Lakers Rumors: Decision to Keep Pau Gasol Will Pay Off in Long Run
The Los Angeles Lakers aren’t going to trade Pau Gasol before the March 15 trade deadline, and that’s just fine.
Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times reported on Monday that the team will not be trading the Spaniard unless it’s for a young guard. The report states that management declined to trade him for Rajon Rondo, which means there are basically no other options.
While Lakers fans are probably feeling mixed emotions, they must remember that the limited options available would have forced a deal for less than his market value. At the age of 31, he is averaging 16.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks despite dealing with the constant trade rumors. He is still an elite player.
A seven-footer with his gracefulness is incredibly rare, and fans take it for granted.
However, there are still critics who think he’s soft and beginning to decline. I’ll give you that he’s mentally soft, but physically he doesn’t get pushed around and has yet to show any serious signs of declining.
This means he should still have ample trade value in the summer, when teams have plenty of time to iron out the details of a new contract.
This is when the real wheelin’ and dealin’ needs to begin.
It’s a tough pill to swallow, but the Lakers aren’t going to win the title this season. Kobe Bryant is going through a divorce and leading the league in scoring as he does everything in his power to keep his team in the top four of the Western Conference—but it’s not enough.
There are too many holes, and you can’t put a Band-Aid over the wildly inconsistent play of Metta World Peace and the consistently awful play of Derek Fisher and Steve Blake.
They need to make multiple moves in the summer to reshuffle the deck (and hopefully fire Mike Brown) to think about a sixth ring for Kobe.
LA isn’t in rebuilding mode, but right now they are stuck between being a good team and a great team. That’s no-man’s land.
Keep Gasol for now and see how the Dwight Howard saga, NBA draft and Deron Williams decision all turn out. Then react accordingly.
Patience has to be preached, even if that’s one of the hardest things you can ever do as a sports fan. Gasol is a Laker until the end of the season, which is the only move if the team plans on eventually winning a sixth ring for the face of the franchise.
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