6 NBA Teams Guaranteed to Have Interest in Trading for Pau Gasol
If you count yourself both a Lakers and Pau Gasol fan, you might not want to continue reading. On the other hand, if you’re a realist, you will readily admit that trading the soon-to-be 33-year-old center may be the smartest move his current team could make this summer.
In a perfect world, where Kobe Bryant returns to full strength and Dwight Howard finds financial “peace” in purple and gold, the Los Angeles Lakers hold onto their prized Spaniard for the remaining one year left on his $19.3 million contract.
Unfortunately, very little about the current Lakers situation would classify as perfect. Many would argue they have the wrong coach for the group of talent they’ve assembled—that they’re too old and slow, and that management has placed too many eggs in too few baskets for the Lakers to be competitive with the elite teams in the NBA.
Let’s cut to the chase, shall we? With a bloated payroll, an aging roster and a very attractive free-agent market looming in just one year from now, the Lakers should be ready to make a few significant moves if they want to build back into title contenders.
Regardless if you think Pau Gasol is worth holding onto or better off trading for pieces and youth, the Lakers will make a move of some sort. It may not happen before July 1, which is the date players like Dwight Howard become free agents.
While all of Lakers Nation sits and waits for D12 to make his big decision, the Lakers will be entertaining conversations from at least half a dozen NBA teams who will show keen interest in obtaining the two-time World Champion Pau Gasol.
Kobe Bryant has been Pau’s biggest supporter and has publicly stated his desire to keep Gasol in a Lakers uniform.
Via Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press via Twitter:
Kobe, answering a question from a Spanish reporter about Pau’s status with the Lakers: “As long as I’m there, he’s going to be there.“
I wouldn’t take this one to the bank. If the Lakers can improve the team by trading Pau Gasol this summer, they will do it and not look back.
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FGCU’s Andy Enfield Reportedly Drawing Interest from USC and Minnesota
Florida Gulf Coast University men’s basketball coach Andy Enfield is reportedly drawing strong interest from the USC Trojans and Minnesota Golden Gophers, according to ESPN’s Andy Katz.
Enfield’s FGCU Eagles made an unprecedented run to the Sweet 16 of the 2013 NCAA tournament as a No. 15 seed, notably knocking off No. 2 Georgetown and No. 7 San Diego State before losing to No. 3 Florida.
The 43-year-old has experience as both an NBA and big-time collegiate assistant, while helping turn upstart FGCU into a legitimate program in just two seasons at the helm.
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Lakers Rumors: LA’s Lack of Interest in Raja Bell Good for Team Chemistry
As much turmoil as the Los Angeles Lakers have endured this season, bringing in another player in an effort to upgrade the roster was likely to further complicate matters. That’s why the rumored lack of interest in veteran shooting guard Raja Bell was a positive development for the team’s chemistry.
ESPN’s Marc Stein indicated that the Lakers were not a likely destination for Bell despite being an ideal fit and speculated in weeks prior to be his prospective landing spot.
This makes sense, because the Lakers already have heavy financial commitments to stars Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash and the injured Pau Gasol. It’s also unclear as to what Bell would bring to the table in the first place.
The 36-year-old, who was getting paid $3.48 million while not playing, was unable to negotiate a contract buyout with the Utah Jazz before the 11:59 p.m. March 1 deadline. Bell has been working out in Florida during the regular season, having not made an appearance for Utah all year.
That certainly didn’t make things easy during the process. Senior vice president Kevin O’Connor indicated that the Jazz made a minimum offer from the start but that Bell didn’t take it (h/t Salt Lake Tribune).
As RealGM.com points out, LA or any other suitor would have had to make up the difference in salary that Bell would have lost in the buyout. As Stein foresaw, the Lakers ultimately didn’t follow through.
With his combination of age and lack of time on an NBA court this season, it’s hard to fathom that Bell could have stepped in right away and been an instant impact player off the bench.
The Lake Show has won four out of five contests since the All-Star break and is 12-4 in its past 16 games. LA has finally settled into a consistent starting five, albeit without the services of Gasol, who has been a cornerstone for the Lakers for years.
Head coach Mark D’Antoni‘s offense is finally clicking with the current rotation in recent games. Even though Bell knows the concepts well having played for D’Antoni with the Phoenix Suns, it was highly questionable as to whether he is even close to the player he was then.
Bell had the best years of his career in Phoenix and has never shot three-pointers at a 40 percent clip since those days, which ended after three-and-a-half seasons in 2008-09.
