Lakers Trade Rumors: Memphis Grizzlies Must Avoid Bringing Back Pau Gasol

The Los Angeles Lakers brass is making a strong attempt to work their roster back into championship form this summer, and that may mean the eventual departure of Pau Gasol.

One interested party may be the Memphis Grizzlies, the team that the 31-year-old Spaniard played with from his rookie year in 2001 until being traded at the 2008 deadline.

According to Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News, Michael Heisley—the current owner of the Grizzlies—has long wanted to bring Pau back to pair with his brother, Marc Gasol.

While Lawrence did not give any specifics on who would be involved, the Lakers would likely be interested in bringing back Zach Randolph or Rudy Gay in return for the man that helped them to reach three Finals in a row and win the latter two of them.

Gasol was traded to Los Angeles in what was largely considered one of the most lopsided deals in NBA history. The Lakers sent Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, the rights to Marc Gasol (who had not become a serviceable NBA center yet and was a second-round pick) and late first-round picks in ’08 and 2010 in exchange for the All-Star big man.

Now, the Lakers may be willing to give up Gasol for a discount, but there is no way that the Grizzlies are going to be able to fleece L.A. in the same manner that they were originally taken for back in 2008.

There is also no way that he fits on a roster that has made back-to-back playoff appearances.

Randolph is a key leader that has been instrumental to the Grizzlies success in recent years. Gay is a bit overpaid, but the team does not have another player like him on the roster, and he is not replaceable with anyone from the Lakers.

While Gasol may not be the answer for the Lakers PF position anymore, he’s not the answer for the Grizzlies either. Randolph owns the position, and the team would be worse without him.

Trading Gay would make little sense, as it would give Memphis a logjam of big men and not enough swingmen.

There is just no way that Gasol going back to the Grizzlies works in a way that would be beneficial.