Lakers Trade Rumors: Debunking Unrealistic Pau Gasol Scenarios
One thing is becoming abundantly clear for the L.A. Lakers: Pau Gasol isn't going anywhere at the trade deadline. Both for the Lakers and potential trading partners, no deal out there makes even a little bit of sense.
Chris Sheridan of ESPN laid out several possible scenarios. But reading them leaves absolutely no doubt that Gasol will be a Laker for at least the rest of this season. Let's take a look at those possibilities to see just why Gasol will be staying with the purple and gold.
"Houston still wants Gasol, and a package of Luis Scola and Kyle Lowry could perhaps get it done. But the Rockets, as much as they like Gasol, do not want to lose Lowry, sources say.
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Why It Won't Happen
This one comes down to the numbers. Take a look at how Gasol and Scola stack up against each other this season.
| Age | MPG | PPG | RPG | BPG | |
| Scola | 31 | 30.3 | 15.2 | 6.2 | 0.3 |
| Gasol | 31 | 37 | 16.9 | 10.5 | 1.3 |
Yes, Gasol has the edge between the two, but Kyle Lowry is a fantastic point guard. That move would be extremely beneficial to the Lakers and wouldn't give the Rockets any real advantage. Yes, they would get Gasol, but losing Lowry isn't worth it.
If the Rockets weren't a playoff team, this move would make some sense. But the fact of the matter is that they are incredibly deep, which will help in the playoffs after the irregularities of the regular season. The Rockets would be foolish to give up that much for Gasol when they're in contention.
"Minnesota has long been rumored to be in the mix for Gasol, who wouldn't mind playing with Ricky Rubio, but sources say the clubs haven't spoken about a Pau trade in months.
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Why It Won't Happen
This is a flimsy rumor to begin with. It would be fun to see Gasol and Rubio on the same team, but there isn't a trade that would make sense for either of these teams—let alone both.
The only players Minnesota has that would give the Lakers the jolt they need are Rubio and Kevin Love, and neither of those are close to being realistic.
The Timberwolves, on the other hand, have a young nucleus, not terribly unlike what we're seeing in Oklahoma City. Developing from within is a great way for small-market teams to become contenders, as free agency is rarely going work in their favor.
Minnesota has a lot to look forward to. The kind of players they would need to give up to get Gasol would mortgage a bright future. There might be interest on both sides, but it's basically impossible to make this one happen.
"Chicago would give the Lakers Carlos Boozer in a heartbeat, but that won't get it done for Gasol. The Lakers would likely want Luol Deng thrown into the trade, which would be a deal breaker for the Bulls.
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Why It Won't Happen
There are a few reasons that this won't work. The first is right there, in that Deng and Boozer are too far apart and that's not a gap that can be closed.
The other problem is that even if they can find a way to swing a deal for Deng, he's not a point guard. If the Lakers are going to give up someone as valuable as Gasol, it would be pointless to acquire anyone other than a point guard.
The only possible exception to that would be if they got a true superstar, which Deng is not.
Sheridan is not the only person detailing possible destinations for Gasol. According to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, the Magic have also had some interest in Gasol.
"The scuttlebutt is that the Magic would send Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson to the Lakers and the Magic would receive Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.
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Why It Won't Happen
Kurt Helin of Pro Basketball Talk laid this one out as cut and dry as you could possibly imagine.
"Howard is not signing an extension immediately wherever he is traded for financial reasons.
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That assures that Gasol won't be going to Orlando and, while we're at it, don't expect Howard to leave Orlando.
No team including the Lakers should consider giving up that much without an absolute guarantee that Howard will be there for the long term. If he's not going to sign an immediate extension, there is too much doubt that he'll walk after season's end.
That would turn the rumored deal into Bynum and Gasol for Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson. Try as hard as you want, you'll never spin that one into a good move for the Lakers. Without an extension, the Lakers shouldn't even consider trading for Howard.
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