NBA: Los Angeles Lakers Wise to Include Pau Gasol in 3-Team Trade
Lakers Trade: Pau Gasol, Devin Ebanks and Darius Morris
Lakers Receive: Brandon Jennings, Stephen Jackson, Michael Beasley & Anthony Randolph
Why the Lakers Agree to This Trade:
The Lakers as-is are not going to win the NBA championship, and, in Los Angeles, unlike most NBA cities, anything other than a championship is deemed a massive failure. If the Lakers are not going to win the NBA title this season they may as well make a move for the future that also strengthens their team immediately as well.
This trade will land the Lakers not only a top flight young point guard and quality starting small forward, turning their two greatest weaknesses into strengths, but will also replace Gasol with two young, ultra-talented power forwards in Beasley and Randolph.
An added benefit to the Buss family is that this trade will save the team a great deal of money over the next two-and-a-half years as well.
Another benefit of this trade is that the result should be that Dwight Howard demands the Magic trade him to the Lakers and puts out word to all other interested teams through his agent that he will only sign an extension with the Lakers. Ultimately, he'd end up being traded to the Lakers for Andrew Bynum and the Mavs' and Lakers' first-round picks in this year's upcoming draft.
With Brandon Jennings and Michael Beasley in LA, Dwight should understand the Lakers are not just built to win now with veteran stars like Kobe and Stephen Jackson, but for the next decade as well with the young stars.
T'Wolves Trade: Derrick Williams, Michael Beasley, Anthony Randolph and Anthony Tolliver
Timberwolves Receive: Pau Gasol and Devin Ebanks
Why the Timberwolves Agree to This Trade:
The Timberwolves are on the cusp of great things, but they desperately need a true veteran star—not only to stabilize their young team, but also to come up big in the games that count and teach this young team how to truly win in the NBA. Pau Gasol, especially with his great connection to, and history with, Ricky Rubio fits the bill perfectly.
Losing Derrick Williams, who has shown flashes of brilliance, will be difficult. However, Williams has also been anything but consistent this season and looks to be a year or two away from being a quality starter in the league, which makes trading him for a top-five PF/C and future Hall of Famer in Gasol that much easier.
Beasley and Randolph are also supremely talented young players, but are players with expiring contracts who probably wouldn't return to Minnesota next year anyway.
This trade should be all the Timberwolves need to cement their playoff spot this season and mark them as a team to contend with for years to come.
Bucks Trade: Brandon Jennings and Stephen Jackson
Bucks Receive: Derrick Williams, Darius Morris and Anthony Tolliver
Why the Bucks Agree to This Trade:
The Milwaukee Bucks are not going to make the playoffs this season, period. On top of this sad truth is the fact that Stephen Jackson has become a malcontent who dreams of being traded. Brandon Jennings has made it known that he most definitely plans to test the free agency waters and is considering a move to a big-market team when his time comes.
The trade market for Jackson alone is anything but hot, and, while the Lakers may trade their trade exemption and a future pick for Jackson, that is about all the Bucks could hope to get. Jennings has solid value, but being on a rookie contract makes it hard to receive anything of value for him unless he is packaged with Jackson or another higher-priced player.
This trade absolves the Bucks of Jackson's contract and attitude while adding a promising young point guard in Darius Morris and decent stretch power forward on an expiring contract in Anthony Tolliver.
Losing Brandon Jennings is tough but replacing him with a player that could be the face of the franchise for the next decade—and the superstar small forward Bucks fans thought they were receiving as far back as 1994 when they drafted Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson—in Derrick Williams, more than makes up for it.
The above trade proposal is one of the most realistic, balanced and legit trades one will ever read online. I honestly would be surprised, should this trade proposal be read to each team's GM, if they didn't make a quick phone call to one another to get the ball rolling on completing this deal.
This trade is good for all three teams. It will instantly reestablish the Lakers as the team to beat in the Western Conference. It will strengthen the Timberwolves and make them an instant playoff team. And it gives the Bucks the franchise super star they have been craving ever since they traded Kareem to the Lakers!