Of course, Nash was part of those Suns teams, and D’Antoni‘s offense allowed him to win two NBA Most Valuable Player awards. So there is some innate compatibility between D’Antoni, Nash and Bell.
But adding another piece to the enigmatic jigsaw puzzle that is the Lakers would not have been the wisest move—even for someone who had a chance to gel as well as Bell. D’Antoni‘s current squad is finally turning the corner and getting more prominently into the playoff mix.
While it is possible that Bell could have helped, the risk that he would have brought in taking minutes from current contributors and throwing off the winning dynamic was not worth the short-term investment.
As Mitch Kupchak hinted at just days ago (h/t CBS Sports), the Lakers have frequently been impatient this season with a far too fervent “win-now” mentality.
The non-interest in Bell and any other players maintains much-needed stability in the Lakers’ lineup. And who knows—it’s at least feasible that it could culminate in a title run in the immediate future after all.
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Pau Gasol trade rumor: Raptors wants the Lakers’ big, but LA’s interest in Andrea Bargnani debatable
The Toronto Raptors have already made a splash before the February 21 trade deadline, acquiring Rudy Gay and moving Jose Calderon. The Raptors could be poised for another move, making a play for Los Angeles Lakers big man Pau Gasol.
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, Gasol is a player that the Raptors would plunge into “luxury-tax territory” to get:
“The Lakers’ interest in [Andrea] Bargnani remains a matter of debate in the
midst of the Italian’s worst-ever season by far, but the
not-for-public-consumption message that continues to emanate from Canada
is that Toronto remains intent on pursuing Gasol even after trading for
Gay.”
Not sure how much sense dealing Gasol makes for the Lakers this season with Dwight Howard injury prone and an impending free agent with no assurances that he’ll re-up in LA. Plus, why trade for the oft-injured Bargnani?
Raptors president Bryan Colangelo announced earlier this week that Andrea Bargnani is on t…
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Greg Oden Reportedly Drawing Serious Interest from Heat and Cavaliers
Greg Oden is interested in returning to the NBA this season, and two suitors have emerged as the favorites to sign the much-maligned big man.
According to CBS Sports’ Jeff Goodman, the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers have both expressed interest in bringing in the former No. 1-overall pick.
Oden and his representatives are apparently hoping to meet with Heat team president Pat Riley at an unspecified date within the next week, and the franchise is likely exploring a deal worth the veteran’s minimum salary.
However, there’s a chance Oden could score a bigger payday with the Cavs. Goodman’s source noted that the Cleveland brass is willing to dole out up to $4 million for the center’s services.
Regardless of where he winds up, it would be a surprise just to see Oden back in uniform and actually playing on the hardwood. Due to a multitude of knee injuries and surgeries, the Ohio State product hasn’t appeared in a game since December of 2009.
The Portland Trail Blazers infamously selected Oden over Kevin Durant in the 2007 draft, a terrible decision considering the top pick only contributed in 82 games over the course of his five seasons with the team.
At 25 years old, Oden’s knees have suffered more ailments and surgeries than most people experience in a lifetime. However, he’s a tantalizing talent when healthy, having averaged 11.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in just 23.9 minutes during an extended stretch in the 2009 campaign.
With the Heat starved for cap space and having had no luck so far in developing high-risk, high-reward centers like Eddy Curry, they might be willing to roll the dice on someone with Oden’s upside.
Cleveland could use a young center as a cornerstone for its youth movement, as Anderson Varejao is on the north side of 30 and recovering from a blood clot.
Unfortunately, Goodman noted in his report that Oden will likely not be ready to contribute for the tail end of the 2012-13 campaign, but should be ready in time for next season’s tip.
As long as Oden shows he can stay on the court and looks promising enough in workouts, there is going to be a market for the 7’0″, 285-pound big.
Don’t be surprised to see him sign a contract in the near future if he is truly almost ready to return to the NBA.
