Pau Gasol To Miss Significant Time With Foot Injury
Pau Gasol has suffered a torn plantar fascia in his right foot, the Lakers confirmed on their website. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, who originally reported the news, set the timetable for his return at six weeks or more, while Chris Broussard of ESPN.com hears it's at least four weeks (Twitter link). In any case, it will keep him out until after the trade deadline, complicating, if not scuttling, any potential deal.
Gasol will meet with a specialist tomorrow, and an official timetable will be set following that, but Berger hears he could be out 10-12 weeks if he opts for surgery, which would provide a better chance for full recovery than rehab alone. That would leave the 23-26 Lakers without their second-leading rebounder until April at the earliest, adding yet another burden to their pursuit of a playoff spot.
The Lakers have a $1.78MM injury exception granted following the loss of Jordan Hill for the season, but the team isn't dead set on using it, a source tells Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link). They also have a pro-rated portion of the $1.4MM they had leftover on their mid-level exception entering the season. Aside from that, they'd either have to replace Gasol in trades or via minimum-salary signing. L.A. has 14 players on the roster, leaving one open spot.
Lakers Rumors: Gasol, Howard, Trades
With the eighth-seeded Rockets hosting the red-hot Warriors tonight, the Lakers will have the opportunity to gain some ground in the Western Conference playoff race. It won't come easy though, as the Lakers head to the Barclays Center for the first time to face the 28-19 Nets. As we wait to see how tonight's game plays out, let's round up a few of the latest rumblings out of L.A….
- D'Antoni told reporters, including Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (on Twitter), that he isn't concerned about his relationship with Gasol. "He will probably do what we ask him to do. I'm not going to Spain to vacation with him this summer, but he's good," the coach said.
- The Lakers aren't upset about Gasol's comments either, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. The big man is a professional and they don't believe that what he said will impact the team.
Earlier updates:
- Asked by T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times how he'd feel about next season, if Mike D'Antoni remained with the Lakers and Dwight Howard re-signed, Pau Gasol admitted it would "be hard for me to deal with another season." Gasol acknowledged that it's possible he'd ask for a trade this summer in that case, but he won't do so this month: "I'm not a quitter. Just because things look better on the other side of the fence, I'm not going to take the easy way out."
- More Gasol to Simers: "I'm fortunate to be doing what I am for a living and being highly rewarded for it. But it hurts me that this unique opportunity we have with such good players is not being maximized."
- Gasol's trade value may be rising recently as he plays well with Howard out of action, but D12's absence also exhibits that Pau is an important piece for the Lakers to keep around this season, writes Brian Kamenetzky via Sulia.
- It would be a major departure from Mitch Kupchak's style for him to say he's not trading Howard and then turn around and do it, says Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (via Sulia). As such, Bucher expects the Lakers to roll with their current roster rather than making any significant changes.
Kupchak: Lakers Won’t Trade Dwight Howard
With the Lakers struggling through the 2012/13 season and Dwight Howard facing free agency at this summer, there's been some speculation recently that general manager Mitch Kupchak could look to move the All-Star center before this month's trade deadline. Speaking to Newsday's Steven Marcus, however, Kupchak says the team doesn't intend to deal Howard.
"We will not make a trade," Kupchak said. "We will not trade Dwight Howard. We have no intention of making a trade. It's unlikely that we'll make any trade with any of our principal players. To make another change at this time of the year being behind the eight-ball like we are, I think that would just make it more difficult. The talent is there. We have to find our way."
The Lakers have been playing better ball lately, having won five of their last six games. But even that stretch hasn't been smooth sailing, as it included a pair of near-collapses against the Hornets and Pistons, and a loss to the 16-32 Suns in Phoenix. Still, while he acknowledges that it's taken some time for everyone to get on the same page, Kupchak is confident in the current roster, and doesn't think it's too old to be a contender.
"Old? If you're looking to make excuses, I suppose," Kupchak said. "I put this team together with Jim Buss. We don't think they're too old. We have great experience. When I look at our team and I make a list of things that may contribute to our record to date, age is not one of them. I think seven or eight games from now we'll have more answers. We're trying to get into the playoffs and make a run."
Besides Howard, Pau Gasol has also been mentioned as a potential trade candidate for the Lakers. Kupchak didn't specifically name Gasol as someone who absolutely won't be moved, but his comments suggest the Lakers don't plan to seriously explore that possibility.
