Rockets offered for Pau Gasol

[jonathanlambert33]

Jim Buss can’t choke.

The Los Angeles Lakers will not, cannot win an NBA championship this season with their current roster. Rumors have it though, that the bait they’ve placed has been approached by a 10-point buck and Buss can’t freeze — he must pull the trigger.

ESPN’s Chris Broussard reported that the Houston Rockets are offering Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, Goran Dragic and potentially a first-round pick for Pau Gasol.

A skeptical fan’s reaction to this trade is that the Lakers are giving up three quarters for a dollar, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Gasol isn’t the best power forward in the world that analysts were labeling him after he aided LA in winning back-to-back titles. The Spaniard is averaging just 16.7 points per game this season compared to 15.2 from Scola. Believe it or not, there wouldn't be a drastic offensive drop-off at the 4-spot.

Though Scola’s rebounding numbers pale in comparison to Gasol's, they can afford to take a dip on the boards to sure up their catastrophic weaknesses.

Whether he would come off the bench or start, the upgrade Gragic would provide at the point guard position cannot be understated. The 25-year-old shredded the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals back in 2010 with penetrating ability LA fans haven’t seen from a floor general in over a decade. His defensive ability is also superior to Derek Fisher’s, and while he isn’t a playmaker, neither is anyone else in the Lakers’ current rotation.

The addition of Martin would single-handedly transform the Lakers' bench from being one of the worst in the league to one of the best. Last season, he averaged more points per 40 minutes than everyone in the league besides Kobe Bryant himself. Now backing up Bryant, Martin would play a Jason Terry-like role as instant offense off the bench.

Right now, Los Angeles boasts one of the best trios in the league, but they aren’t talented enough as a team to win it all. If Buss accepts the Rockets’ generous offer, Team Hollywood would finally possess enough backstage talent to allow their stars to shine.

 

[Mexi]

the Chris Paul package

i dont think the lakers trade pau. i think they'll wait until the offseason. more teams should be involved with the draft slots set in stone, etc

 

[bosoxlover12]

this is as good of a value as they'll ever get

 

[Mexi]

dragic is a free agent
martin would be an expensive 6 man
scola's contract is hell

pass

 

[bosoxlover12]

Dragic > any PG they have
You fucking move Kobe to SF, you don't sit Martin, smh
Scola can produce just as much offensively as Pau can



Lakers win a lot more games by doing this trade

 

[Mexi]

yeah lets move kobe to 3
this isnt sim league

 

[bosoxlover12]

I guarantee you Kobe could play SF better than MWP or Barnes

 

[Mexi]

sure would

but kobe at 3 for an entire season isnt a good idea
martin cant play 3 either. lakers defense would become even worse with both playing together

the only way i take scola's contract is if im getting lowry. houston wont do that, so no thanks

 

[Pugz]

you won't get a better package offer than that though..

 

[Mexi]

dont need a better package

seriously. Luis Scola is declining. still a solid player, but im not willing to pay him 10M and 11M the next 2 seasons

Kevin Martin is declining too. also really expensive and is even seeing his minutes decline because he's just not the same

lakers shouldnt trade pau just to trade him. id wait


if i have to take a bad contract, i need a stud coming back. like i said, i'll take scola if lowry is coming back

 

[elcheato]

I still find it hilarious people thought that Lakers CP3 trade was fair

 

[Mexi]

it was fair for the short term if they wanted to try and compete for the playoffs
clipper deal was better for rebuilding

if it was me, i take the clipper deal too. rebuild

thank the NBA for that because Dell Demps wanted to compete

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Dell Demps made the Lakers trade because he has a job to keep.

 

[Mexi]

fair enough

im done with it

this trade from houston for pau is a no

 

[elcheato]

it was fair for the short term if they wanted to try and compete for the playoffs
clipper deal was better for rebuilding

if it was me, i take the clipper deal too. rebuild

thank the NBA for that because Dell Demps wanted to compete

Lamar Odom sucks, even you admit Scola is declining, and Martin is losing playing time rapidly on a mediocre team..

 

[Mexi]

im talking at the time

who really knew all 3 would decline right away? all had good 2011s

 

[elcheato]

Dell Demps made the Lakers trade because he has a job to keep.

If he has a job to keep, why would he try to make such a terrible trade?

 

[elcheato]

im talking at the time

who really knew all 3 would decline right away? all had good 2011s

Apparently me, because at the time I said the deal was terrible

 

[Elite]

Even if they repeat their performances from last year this season, it's still a terrible trade.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

If he has a job to keep, why would he try to make such a terrible trade?

What looks better to a new owner that could easily fire him?

A playoff team, or a team that just won it's 10th game?

I'm in no way saying I preferred it to the Clippers deal, but it's VERY obvious to see why Dell would go with that one.