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Report: Celtics Have ‘Ramped Up Their Interest’ in J.J. Redick
The Celtics couldn’t buy a bucket from outside during their loss to the Knicks on Thursday, and outside shooting is something the C’s could stand to improve. Danny Ainge just might have a solution in mind. ESPN’s Marc Stein tweeted on Friday morning that he’s hearing the Celtics are “ramping up their interest” in Magic guard J.J. Redick. Stein reports that he heard this news prior to the Celtics’ shooting woes against the Knicks, but one has to believe Thursday’s performance will only heighten that rumored interest. Hearing Celts, even before season-worst 7-for-32 shooting from 15+ feet in NYK loss, have ramped up their interest in Magic’s J.J. Redick — Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) January 25, 2013 Redick, who you may recall was a superstar for the Duke Blue Devils from 2002 to 2006, is putting together a solid year with Orlando. The 28-year-old is averaging a career-high 14.9 points and 4.4 assists in 31.4 minutes per game for the 14-28 Magic. He could be a valuable component to the…
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Source: J.J. Hickson Receiving Interest From A Handful Of Teams
Portland Trail Blazers 6-9 power forward/center JJ Hickson has been receiving exploratory interest from a handful of teams looking to potentially swap for his services before the Feb. 21 trade deadline, a source close to the situation told CSNNW.com.
However, these teams have not made contact with Trail Blazers General Manager Neil Olshey, just yet. The inquiring phone calls are going to Hickson’s agent Andy Miller, first, the source said.
Here’s why: Hickson is a Bird Rights player on a one-year, $4 million deal and he has the power to veto any trade that is proposed. If he approves a deal, he will lose his Bird Rights. It would have to be the right team and the right situation for Hickson to give up his rights.
via Chris Haynes, CSNNW.com
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NBA Trade Rumors: Keeping Rudy Gay Would Serve Memphis’ Best Interest
The NBA‘s February 21 trade deadline is fast approaching and there are still a lot of questions flying around, especially around one of the hottest subjects of the rumor mill, Rudy Gay.
If the Grizzles are smart, they’ll drop the rumors and keep Gay around.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Grizzles new management has been shopping their talented small forward around to avoid a short-term luxury tax and the money owed to Gay in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, which is $17.8 million and $19.3 million, respectively.
Gay has been all over trade rumors in the last few weeks. According to ESPN.com, the Toronto Raptors have been interested in Gay since the 2012 NBA Draft and are still “seriously interested” in the 26-year-old high-flyer. They have been reportedly offering deals including Jose Calderon and big man Ed Davis.
Reports from Yahoo! Sports indicate that the Phoenix Suns are also interested in Gay. Memphis hasn’t said much regarding the situation, except that Jared Dudley and future first-round picks would have to be involved if a deal was going to be reached.
While getting some draft picks and a few role players could be a big boost to the Grizzlies, sending away their most talented player isn’t the answer.
The ESPN.com report shown above indicates that many NBA GMs at the NBA’s D-League meetings in Reno, Nevada said that the Grizzlies “might wait until the summer” to decide if they want to ship out Gay, who’s averaging over 17 points and five rebounds per game this season.
The Grizzlies are currently second in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference and finally have their “big three” of Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Rudy Gay together and healthy. Why pull the emergency brake on a good thing and send away one of the best players in the Western Conference?
Because the Grizzlies management has made it known that they won’t simply trade Gay to clear cap room and that they have to get something to build off in return. The Grizzlies need to hold on to Gay and take a run at the Western Conference championship and a possible NBA Title.
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Houston Rockets Must Re-Ignite Pau Gasol Trade Interest
Had it not been for some divine intervention from commissioner David Stern, Pau Gasol would be basking in the lowlights of Houston with Jeremy Lin.
Instead, the struggling Gasol is wilting under the unrelenting L.A. glare.
And the Houston Rockets are searching for consistent frontcourt production.
The Rockets have the requisite superstar dreams and gambling nature to renew these trade talks. Their offseason additions of the unproven combo of Lin and Omer Asik show the franchise’s willingness to shoot for the moon and foot the bill for doing so. Their role of the dice on rookie Royce White (whose struggles with anxiety disorder have been well documented) simply further these notions.
The fact that Lin (12.1 points and 6.4 assists per game) and Asik (11.4 rebounds and 10.6 points per game) have both given the club early returns on their investments has only teased the appetite of Rockets GM Daryl Morey.
Houston’s game plan for 2012-13 was quite simple. Coach Kevin McHale was tasked with simply developing the plethora of young talent on the roster (Carlos Delfino is the only Rocket with more than three years of NBA experience) in order to facilitate a mega-deal down the line.
But with Houston (20-14) entrenched in the Western Conference playoff race, there may be an assumption brewing that the Rockets’ best move would be no move at all.
They have their superstar in James Harden (26.4 points per game) and a supporting cast carrying enough of the scoring load to give the Rockets the NBA’s most potent offensive attack (106.2 points per game).
