L.A Lakers Trade Rumors: Pau Gasol Proves That Carmelo Anthony Is Still Possible

Apparently the chorus of cries from Los Angeles Lakers fans screaming for a roster change is falling on deaf ears, because up to this point general manager Mitch Kupchak has been curiously silent concerning any deals before the NBA's trading deadline.

Kupchak surely wasn't silent earlier this month when he hinted at the possibility of a trade due to the Lakers' uneven performances.

Since Kupchak's proclamation, the Lakers have been mentioned in several deals, the most prominent being a trade with the Denver Nuggets which would bring Carmelo Anthony to Tinseltown.

Talks reportedly broke down due to the reluctance of the Lakers to part with center Andrew Bynum, and with the New Jersey Nets re-entering the Anthony sweepstakes, any chance to acquire Anthony seems dead in the water.

Or is it?

In early 2008, the Lakers were challenging for the top spot in the West until a freak knee injury sidelined Bynum and threatened to shatter the fragile chemistry the team was just establishing.

A promising season was on the brink of collapsing until Kupchak pulled what is arguably the biggest midseason trade in NBA history.

Kupchak was able to acquire Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies for a group of non-descript players and the rest is history.

Since then, the Lakers have been to three straight NBA Finals and captured the past two league championships as a direct result of the deal to acquire Gasol.

Of course, the move was significant because it finally paired guard Kobe Bryant with another superstar caliber player, but more importantly it was the rare type of deal that no one could have predicted.

To say the NBA was caught off guard is an understatement, but it should come as no real surprise considering the ability of the Lakers to constantly renew their talent base with elite players.

Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, and more recently Gasol, are a few examples of the players the Lakers have lured to Los Angeles via free agency and trades, and that tradition should serve as a lesson as this year's deadline approaches.

There is a chance that Anthony is not the Lakers primary target, but considering the air of desperation surrounding the team and Kupchak's silence, a deal would appear to be in the works.

Acquiring Anthony would not be a cure-all, and his talents do not really address the Lakers most pressing concerns such as receiving any type of production from the point guards.

But the theft of Gasol proves some of the biggest moves made are the ones you never see coming, and considering the Lakers' ability to attract talent, I wouldn't be surprised if Kupchak still has a hole card up his sleeve.