How Long Should The Lakers Wait To Trade Gasol?
Pau Gasol is probably the biggest name on the trade market right now, and I tipped off this year's Hoops Rumors Trade Candidate series today by sizing up the prospects of a Gasol swap earlier today. With Steve Nash a game-time decision for tonight's Lakers-Warriors game, we'll soon see how L.A. plays with Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Nash and Gasol all in the lineup for the first time under coach Mike D'Antoni's watch. Gasol has proven an awkward fit in D'Antoni's offense, but no one makes that system sing like Nash, who's known for his ability to make the players around him look better. When Nash was thinking of signing with the Lakers this summer, he told them he wanted to play with Gasol, so it seems that the point guard is confident he can make the pairing work.
Much was expected of the Lakers this year, but even after winning three straight, they're 12-14 and mired in 11th place in the Western Conference. With the red-hot Clippers in command of the Pacific Division, the Lakers could face an uphill battle for a high playoff seed. If Gasol continues to sputter in the team's offense after Nash returns, and the Lakers don't show signs of becoming the title contender everyone thought they'd be, how long can they wait to trade the 32-year-old Spanish big man? Let us know what you think.
How Long Should The Lakers Wait To Trade Gasol?
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Wait until the deadline. You never know who'll get desperate. 31% (204)
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Less than a month. Give the team a chance, but don't waste time. 26% (171)
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Don't trade him at all. Nash will reinvigorate Gasol, and all will be well. 25% (163)
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Not a minute more. They should trade him ASAP. 19% (124)
Total votes: 662
Pacific Notes: Cousins, Kobe, Marshall
The first-place Clippers won a franchise-record 12th straight game last night, blasting the Kings, but tonight all eyes will be on the Pacific Division's second- and third-place teams, as the Warriors play host to the Lakers, who carry a modest three-game winning streak into the contest. They may also have Steve Nash, whose return will go a long way toward deciding whether the team will trade Pau Gasol this year. I looked at Gasol's trade candidacy earlier, and now here's more from around the Pacific.
- The Kings announced that they have suspended DeMarcus Cousins for an indefinite period of time because of his "unprofessional behavior and conduct detrimental to the team." The Kings told him not to come out of the locker room for the second half last night after he engaged in a verbal altercation with coach Keith Smart. Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com responded to a question of whether the team would look to deal away the troubled center, speculating that Cousins' trade value is limited right now (Twitter link). Tom Ziller of SB Nation and TNT's David Aldridge counter that his trade value is still too high for the Kings to think about a swap (Twitter links).
- T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times answers recent criticism of Kobe Bryant, arguing that the 12-14 Lakers would be in even worse shape if they didn't have the league's leading scorer.
- Bakersfield Jam head coach Will Voigt shared his thoughts with Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside on some of the NBA players sent down to the team this season, including Suns rookie point guard Kendall Marshall.
Trade Candidate: Pau Gasol
Over the next two months as the trade deadline approaches, Hoops Rumors will be examining several players rumored to be on the block, and we'll begin with the most prominent name in discussions. Pau Gasol is off to a career-worst start in terms of scoring and shooting percentage, and his poor fit alongside Dwight Howard in the up-tempo offense of new Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni has many believing he'll soon be gone from L.A.
The Lakers are about a year removed from the short-circuited deal to acquire Chris Paul, a trade that appeared to send Gasol to the Rockets. Houston would have given up Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic, Luis Scola and a 2012 first-round pick. No one's going to offer nearly as much to acquire Gasol these days. The Rockets, for their part, are reportedly no longer interested, and the Lakers are apparently coming up empty in their search for a package of two players on cheaper contracts who would fit better in D'Antoni's offense. L.A. wants to wait until Gasol and Nash have played together under the new coach before making any moves, and the point guard has made it clear he wants to play with Gasol. Yet with Nash nearing a return, the Lakers will soon come to a point of reckoning, when they realize their team as constituted is either capable of winning a title or not.
For as much trouble as Gasol is having putting the ball in the basket, the rest of his game appears intact. He's averaging only 8.8 rebounds per game this season after grabbing 10.4 a year ago, but Gasol notched just 7.8 RPG with the Lakers in 2007/08 after coming over from the Grizzlies. This season's decline is less significant in terms of rebounds per 36 minutes, where Gasol's average of 9.2 is off from last year's 10.0 mark. Gasol's assists and blocks per game are in line with last year's numbers. Even so, his 15.1 PER and .096 win shares per 48 minutes are career lows by a long shot, so that could deflate his value with teams that put a great deal of stock in advanced metrics.
