Lakers Trade Rumors: Pau Gasol in a No-Win Situation as Rumors Continue to Swirl

The LA Lakers season has hit a new low.

Not only did they lose to the lowly Phoenix Suns 102-90, but Kobe Bryant finally spoke his mind about the swirling trade rumors that have begun to engulf power forward Pau Gasol (via Yahoo! Sports):

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I talked to (Gasol) a little bit about it. It's just tough for a player to give his all when you don't know if you're going to be here tomorrow. I'd rather them not trade him at all. If they're going to do something, I wish they would just (expletive) do it. If they're not going to do it, come out and say you're not going to do it. This way he can be comfortable, he can go out, he can play and he can invest all of himself into the game.

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The 31-year-old Spaniard is experiencing his worst season statically in years and you begin to wonder if the uncertainty of the situation is beginning to beat him up mentally. Gasol’s 16.6 PPG is the lowest mark in his career and his 49 percent shooting mark isn’t too far behind.

The Lakers are clearly evaluating their options as the team slogs through an 18-13 mark with little hope that they can do much damage in the postseason. GM Mitch Kupchak recently told Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated that the team will likely stand pat at the trade deadline:

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Of course we'll talk to a lot of teams [about trades], like everybody else does, leading up until the trade deadline to see if there is a way to improve the team. But the likelihood is that this is the team that's going to finish into the playoffs. That's just the way it normally works, but we'll see.

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Gasol may be aging, but he is still a top-20 player in the league. The Lakers would need to get some serious return on him and I’m not sure there is a team that could meet the team’s demands.

Minnesota’s offer of Derrick Williams and a first-round pick won’t cut it. Neither will Carlos Boozer in a trade with the Chicago Bulls. The one offer that is decent is the Houston Rockets in exchange for Kevin Martin, Luis Scola and a draft pick. It’s ok…but certainly not what the Lakers need to compete for another champion.

Yahoo! Sports Kelly Dwyer reported that Mike Brown “caught” Gasol reading the trade rumors about him on Sunday before the Suns loss, and it's proof Gasol is feeling the heat. Despite being the player that set the Lakers up for three straight finals appearances, it seems as if fans are fed up with him.

So if he stays and plays out the string, the Lakers ceiling is pretty low and the ill-will fans will spew in his direction will further alienate him. If they trade him, he will go to a lesser opponent that has little hopes of pursing a title and may be reduced to playing out the string for the rest of his career.

It’s no secret that the Lakers need a strong point guard and would move Gasol for a good one in a split-second. It’s also no secret that the organization would instantly pull the trigger on a Dwight Howard trade. They are just waiting for the phone to ring.

So as you watch the Lakers' half-hearted season, pay attention to the body language of Gasol. He is very close to officially checking out mentally and nothing short of a trade will change the situation.

Gilbert Arenas isn’t the answer. Neither is Ramon Sessions or Jonny Flynn. Gasol isn’t magically going to start averaging 25 points a game. The only solution is a trade for Howard that would likely end the Gasol Era.

I’m forecasting a messy breakup that may be painfully dragged out for months. Gasol doesn’t deserve this, Kobe doesn't deserve this...and neither do Laker fans.