Amick And Zillgitt On Smith, Gasol, Gay Trade
Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today have posted a new column in which they take turns speculating on which marquee player will be the next to be traded, and also react to the Rudy Gay trade:
- Amick writes that it's well-known around the league that Josh Smith is unhappy in Atlanta and that the team is open to trading him. He wants a max deal, and new Hawks GM Danny Ferry wants to take a more financially responsible approach to building his roster.
- Zillgitt thinks that, despite reports to the contrary, the Lakers could move Pau Gasol before the deadline. He points to the Celtics as a possible destination, writing that they need size following Jared Sullinger's injury.
- Both Amick and Zillgitt think positively of the Raptors' acquisition of Gay. Zillgitt adds that the move was a financially smart move for the Grizzlies, and likes the fit of Tayshaun Prince on their roster. He also praises the acquisition of Jose Calderon for the Pistons.
Stein’s Latest: Gasol, Celtics, Smith, Jazz
ESPN.com's Marc Stein has posted his latest Weekend Dime column, featuring updates on several prominent players whose names have been featured in trade rumors ahead of the February 21 deadline. Here are the highlights of Stein's report:
- Stein doesn't believe the Lakers will trade Pau Gasol before the deadline, although the Raptors are making a push to acquire him with a package built around Andrea Bargnani.
- Although the Clippers have shown no indication of wanting to trade Eric Bledsoe, a swap of the third-year guard to the Celtics for Paul Pierce could make the most sense for both sides, Stein writes.
- Celtics GM Danny Ainge recognizes that Pierce and Kevin Garnett don't have the value that would likely make it worth trading then, so he may instead look to move Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, or Jeff Green to get the team under the luxury tax threshold.
- The Hawks have been gauging trade interest in Josh Smith, Stein reports. Although they are very open to moving the forward, there is hesitance because other teams don't want to risk him walking in free agency and Atlanta doesn't want to take on long-term salary.
- Executives around the league don't expect the Jazz to trade Al Jefferson, saying they will either move Paul Millsap instead or stand pat.
- Given their ownership situation, the Kings will likely not make any moves before the deadline. There has been interest in Tyreke Evans, although DeMarcus Cousins remains untouchable.
- The Trail Blazers are not looking to make any moves that will help them in the short term, preferring to preserve their flexibility.
- Teams expect the Magic to trade J.J. Redick, but executives tell Stein that GM Rob Hennigan is asking for young talent or draft picks for the veteran sharpshooter.
Timberwolves Notes: Roy, Rubio, Gasol, Williams
The latest news and notes around the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday evening:
- Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press tweets that Brandon Roy had another setback in his rehab as he attempts to recover from arthroscopic knee surgery.
- Ricky Rubio defended Pau Gasol against criticism he's faced this season, saying he would welcome the opportunity to play with him (AP link via USA Today).
- Krawczynski also writes that Derrick Williams, the second overall pick in the 2011 draft, wants to separate himself from some other players picked in his slot that haven't worked out.
Kyler’s Latest: Pierce, Josh Smith, Redick, Lakers
HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler chimed in with roundup of trade rumors in advance of the Rudy Gay deal, and though his info about that swap quickly became outdated, he delivered much more from around the league. Let's hit the highlights here:
- The Celtics were entertaining offers for Paul Pierce before Rajon Rondo went down with a torn ACL, but for the moment they want to evaluate their team in the wake of the injury before making a move. Pierce wants to retire with Boston, and Celtics basketball president Danny Ainge and company will consider his special place in the team's history in deciding whether to move him. The C's will seek deals for their other players first.
- Though rumblings seem to indicate Josh Smith may be on his way out of Atlanta, the Hawks haven't considered any deal for him to this point. Still, Kyler believes that if they decide to deal Smith, they already know where they can send him. According to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, the Raptors probably aren't one of the teams that would make a deal for the power forward (Twitter link).
- More than half the league has tried to trade for J.J. Redick, but the Magic have rebuffed all offers for the soon-to-be free agent. The Magic front office has kept Redick informed about all the possible deals, and it seems more than likely he'll opt to re-sign this summer.
- The Lakers continue to discuss Pau Gasol deals, but as it stands now, they're more likely to hold off until the summer, when they'll know whether Dwight Howard, a free agent, will be back.
- Kyler also shares Lang Greene's pre-trade video interview with Raptors coach Dwane Casey, and catches up with Greivis Vasquez and new Grizzlies big man Jon Leuer, who revealed that it was former teammate Kyrie Irving who broke the news to him about last week's trade.
