NBA Trade Rumors: Kobe Bryant's Defense of Pau Gasol Proves Lakers Must Keep PF
Kobe Bryant's defense of Pau Gasol involving the trade rumors surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers star forward proves that the team should not trade him by the March 15 deadline.
Gasol is an elite player and the Lakers need him to get back to the NBA Finals. Bryant supported his teammate this week, saying via the Los Angeles Times:
""If they're not going to do it, come out and say you're not going to do it," Bryant said. "This way, he can be comfortable and go out and can perform and play and he can invest all of himself into the game. You can't have one of our pillars not knowing if he's going to be here or not. Do something. One way or another, do something."
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Bryant is absolutely right. If the Lakers plan to trade Gasol, they should come out and say it. If they're not going to deal him, they should say that too.
Trade rumors affect players in different ways, but it's clear that the rumors are affecting Gasol. Bryant can probably sense that too, which could be a reason he made these comments.
It's hard for players to focus on the court when they don't know what their future holds. The uncertainty causes distractions which can affect players negatively on the court. I can't say that Gasol's on-court performances are being affected by the rumors, but it's possible because he's human.
For the Lakers, Gasol and center Andrew Bynum give the team two seven-foot big men who create matchup nightmares for opposing teams. No other team has this kind of size in the frontcourt, and this presence in the paint is a primary reason the Lakers have gone to three NBA Finals since 2008.
The latest rumor involving Gasol is him going to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for a package that could include this year's No. 2 overall draft pick Derrick Williams and draft choices.
This is an awful trade for the Lakers because even though Williams is young and talented, this deal would eliminate L.A. from championship contention this season.
The Lakers' window for a championship hasn't closed yet and with a few small moves to address the point guard position and the bench, the purple and gold would be a prime contender for the Western Conference title again.
Gasol is still a great player and the Lakers would be foolish to trade him. It would benefit him and the team if management came out and gave a definitive answer on his future.
