Lakers Rumors: How Pau Gasol Trade Would Affect Kobe Bryant
We saw Kobe Bryant's reaction to Lamar Odom's departure, now how would he take it if Pau Gasol is shipped out?
It is a possibility.
After Gasol was 4-for-13 against the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, Kobe felt Gasol was distracted by trade talks that had the Minnesota Timberwolves offering Derrick Williams and draft picks to the Los Angeles Lakers for PG16.
Mark Medina of the LATimes quoted Kobe as saying, "Personally I don't understand that crap. But it is what it is. It's important for him to know we support him. I support him especially. I just want him to go out there and play hard and do what he does best for us."
At this point, the best thing he may be able to do for the Lakers is bring Williams and picks in a trade.
Still, Kobe wants to win now, and moving Gasol will appear as a move towards rebuilding. That is a process that Bryant will unlikely be excited about. Here is what the situation would mean for Kobe:
Present
Gasol leaving will mean new teammates and Kobe will be forced to trust Andrew Bynum wholeheartedly, as he will be the Lakers' only inside threat. Bynum is having a career year, averaging 16 points and 12.6 rebounds. He has solidified himself as the games' second best center.
Gasol has been solid, but through two major trade talks, his scoring is down from 18.8 to 16.6 points per game. The Lakers will not be as good without Gasol this year, but I believe they are better long term. That likely will be of no solace to Kobe, who is 33 years old and, though he's still amazing, on the downside of his career.
He has played through this season with substantial pain in his injured wrist, and still excelled. Though the Lakers are not a championship-caliber team, they are competitive. Kobe can at least find peace in that, and there are enough familiar faces around from championship years to make him believe they can still win now. They are currently in second place in the Pacific Division, with a record of 18-12.
If you subtract Gasol from that mix, it becomes an almost impossible sell, even to someone as insanely competitive as Bryant.
All of those factors could very well lead to Bryant feeling as though this year was a waste. Even though Williams is a nice young talent, Bryant knows they can't even dream to compete with the heavyweights in the Western Conference without Gasol.
That sounds like a disgruntled Mamba to finish the season.
Future
The Lakers will have one more opportunity to keep Bryant happy. If the Lakers can bring Dwight Howard in through free agency, then despite the rumors of Bryant not wanting D12, he would be happy with the games' best center.
The Lakers would be NBA Finals contenders, as they would have the cap freedom to add some nice players to a Bryant, Howard and Williams mix.
That scenario may be enough to wipe the frown off of Kobe's face.
If not, I've got a nasty word for you: amnesty.
It could happen. Yes, that or Kobe demanding a trade. I know he said he's in it for the long haul in L.A., but that was before the team hypothetically began to rebuild.
If he doesn't demand a trade, and the Lakers don't get Howard, the team would be wise to amnesty him. I know he is one of the four greatest players in history, and the greatest Laker of all time, but he'll be 34 years old.
A 34-year-old making $27 million next year and $30 million the year after that—that is nearly the equivalent of two max free agents, who are both seven years Bryant's junior.
Rationally thinking, the Lakers have to make that move. This is a business, and the Lakers must be in the business of setting their team up for the future, while maintaining as good a present as those plans allow.
A team led by a 34- and 35-year-old Bryant and Bynum isn't going to have much help if their salaries are eating up almost $50 million alone. The Lakers are approaching a point where moving on from this era is inevitable.
A Gasol trade could put that move on the fast track.