Odds & Ends: Rondo, Dragic, Speights, Rumors
With seven NBA games on the docket for Monday night, here are some odds and ends from around the Association:
- J.J. Redick has made Orlando his home and hopes to stay, he told Michael Scotto of RealGM. But Redick also realizes that trade speculation is inevitable and therefore has stayed in close contact with his agent and the Magic general manager Rob Hennigan.
- Ben Golliver of Blazers Edge provides a transcript of an interview of Neil Olshey in which the Blazers GM discusses his team's roster and potential future moves.
- Andrei Kirilenko handpicked Minnesota as his destination this offseason because he found the roster intriguing as well as conducive to his game. Unfortunately, due to the Timberwolves' long list of injuries, Kirilenko has yet to find out if his vision was as good as it seemed this offseason, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
- Danny Ainge said that he fully expect Rajon Rondo to be ready for training camp come October, tweets Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. How realistic that truly is will go a long way in determining the Celtics' next move.
- Despite sitting at 15-30 and in last place in the Pacific division, the Suns have a reason for optimism in Goran Dragic, writes Derek Page of HoopsWorld. Dragic, Page says, is the most important piece of Phoenix's rebuilding plans.
- We've already heard that Marreese Speights could be moved before the trade deadline despite rumors that the Cavaliers have coveted him for years. The Plain Dealer rounds up some Speights-related buzz, linking to a Sam Amico article that says whether the team keeps Speights depends on whether it can do so without sacrificing its financial flexibility. Amico, of Fox Sports Ohio, says that Speights will likely opt out of his deal after the season and seek a payday.
- Sean Deveney of Sporting News addresses several popular rumors that are floating around the NBA of late, the most notable of which include Rudy Gay, Paul Pierce and Pau Gasol.
Pau Gasol Won’t Request Trade
It has been about a week since Mike D’Antoni opted to move Pau Gasol to the Lakers’ bench in favor of Earl Clark. Gasol’s unhappiness with the move has been well-documented and only has ramped up speculation that he could be moved before the trade deadline.
Gasol told Ken Berger of CBS Sports on Monday that while he maintains his unhappiness, he will not directly or indirectly request a trade from the team with which he has won two titles since his arrival in 2008. Gasol is “all in” for the remainder of the season:
“It’s hard for anybody who considers himself one of the top players in the world to say, ‘OK, I’m OK with coming off the bench. It’s a difficult situation that we’ve been dealing with here. The last few games have been great, and we’re staying positive and we look forward to that to continue. But at the same time, we don’t need any other distractions, any more negativity. We need positive embracing, we need focus, we need to support each other. That’s where we’re at and that’s where I’m at, too,” he said.
However, Gasol has $19.3MM left on his contract for next year, and told Berger that he can’t envision a scenario where he would be comfortable returning to the Lakers next year as a bench player.
“I’ve been on this team, in this city, for six years. It’s very hard to stick around on this team, and I take pride in that. I think I’m a valuable asset and I want my role to be as big as it can be, within the well being of the team. But I don’t know if being a player that comes off the bench will be something that I’ll be able to accept long term,” Gasol said.
Odds & Ends: Lakers, Luxury Tax, Meeks
Yannis Koutroupis and Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld both agree that it wouldn't be in the Lakers' best interests to deal Dwight Howard despite how the team has struggled with him thus far. Brotherston also thinks that with Pau Gasol's value to teams looking for some veteran leadership, it would be wise for Los Angeles to cash him in for younger and more athletic players who can provide a better fit next to Steve Nash and Dwight. You'll find more of tonight's miscellaneous links below:
- Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer looks at how the CBA's more restrictive luxury-tax implications (set to take effect in 2013-14) have reconfigured the way trades have been discussed in today's NBA, where cap space and draft picks have become the most coveted bargaining chips in what Celtics coach Doc Rivers calls 'economic trades.'
- Brotherston writes about how the emergence of Earl Clark in Mike D'Antoni's rotation has come at the expense of guard Jodie Meeks, who has gone from averaging 26.5 MPG in December to playing a total of 38 minutes in the Lakers' last seven games. While Meeks admits his frustration, he says there is nothing else to do but remain positive and stay ready for when D'Antoni gives him another opportunity to play.
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer points to inexperience as an explanation for the Bobcats' struggles when trying to close out games. Of their 31 losses this season, 10 have been decided by six points or less.
- While there is no set timetable for Hedo Turkoglu's return to action for the Magic, the 6'10 veteran forward recently participated in fullcourt scrimmages and said that the injured left hand he's been dealing with is "about to be 100 percent soon," notes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.