumors of the owner getting ready to sell the team seem to be true. They are doing their best to clean up the books for potential buyers essentially.

 

[mf52dolphin]

Kwame was the worst 1st overall pick in history in any sport.

Well not quite

In 1966 the Mets instead of taking one Reginald Martinez Jackson, rejected due to inaccurate rumors of him doing inter-racial dating, drafted a catcher named Steve Chilcott, who never made it to the majors.

 

[Amars]

ya that is pretty bad. Now that is a trivia question.

 

[phunwin]

Well not quite

In 1966 the Mets instead of taking one Reginald Martinez Jackson, rejected due to inaccurate rumors of him doing inter-racial dating, drafted a catcher named Steve Chilcott, who never made it to the majors.

The Mets have blown so many #1 picks it's not even funny. Passing on Mark McGwire for Shawn Abner was another fine move. Now, before I have to go back into therapy, back to the subject thread...

From the Gizz's perspective, they had no intention of acquirinf talent. They simply wanted some expiring contracts to write off the books for next year. Rumors of the owner getting ready to sell the team seem to be true. They are doing their best to clean up the books for potential buyers essentially.

Here's what I'm wondering: how did Memphis fail to get Trevor Ariza in the deal? LA had four excellent young talents: Bynum, Ariza, Farmar and Crittenton. Bynum, obviously, was untouchable, but the Grizz should have insisted on getting two of the others. And I've got to think the Lakers would have done it, if push came to shove.

 

[phunwin]

Rumors are starting to surface that Mike Miller will be traded soon as well as the Grizz are gonna make their team into Gay's team.

Also rumors starting to float that Lakers have a couple deals on the table that they might pull at deadline time. Some interesting deals, but there are 4 untouchables (Kobe,Bynum,Farmar,Walton)

I think it's a near-lock that Mike Miller will be next to go. They'll surely try to foist Brian Cardinal off on someone, too, but I can't imagine anyone's going to take him off their hands at this point unless he's part of a much bigger deal.

As for the Lakers, I'd be surprised if they make another move. Getting Bynum healthy is all they need right now to be maybe the best team in the West.

 

[Samphin]

The Mets have blown so many #1 picks it's not even funny. Passing on Mark McGwire for Shawn Abner was another fine move. Now, before I have to go back into therapy, back to the subject thread...



Here's what I'm wondering: how did Memphis fail to get Trevor Ariza in the deal? LA had four excellent young talents: Bynum, Ariza, Farmar and Crittenton. Bynum, obviously, was untouchable, but the Grizz should have insisted on getting two of the others. And I've got to think the Lakers would have done it, if push came to shove.

Ariza currently has a broken foot and is inactive. Not sure if he could be traded based off that. Furthermore, I am not sure, since he was traded already once this seaosn, if he could be involved in a package deal to another team. Meaning, he could have been traded (if healthy) all by his lonesome but not with other players. I will have to check the CBA for clarification on that.

Besides all of that, I don't think the Lakers are looking to move Ariza. I would suspect that they would have offered up Odom, Radmanovich, Vujacic, and Walton before prying loose of Ariza. The kid can play defense like no other and has fit in perfectly oas the 6th man in L.A.