The Pau Gasol Trade: What It Means For L.A. Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Memphis Grizzlies, & NBAFebruary 02 08  I never saw this coming. Not for a second. Memphis was supposed to sell Pau Gasol to Chicago, New Jersey or New York. And L.A. was supposed to solidify their supporting cast by trading for Indiana’s Jermaine O’Neal.
That’s what we expected, right? Instead, the Grizzlies sold their All-Star to the Lakers for prospects, draft picks, and expiring contracts. Now the rest of the NBA is in shock. These sorts of mega-trades have far-reaching, league-wide implications that produce several interesting storylines. Like ...
The Impact on the Lakers …
- L.A. -with Andrew Bynum, Gasol, Lamar Odom, Kobe Bryant, and Derek Fisher- have one of the league’s elite starting units. Most importantly, their front line is big, athletic, and talented.
- Western powers beware. L.A. is now a legitimate contender. They’re talented, deep, big, experienced, and possess one hell of a coach. With Bryant, they also have arguably the game’s best player.
- L.A. GM Mitch Kupchak has gone from dunce to genius. Last year, he rightfully passed on trading Andrew Bynum for Jason Kidd. He then solidified the point-guard spot by bringing-in Derek Fisher. He then weathered the endless Kobe-drama and resigned Zen-Master Phil Jackson. Best of all, this was achieved under hostile circumstances with the Laker-masses calling for his immediate dismissal.
The Impact on the Grizzlies …
- Memphis received Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, and two first round picks for Gasol. Not what I’d call equal compensation. Brown will be gone in April when his contract expires, Crittenton could eventually back-up Michael Conley, and the draft picks will be late first rounders.
- Memphis clears Gasol’s ‘max’ salary, making the franchise attractive to potential buyers. It’s no secret current owner Michael Heisley wants out.
The Impact on everybody else …
- This isn’t John Paxson’s year. For two years, the Bulls’ GM held off on trading for Gasol, claiming the price was too high. And now, the Lakers acquired the Spanish forward for a drop in the bucket. Could this spell the end of ‘Pax’ in the Windy City?
- Indiana was hoping L.A. would get desperate enough to take Jermaine O’Neal off their hands. No dice, though. The Lakers -like most teams- understand O’Neal is tainted goods with an expensive contract.
- I’m not saying there’s a conspiracy. But David Stern and the suits at head office must be happy. Hate them or love them, it’s good for the NBA when the Lakers are relevant and competitive.
The Impact on Kobe …
- It’s official. With the Gasol trade, Bryant recommitted himself long-term to the purple-and-gold. He even had nice things to say about management and ownership.
Who is impacted the most with the Gasol trade? Get at us in the comment box below or hit us up in our fan forum. Click here to read and subscribe to Oly Sandor’s NBA Blog.
Posted by
tempy
on 02.5.2008 | this was a great trade for the lakers but i still dont doubt theyl be good enough to beat teams like dalla, the spurs and sunns in the finalsstill tho cant wait to watch them play with gasol the team is going to be much betterkwama was shit, always was, always wil be . | Posted by
Lakers Fan but not a kobe fan
on 02.4.2008 | i dont know about this trade...i think gasol is good but i dont think the lakers will gain much with this trade i dont think its what the lakers need,,,i think they could use his D more than his O right now but thats just me.... but its nice to get a all star caliber player for free . | Posted by
Lakers Fan but not a kobe fan
on 02.3.2008 | i dont know about this trade...i think gasol is good but i dont think the lakers will gain anything with this trade i dont think its what the lakers need but its nice to get a all star caliber player for free . | Posted by
Steve in Huntington Beach
on 02.3.2008 | Can you just imagine 6 or 7 weeks from now? Gasol will be fully up to speed and, hopefully, the Lakers will have the services of Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza back. This is surreal and I defintiely take back everything I’ve said about Mitch the past couple of years. Kobe - MVP, Mitch - Executive of the Year! It is a great time to be a Laker fan and to everyone else in the West...be afraid, be very afraid. . | Posted by
rylle
on 02.3.2008 | at last, this is the time for the lakers to bring back their long lost legacy of being a championship contender... go lakers! . | Posted by
on 02.3.2008 | celtics and lakers again in the finals! hahaha! go celtics! . | Posted by
lakers for life
on 02.3.2008 | for all of those non believers out there hear this. The lakers were contenders earlier with bynum and that bum kwame. now we gain an all star in gasol and we don’t lose anything for it. how wont we win this year. The lakers are back and for a while. . | Posted by
Memphis Blake
on 02.3.2008 | Great trade for the Grizzles, I love it! . | Posted by
lakers fan
on 02.3.2008 | wowow...i would have traded odom, brown, critenton, farmer and 2 first round draft picks for gasol . | Posted by
on 02.3.2008 | YESSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!go lakers!!!finally, we have a team that can win another championship and also get enough wins during the season to let kobe get that long overdue MVP. all of this will probably happen next year though, as it would be a little early for the lakers to be good enough as a unit to move past the conference finals... . |
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Oly Sandor | Daily take on NBA Oly Sandor is an NBA analyst and sports journalist based out of Vancouver, Canada.After years of the free-lance game, Oly Sandor is bringing his unique brand of NBA analysis exclusively to (...) More |
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