The greatest impediment to a Gasol trade is likely his inflated contract, which pays him $19MM this season and close to $19.3MM in its final season next year. It also includes a 15% trade kicker, but because Gasol already bumps up against the maximum salary, a team that trades for Gasol would only have to give him another $136K. Regardless, Gasol's deal would occupy 35% of the salary cap for whichever team acquires him, quite an investment no matter who the player is, and the money wouldn't come off the books until 2014.
A team that's targeting players in the free agent market next summer wouldn't make sense for Gasol, which would seem to eliminate the Hawks, who don't appear to have any interest. The Wolves might be a more intriguing possibility, since their commitments for next season have them close to the salary cap anyway. Minnesota denies interest, but rumors persist. The Lakers supposedly haven't been moved by offers built around Derrick Williams and Nikola Pekovic, perhaps in part because Pekovic, a restricted free agent at season's end, doesn't seem like a fit for D'Antoni's offense, either. The Wolves would have to include much more than just Williams and Pekovic to make the salaries match anyway, and I suspect Andrei Kirilenko would have to be a part of that deal. He's a versatile, athletic forward of the sort that makes D'Antoni smile, and his contract, like Gasol's, ends in 2014, when the Lakers want to have cap space to pursue free agents.
The Raptors look like they're in the mix for Gasol, too, with Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon and Linas Kleiza among the players who could wind up in L.A. Just like the Lakers, the Raptors need to get healthy before making a deal. When that happens, it might just come down to whether the Lakers are sold on Bargnani, whose trade value is at an all-time low, much in the same way Gasol has taken a hit in the eyes of executives around the league. Some teams are apparently higher on Bargnani than others and willing to take a risk to bring him on board, so perhaps the Lakers are among the teams more inclined to take him.
In recent years, the most prominent trade candidate has been dealt at or near the deadline, but if the Lakers continue to struggle once Nash is back in the lineup, I don't think they'll wait to make a move. As many of his numbers show, Gasol is still a productive player, and even if he isn't the star he used to be, he can help a team. He's probably of greater value to another team than he is to the Lakers in D'Antoni's scheme, so I think at some point a team will step forward with a deal that L.A. will take.
Odds & Ends: Varejao, Bargnani, Mayo
A night after the first-place Thunder lost to tighten up the Western Conference race, the idle Heat slipped into the top spot in the East by percentage points on Friday when the Knicks fell at home to the Bulls. There's still plenty left to be resolved this season, and with the trade deadline now less than two months away, the level of intrigue is on the way up. Here's more from the Association.
- In a HoopsWorld video, Alex Kennedy says consensus around the league is that the Cavs will trade Anderson Varejao this season, and with some executives still high on Andrea Bargnani, Kennedy wouldn't be surprised to see a team take a risk to bring him on board.
- O.J. Mayo wasn't caught off guard when the Grizzlies let him walk in free agency, and the two sides didn't have talks about bringing him back this summer, notes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. "Once you see the writing on the wall, you can’t be dumb to the fact," Mayo said. “I didn’t even go to the exit meeting. I pretty much knew what it was.”
- Lou Williams had hoped he wouldn't have to come back to Philadelphia with an opposing team, as he did tonight, and wanted to work out a return to the Sixers in free agency last summer, Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com has the details. "I think Philly did a good job of making my decision easy for me," the Hawks guard said. "They made it clear they were going in a different direction and at that time I had to find somewhere else to go, and luckily for me I landed on my feet in my hometown. Both sides moved on. It is what it is, and I am sure they are happy with what they got out of the deal and I am happy to be at home."
- Andrei Kirilenko fit the profile of what the Wolves front office identified as the team's most pressing need this past offseason, but Minnesota still had questions about him, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Kirilenko is answering those doubts, and coach Rick Adelman has been surprised at just how much the 31-year-old defensive ace has helped the team.
- The Suns recalled Kendall Marshall from the D-League today, but the rookie doesn't appear to be any better from the experience, observes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
Draft Rumors: Kabongo, Gobert, Noel
Christmas is just a few days away, but for NBA Draft aficionados, it merely marks the halfway point between the Association's late-June selection meetings. As we approach that milestone, here's the latest on a few likely to hear their name called about six months from now.
