Lakers Trade Rumors: LA Right to Balk at Bulls' Mediocre Offer for Pau Gasol

The Los Angeles Lakers have essentially toyed with power forward Pau Gasol's emotions since the start of the season as he has constantly been the topic of trade conversations. While the best thing for Gasol may be a change of scenery, the Lakers made the right move by not giving him away to the Chicago Bulls.

According to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, the Bulls offered power forward Carlos Boozer and guard C.J. Watson in return for Gasol. While Boozer would be a suitable replacement for Gasol and Watson could be a contributor with increased playing time, the Lakers simply wouldn't get better if they were to make that trade.

Bresnahan is reporting that a trade of Gasol is now unlikely by the Thursday deadline, but if the Lakers were to move him then it would have to be for either a stud point guard or wing scorer, or a solid player at each of those positions. The Lakers have two very obvious positions of need, and the deal proposed by Chicago wouldn't really fill either.

The Lakers reportedly countered with an offer of Watson, Joakim Noah and two first-rounders for Gasol, but not surprisingly the Bulls weren't too fond of that either. There is obviously no chance of the Lakers getting Derrick Rose back in a deal for Gasol, so the only player that would make sense is Luol Deng, but the Bulls probably wouldn't trade him either.

With that in mind, there honestly isn't a trade that makes sense for both sides in terms of trying to win now. Trading Gasol would likely be ideal since things have gotten stale in Los Angeles and the trade talk may be affecting his play, but if there isn't something beneficial on the table, then there's no reason to trade him just for the sake of doing it.

The Lakers haven't been a dominant force like usual this season, but rumors of their demise have been greatly exaggerated. They currently sit at 26-16 in third place in the Western Conference. I don't envision them getting past a team like the Oklahoma City Thunder as they are constructed now, but there is no reason to tear things apart.

Gasol is still productive as his 16.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game suggest, so something of value needs to come back in return for him. Boozer is averaging 15.6 points per contest, while pitching in nearly 10 rebounds and four assists per game in just 21.5 minutes, but the Lakers would be getting worse in one area and getting only marginally better in the backcourt.

It seems like general manager Mitch Kupchak has basically just been testing the waters with offers for Gasol thus far, and there is certainly nothing wrong with that. A trade that would help the team immediately would be ideal, but Lakers fans can rest assured that he isn't going to be strong-armed into making a mediocre trade.

Right now it looks like Gasol is likely to be a Laker, at least through the remainder of the season. Perhaps that isn't what Gasol or the Lakers' front office has been hoping for, but it will ultimately be better for the team than any realistic offer the Bulls could have prepared.