The Los Angeles Lakers do not have a lot of options this summer. They picked up a couple of second-round picks and they extended offers to Devin Ebanks and Darius Morris. Unless they make a blockbuster trade, that may be the extent of their dealings. Obviously they will try to sign a point guard and hopefully bring back Ramon Sessions. However, they may need to settle for a cheap veteran that is willing to play for a small salary at the end of their career.
Rumors, rumors
The rumors continue to swirl around Pau Gasol, as various teams have been discussed as possible destinations. It is so hard for the fan base to know whether any of these stories are true, or if they simply stem from some executive giving a reporter a sound bite. If you ask a coach or a GM whether they would like a savvy and versatile big man on their team, of course they are going to say yes. Gasol certainly didn't have his best year last season, but he is still a valuable commodity.
Youth movement
Would the T-Wolves really send Derrick Williams to the Lakers for Pau Gasol? I guess that would surprise me. It seems like someone in that organization would step in and say, "Wait a minute, we're trading a 21-year-old high draft pick for an expensive 32-year-old guy that might have 3-4 more years left?" The young power forward did not have a dynamic year during his rookie season, but he is still only 21 years old and he has that elusive "upside" that so many teams crave. Plus, he is paired a bit awkwardly with Kevin Love, who is clearly the franchise. If you are the Lakers and Minnesota makes the offer, I think you do that deal in a heartbeat. You lose a lot of experience, but you add some much-needed youth.
Impact on Kobe
There might be one catch to doing a deal for Derrick Williams, assuming this is a real possibility. If you trade for Williams, you might lose some ground in order to build for the future. In other words, Williams and Bynum might be a really good front line in a couple of years as Derrick develops and Andrew hopefully takes more of a leadership role. However, how does that impact Kobe Bryant in the last couple of years on his contract? Will he tolerate a youth movement? Or will he expect the Lakers to keep trading away draft picks and young players in order to surround him with vets?
I will be very curious to see if this deal gets some traction.
Sources:
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8113368/report-minnesota-timberwolves-made-run-want-pau-gasol
The author grew up in Seattle and now lives in Los Angeles, where he enjoys the rivalry between the Lakers and the Clippers, and all the drama that goes with being in the Southland. You can follow him on Twitter @tpheifer.
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