Los Angeles Lakers: Why the Lakers Should Trade Pau Gasol for Deron Williams

The Los Angeles Lakers have been enduring something of a tough time in their desire to add another superstar to their roster in recent months. 

First, it was the approved-turned-vetoed Chris Paul trade with the New Orleans Hornets, and lately it has been their continually unsuccessful pursuit of Orlando’s Dwight Howard. 

Paul and Howard were seen to be the two main players on the market with their impending free agency looming at the end of the season. 

But the Lakers should abandon the pursuit of Howard and instead turn their attention to New Jersey. 

He may have been a Net for less than a year, but Deron Williams is the player the Lakers should be targeting. 

The Nets acquired Williams at the trade deadline last year in a move that was hoped to be the first of a potential superstar pairing when the Nets move to Brooklyn next season. The Nets reportedly were desperate to bring Howard in as the second piece of the franchise-building duo, but their efforts have been to no avail. 

So that has left Williams in a similar situation to that which he desperately wanted out of in Utah: he’s the shining light for a franchise caught in the grips of mediocrity with no exit in sight. 

As a result, it’s widely accepted that Williams will walk out of Brooklyn in the summer, meaning that the Nets will have to see their one franchise quality player leave with no immediate replacement to plaster on a Brooklyn billboard. 

That’s where the Lakers come in. 

Three months ago, I would have written that a package built around Andrew Bynum would be the best path to tread for the Lakers to establish their own superstar trio to rival that in South Beach. 

However, due to Bynum’s scintillating start to the 2011-12 campaign, the Lakers would be unwilling to part with his services. 

And with the fact that the Lakers are still very much Kobe Bryant’s team, that leaves Pau Gasol as the odd man out. 

Gasol’s scoring numbers are slightly down this season compared with his career average, but his pedigree is still of a high quality. 

The 7-foot Spaniard is a two-time NBA champion, former Rookie of the Year and a four-time All-Star selection.

In the right situation, Gasol can still be one of the league's leading scorers from the power forward position. 

Add in the fact that Gasol has publically voiced his unhappiness with his role in the Lakers' offense this season, and the prospect of him being moved on isn’t far fetched. 

While a straight-swap trade is feasible from a salary-cap standpoint, in all likelihood other players or at least draft picks would need to be included in the deal. 

Williams hasn’t been shy of his admiration of the Lakers in the past, even commenting that he has been flattered by the wishes of Lakers fans to see him wearing purple and gold. 

If that wish were to become reality, the Lakers would instantly become a contender for the title. 

A trio of Bryant, Bynum and Williams would have the potential to rival any other in the league. 

And while it may seem like New Jersey would be giving up more than they’d be getting in return, at least they’d be getting something.

If in doubt, they should ask the Cavaliers how it could turn out letting a superstar walk away for nothing.