Lakers Rumors: Pau Gasol Must Be Dealt by Los Angeles Before Trade Deadline

Ever since an offseason deal between the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Hornets and Houston Rockets was nixed by NBA Commissioner David Stern, Pau Gasol's name has appeared in multiple trade rumors.

With the Lakers struggling under first-year head coach Mike Brown and the March 15th trade deadline quickly approaching, look for the Pau Gasol trade rumors to continue.

Like every other team, the Lakers are not immune to improvement.

Here are five reasons why trading Gasol can help.

Without Triangle Offense, Gasol Looks Lost

Since his arrival during the 2007 season, Gasol had been an integral piece of Phil Jackson’s triangle offense.

But with the departure of Jackson went the departure of the triangle offense—a system that was tailor-made for Gasol’s skill set.

Jackson’s offense placed Pau in optimal scoring positions. 

The entry passes he received were often the result of a swing pass from the opposite side of the court, which caught defenses off-guard and gave him an advantage for interior position.  From the block, Gasol knew where his shooters would be at all times, allowing him to utilize his unique passing abilities.

Under Coach Brown, the offense and Gasol have been different.

With center Andrew Bynum occupying the blocks, Gasol has been forced outside more than he would like.  This ultimately changes his shot selection and efficiency.

Pau’s 16.8 PPG season average is the lowest of his 10-year career and his 50.1 field goal percentage is the lowest since his 2003-04 campaign.

Coincidentally enough, Gasol attempted 15 three-pointers in 78 games that year—an area in which he struggles.  In only 29 games this season, Gasol has already attempted 14.

While the sample size is small enough to not have significant impact on his shooting percentage, it is still indicative to how much further out of the key he is playing.

Pau Is Getting Old

When the Lakers acquired Gasol five years ago, he was supposed to be their post player of the future.

Well that future is now the present, and at the age of 31, there isn’t much future left.

Pau has already played in 361 games for the Lakers—including 77 postseason appearances.  That’s almost an entire extra set of regular season games that the man with the “soft” label has been subjugated to.

To complicate matters, this year’s condensed 66-game regular season has forced the team into numerous back-to-back contests, which only adds mileage to an aging body.

While his participation with Spain’s national team is commendable, it has also come at the expense of his production.

After being named to three consecutive All-Star appearances as a Laker, Gasol will be sitting out this year’s midseason exhibition.

The Lakers Could Net an Elite Point Guard in Return

The glaring weakness on the Lakers' roster falls on the point guard position.

During their recent six-game road trip, LA point guards allowed Jeremy Lin and Jose Calderon to set career-highs in scoring in back-to-back contests.

Like Gasol, Derek Fisher is getting really old.

The Lakers need an elite floor leader to be competitive in today’s guard-driven league.

After their attempt at Chris Paul fell short, the Lakers have been linked to others, such as Boston’s Rajon Rondo.

If Los Angeles can net an elite point guard for an aging power forward, it might be in their best interest to pursue that deal.

More Room for Bynum in the Middle

The emergence and consistency of Andrew Bynum has helped negate some of Gasol’s struggles.

With season averages of 16.3 points per game and 12.6 rebounds per game, Bynum is averaging half a point less and two more rebounds than his starting frontcourt mate.

For someone who shoots 54.8 percent from the field, Bynum should be getting more than 12 attempts per game.  In contrast, Gasol has a respectable 50.1 percent average from the floor, but attempts nearly two more shots per game.

If Gasol was traded, Kobe Bryant would have more room to operate in pick-and-roll sets and on drives to the basket.

Seeing how the Lakers fall into deep stretches of this type of offense, the additional spacing created by Gasol’s vacancy might be just what it takes to turn the offense around.

The Lakers Are Not Championship Contenders

The current Los Angeles Lakers roster is not built for a championship run.

Management knows it.  Lakers fans know it.  Kobe admits it.

For a team that prides itself in basketball excellence and only hangs championship banners, a move needs to be made.

The Lakers are currently playing second tune to the Los Angeles Clippers, who lead them by 2.5 games in divisional standings.  Their current standing as the fifth seed in the Western Conference playoff race also means they will unlikely enjoy home-court advantage throughout their postseason run.

For a franchise that won their last title in Game 7, there should be no need to explain the importance and impact of seeding.