- Texas point guard Myck Kabongo will be allowed to return for the final eight games of the regular season after the NCAA reduced his suspension, reports Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. With a full season, Kabongo had a chance to become a lottery pick, an Eastern Conference official told Pat Forde and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports this week. It remains to be seen how much the fringe first-round prospect, ranked No. 34 in the DraftExpress list of 2013 draft hopefuls, can improve his stock in the limited time he'll have this season.
- French big man Rudy Gobert is No. 4 on the same DraftExpress list, but Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside cautions that the 7'1" Frenchman might not be ready to contribute to an NBA team right away.
- Sean Deveney of The Sporting News delivers an early mock draft, with Kentucky's Nerlens Noel in the No. 1 spot. Deveney has Gobert down at No. 14, the last lottery pick.
Central Notes: Henson, Robinson, Pistons, George
With the Bucks hanging on for an overtime win against the Celtics, it was a successful night for the Central Division. The only team to endure a loss this evening was the Cavs, and that came at the hands of the division rival Pacers. Here's the scoop from off the court in the Central.
- Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel checks in with Bucks rookie John Henson, whose lack of consistent playing time belies the team's enthusiasm about the chance to draft him with the 14th overall pick. "I think everybody was surprised he was there," assistant coach Jim Boylan said. "Everybody had him in the top 10 somewhere. But in the draft that happens all the time."
- Nate Robinson's minimum-salary contract is only partially guaranteed for $400K so that it's easier for the Bulls to include him in trades, a source tells K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. It becomes fully guaranteed on or before New Year's Day. The Bulls aren't likely to trade him by then, and the team probably won't cut him either, according to Johnson.
- MLive's David Mayo answers reader questions about the Pistons, and delves into why the team hasn't sent rookie Slava Kravtsov to the D-League, despite Kravtsov failing to have played a minute this season until tonight's blowout win over the Wizards. Mayo theorizes that having to share their affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, with the Pacers and two other clubs might keep Kravtsov from getting enough minutes. Mayo also says the Pistons, like most teams, prefer having their players practice with the big club rather than rack up minutes in the D-League.
- Ben Golliver of SI.com breaks down Paul George's hot streak, concluding that George, due for an extension on his rookie deal this summer, could become a pricey commodity.
Stein On Lakers, Evans, Holiday, Stoudemire
Marc Stein of ESPN.com unveils his award winners for the first third of the NBA season, splitting the MVP award between the two conferences, with Carmelo Anthony besting LeBron James for the Eastern Conference honor and Kevin Durant getting the nod for the West. As usual, the ESPN scribe also checks in with a few rumors from around the league in his Weekend Dime, and we'll round them up here.
- The Lakers gave strong consideration to signing Delonte West, but the desire for stability, which has been in short supply for L.A. this season, kept them from doing so, a source tells Stein. The Lakers remain in the market for a point guard, but they're in no rush to do so, preferring to wait and see how the team looks with a healthy Steve Nash.
- Tyreke Evans wasn't rattled when he didn't receive a contract extension from the Kings, and he's likewise unfazed by his inclusion in trade rumors this season. "I'm just here to play basketball," Evans said. "If I get traded, that's what happens."
- Unlike Evans, Jrue Holiday did get an extension on his rookie deal, and while he believes the new deal took some pressure off of him, he doesn't think it's had any effect on his play. He's been thrust into a leadership role with Andrew Bynum out, and he's anxious to see how he and the big man fit together on the Sixers. "More so than curious, I'm just excited," Holiday said. "I'm excited for him to finally play, and I'd love to play with him. (But) I think the season at hand is the most important thing."
- Earlier today we heard the Knicks shopped Amare Stoudemire over the summer and found no takers. A source tells Stein that Stoudemire has come to grips with his reduced value and leverage, and understands that when he returns, he has to fit into whatever role coach Mike Woodson has for him.
Wolves Rumors: Redick, Williams, Love, Varejao
Ever since the Wolves released Josh Howard following news of his ACL tear yesterday, we've heard plenty about potential replacements, as a roster spot on a team contending for a playoff spot has many NBA hopefuls salivating at the opportunity. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN has provided many of the updates via Twitter, and he's collected those rumors along with plenty of other Wolves-related scuttlebutt in his latest piece. We'll round up the highlights here.
