Pau Gasol Trade Rumors: Breaking Down Possible Trades from Absurd to Likely
Pau Gasol is the most versatile big man in the game, so it's fitting that he is the most talked about right now. Here is a rundown on the teams that want the star Spaniard on their team.
If you live in Los Angeles, resist looking up towards the sky, because it's falling. Kobe Bryant is fed up over the constant uncertainty surrounding the franchise and Jim Buss is nowhere to be found.
The best thing would be for some sort of communication to ensue, but it's far more likely the Lakers pull the trigger on sending Pau Gasol off for some spare parts, something they look far more likely to do.
The sad fact for Lakers fans is that there are not a ton of options out there. The ones that exist would make the Lakers worse or hardly push them into the echelon of championship locks.
Well, seeing as the league went through the trouble of making these rumors, we might as well humor them here.
Here are the Gasol rumors, from absurd to likely.
ABSURD
The word on the street is that Derrick Rose loves himself some Pau Gasol. Katy Wolpoff of NBC Chicago breaks down the myriad of rumors that have Rose begging for the Bulls to pull the trigger on a Gasol trade.
The Bulls would no doubt give up Carlos Boozer, a player the Lakers would be crazy to take on. You simply don't flip Boozer for Gasol and not get called out for being ridiculous.
Gasol may be aging, but Boozer is just aged. There is no way LA goes for something like this.
We hope.
NBC Sports' Kurt Hellin reports the Lakers still really want Dwight Howard and will just about go through hoops to get him.
The fact is the Magic want the world for Orlando, and the Lakers would have to gut their team to get him. GM Otis Smith continues to hold out hope that Howard will return, even if this goes into free agency.
This is still unlikely.
I had to include the most bizarre rumor that hit this past month: Gasol to Boston for Rajon Rondo.
Eric Pincus of Hoopsworld started the rumor that has since died a cold death. This wasn't the craziest trade bandied about, though.
FOX Sports' Chris Tomasson rumored the Lakers and Timberwolves were talking about a deal that would send Gasol to Minnesota for L.A.-native Derrick Williams and draft picks.
This trade only makes sense if the Lakers were rebuilding, which they are not.
LIKELY
We come to the trade that makes the most sense for the purple and gold, but it's also the most dated.
Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported in early February the Rockets were still interested in Gasol. The Lakers might be willing to bite if Houston would put budding star Kyle Lowry into the mix.
Lowry is the point guard the Lakers have been craving. Combined with other parts, this would be the closest to a win for the Lakers.
That being said, nothing beats just holding onto Gasol, who is still one of the best big men in the game.
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