NBA Rumors: Why Pau Gasol for Josh Smith Would Benefit Both Lakers and Hawks

Pau Gasol and Josh Smith have been the frequent subjects of trade rumors for much of the season.

Will they be dealt prior to Thursday's deadline?

How about they be swapped for each other?

Quite frankly, this deal makes sense for both teams. It could make a whole lot of sense for the Lakers if point guard Kirk Hinrich is also included in such a deal.

Here's a potential scenario:

Lakers receive: F Josh Smith, G Kirk Hinrich

Hawks receive: F Pau Gasol, G Andrew Goudelock, F Devin Ebanks

Such a deal makes sense for the Lakers for a couple reasons. First of all, they acquire Smith, who should've been an All-Star and contributes in a handful of ways. Secondly, they land Hinrich, surely an upgrade from Derek Fisher.

A Laker lineup of Hinrich, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Josh Smith and Andrew Bynum is formidable. That squad has the potential to challenge anybody in the Western Conference.

For the Hawks, this deal is also beneficial, namely because it's time to bid farewell to Josh Smith, who has recently shown angst and isn't hiding the fact that he wants to be traded. 

Plus, it's not like this current Hawks roster is capable of winning a championship. They're a respectable team, but they've been one of those ho-hum, barely-above-average squads for the past four or so years. It's time to turn to a new experiment.

What's more, they would receive a quality player in return in Gasol. 

A deal constructed like this should happen prior to Thursday's deadline. Both teams aren't going anywhere special with their current rosters, and it's time to shake things up a bit.

Further, a change of scenery for both Gasol and Smith could revive each player's engines and launch a new wave in their careers. Both of their careers are in need of fresh starts, and this deal could enable it to happen in one grand swap.