- Wolfson earlier today mentioned former Sonic Mickael Gelabale as one of the players reaching out to the Wolves about the open roster spot, and Gelabale's agent has contacted all 30 teams about a return to the NBA for his client, according to Shams Charania of RealGM. Charania also hears that the Wolves are unlikely to sign any wing player until after Christmas.
Earlier updates:
- Minnesota would be "heavily" in the mix for J.J. Redick if the Magic decide to put him on the market. Derrick Williams' name has come up in connection with Redick in the past, but it'll take more than Williams to get a deal done, Wolfson hears. Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game listed the Wolves among a handful of likely trade partners earlier this week.
- Kevin Love made a few hearts jump in Minnesota earlier this month when he questioned his future with the franchise, but according to Wolfson, no teams have called the Wolves' front office to ask about Love's availability.
- Anderson Varejao is still "very much on the Wolves' trade radar," but Tyreke Evans is not, Wolfson writes.
- The Wolves aren't thinking of signing Chris Douglas-Roberts, who's been the second-leading scorer in the D-League this season at 22.7 points per game after the Mavericks waived him at the end of training camp.
- Though Howard's minimum-salary contract was non-guaranteed, he'll recoup some money from an insurance policy.
- The Wolves own the draft rights to Serbian power forward Nemanja Bjelica, and the Wolves are entertaining the possibility of bringing him to the NBA next season. Wolfson provides a scouting report from an executive who likes his offense better than his defense.
Sixers Unsure If Bynum Can Make Impact This Year
The Sixers revealed the results of the examination performed yesterday on Andrew Bynum's knees, and GM Tony DiLeo told reporters, including Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com, that it's "hard to predict" whether the team's marquee offseason acquisition will make it back to the court in time to have a relevant effect on the team this season (Twitter link). The Sixers said today that Bynum is showing improvement and has been cleared to intensify his workouts, tweets Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News.
Bynum is confident he'll return at some point this season, as Moore notes, although he characterizes today's news as a "baby step" (Twitter links). There remains no timetable for his recovery. The center has dealt with pain and swelling in both knees the past few months and has yet to make his debut for Philadelphia. As Moore documents, DiLeo is still confident in wisdom of the trade in which Bynum and Jason Richardson came to the Sixers, which shipped out Andre Iguodala, Nikola Vucevic, Maurice Harkless and a first-round draft pick (Twitter link).
"Would we still make the move knowing what happened? Yes," DiLeo said. "Are we disappointed? Yes.'"
DiLeo had not yet been promoted to GM when the trade went down August 10th. Team president Rod Thorn was in charge of day-to-day basketball operations at the time. Executives from other teams have reportedly begun to wonder whether the Sixers will trade Bynum, a free agent next summer, though DiLeo insists they haven't been shopping him. A few days ago, a majority of Hoops Rumors readers weighed in to say the Sixers should try to swap Bynum, as the prospect of the team losing him in free agency looms.
Western Rumors: Bell, Gordon, Kings
- Raja Bell is hopeful that he's nearing the end of the standoff he and the Jazz have been engaged in for months over the prospect of buyout, the veteran guard told Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune. Still, the team is giving no indication the impasse is close to resolution.
- There's no official timetable for the return of Eric Gordon, who's been rehabbing his troublesome right knee, but the Hornets shooting guard says he's "more than 90 percent sure" he'll play before New Year's Day, as John Reid of The Times-Picayune details.
- Many of the Kings are frustrated with coach Keith Smart over his benching of point guard Isaiah Thomas, according to Aaron Bruski of NBCSports.com, who gives sharp criticism of the team's signing of Aaron Brooks, Thomas' replacement in the starting lineup.
- Rockets rookie Donatas Motiejunas was appreciative of the playing time he received during this weekend's D-League assignment, notes Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. "When you step on the court, you have confidence," he said. "Sitting on the bench for a longer time kills your confidence. At least (in the D-League) you get a feeling for the game."
- Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld looks at how the improvement of Derrick Favors has created a dilemma in the frontcourt for the Jazz.
- Kenneth Faried said the Blazers told him they would draft him 21st overall in 2011, and when they passed him over, allowing the Nuggets to pounce at pick No. 22, the power forward from Morehead State was upset with Portland, as he explained to The Oregonian's Jason Quick. "I ain’t going to lie to you: I don’t like them," Faried said. "I think it’s disrespectful what they did, got my hopes up for nothing. Every time we play them, it’s a little extra motivation for me to come out and show them what they missed."