In reality, though, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Houston is relevant in spite of a largely forgettable interior attack. Analytical whiz kid Morey may not be actively shopping for a low-post threat, but those driving lanes exploited by James Harden and Lin will only tighten as the season continues.
Some have dubbed a Gasol a shadow of his former self. Truth be told, his former self wouldn’t even recognize the 2012-13 version (12.2 points per game on 41.6 percent shooting).
But Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni has taken a misguided approach of turning Gasol into the type of stretch forward that his system necessitates. The ensuing nightmare campaign for Gasol has been as predictable for hoop junkies as it has been shocking for the purple and gold faithful.
The big man has long since worn out his L.A. welcome. The franchise was willing to part ways with him following a wildly productive 2010-11 season, and that willingness can only have evolved into a resolute determination to find a taker for the 32-year-old.
And they won’t find a more fitting trading partner than the Rockets.
Despite the big money deals with Lin, Asik and Harden, Houston still has gobs of cap space for the 2013-14 season. By the time the aptly named poison pills kick in on the deals of Lin and Asik for the 2014-15 seasons, Gasol will be entering free agency.
Houston needs reliable offense from someone other than Harden, and Gasol’s not too far removed from being widely considered as one of the greatest post scorers in today’s game.
Not to mention he’ll give McHale another talented, willing passer to keep his offensive attack among the league’s best.
So, how can they make it work?
That’ll be the tough puzzle for the number-crunching Morey to solve.
Expect the Lakers to target sophomore Chandler Parsons, who’s young (24), prolific (14.0 points per game), and still working on a rookie contract. Asik may be another target for the Lakers, particularly if the club’s getting a chilly response from impending free agent Dwight Howard. The expiring contracts of Carlos Delfino (he has a $3 million team option for 2013-14) and Cole Aldrich could provide L.A. with some minor financial relief.
Houston has been stockpiling young talent for a few years now, so they’d have enough filler pieces to attract the Lakers’ attention. Not to mention they could be gearing up for their own run at Howard, which could make both Asik available and Gasol a bargaining chip at the negotiation table.
Morey’s a numbers guy, so he’ll find a way to get this thing done.
The important part for the Rockets organization is whether or not he’s already creating the framework.
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Lakers Rumors: LA Smart to Reportedly Deny Interest in Trading Pau Gasol
With Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol owning the paint alongside Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash running the backcourt, the Los Angeles Lakers were supposed to dominate the NBA this season.
Boy how things can change quickly.
Between injuries, ineffectiveness and coaching changes, the Lakers have been the league’s biggest disappointment, and the trade rumors surrounding Gasol have been swirling out west.
While names like Amar’e Stoudemire have been thrown around in a possible Gasol trade, Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times writes that the Lakers are not currently trying to move the big Spaniard.
The Lakers aren’t actively looking to trade Gasol right now, The Times has learned, because they want to see what happens when Nash returns from a small fracture in his leg.
Finally, LA has made a good decision, for now.
Sure, Gasol hasn’t been the typically efficient scorer and rebounder from his heyday.
The 7-footer has been a lock for 18 points and 10 boards per game during his five-year stint in LA, but his numbers have taken a considerable dip during the Lakers’ poor start.
Gasol is averaging just 12.7 points per game and shooting 42.3 percent from the floor—a far cry from his career mark of 51.9 percent.
The lack of production from the four-time All-Star is certainly alarming, but there a number of correctable factors that have contributed to Gasol’s rough start to the 2012-2013 season.
First, the big man is reportedly suffering from tendinitis in both knees, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN LA.
That condition certainly can’t be comfortable for the average person, let alone a 7’0″, 250-pound athlete.
According to McMenamin, the tendinitis, combined with the lengthy practices held by former coach Mike Brown, have sapped Gasol of some of his explosiveness and athleticism.
Instead of giving up on Gasol, the Lakers need to let the big man get healthy, and it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see him return to form.
Besides his health issues, Gasol’s production has taken a decline with all the coaching and system changes.
Now there’s finally some stability in LA for the time being, the Lakers should try and get everyone healthy and acclimated with Mike D’Antoni’s offensive system and let their cast of superstars jell.
Moving Gasol for Stoudemire—an injury-prone player on the decline—would be putting a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound.
The Lakers have the pieces to win a championship on their roster already.
In Gasol, they have one of the most skilled big men of this generation to complement three Hall of Fame talents in Nash, Kobe and Howard.
Holding on to Gasol is the only option LA should consider if the Lakers hope to turn their season around and try and capture their 17th NBA championship.
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