That happened fast. That really escalated quickly. Fresh off some chatter Pau Gasol might have renewed his season tickets on the trade block, the Lakers swoop and land the dude for a pittance (Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton and two first-round picks), according to the Memphis Commercial-Appeal's Ron Tillery.Yes: Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. C'est formidable, as Serge Gainsbourg would say. Of course, it's with a cost Pau comes. Like Boston, L.A. has basically mortgaged the near future for a shot now. It's not a bad strategy; hell, it's a good strategy. But things might get lean in, say, 2011 or 2012.
Pau's 27, Kobe's 30, Bynum's eligible for a contract extension this summer. Jerry Buss has some checks to write. Odom's clearly slid down the totem some; no one'd be surprised if Lamar gets shopped heavily this summer. In the meantime, he and Gasol should be able to fill Bynum's absence beautifully. But yeah, it's going to cost a touch of luxury tax.
How do the folks in Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, New Orleans, SLC, Denver, Houston and Oakland feel right about now? This is a potential champion, folks. The Lakers were between good and very good before -- hell, they knocked on the one-seed's door briefly before Bynum and Trevor Ariza went down. And they just replaced a below-average center with one of the best bigs in the game in his prime.
UPDATE: The LA Times is on the case, and there might be some question as to the nature of the draft pick Memphis is to get (a swap option, perhaps).
UPDATE #2: FanHouse Roundtable, assemble!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
2-01-2008 @ 3:40PM
Dead Weight said...
Ok i am still in shock. I don't know how to feel. I should be jumping but my legs are heavy. It's like worry about rent money and getting a gift check for $200k, you are almost afraid to cash it. What if it is a bad check? It is too good to be true! WOW WOW WOW, i need a drink.
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2-01-2008 @ 3:43PM
LakerFan said...
Check your facts, Kobe is 29 not 30
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2-01-2008 @ 3:47PM
aleksthethird said...
Hell! That's a bit scary.
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2-01-2008 @ 3:54PM
MrBaltan said...
Effectively this really should put a nail in the coffin for John Paxson because now, the Bulls will get neither Kobe OR Pau.
Nice work on trading LaMarcus Aldridge for Tyrus Thomas too!
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2-01-2008 @ 4:04PM
Bucky Wunderlick said...
Get Gasol AND get ride of Brown's massive salary?! Even giving up draft picks is great because 1. the Lakers will probably have a low pick and 2. next year's draft doesn't look so hot. This is ridiculously good news!
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2-01-2008 @ 4:07PM
Alan said...
Damn, the Lakers just stole Gasol for KWame!?! wow, memphis will be rebuilding for a while
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2-01-2008 @ 4:38PM
D.J said...
Now all we have to do is trade Kobe for
Chris Paul or Devon Williams and some draft picks!
The LAKERS repeat will not win a championship
this year, but trade Kobe and in 2-3 years
will be a Dynasty and win 3-4 with my team!!!
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2-01-2008 @ 4:51PM
rene said...
that is nuts !! i can't believe someone is taking kwame off of our hands and we get Pau Gasol !!??? and we didn't have to give up J.Farmar, Lamar or any other significant players. incredible..., maybe we can get J. Kidd in for jordan & lamar.
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2-01-2008 @ 5:08PM
James said...
PAU WHO ?
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2-01-2008 @ 5:08PM
Tommy said...
Thats crazy but i dont think there skills can match up with Bostons.
Im a Huge boston fan
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2-01-2008 @ 5:13PM
ANTHONY said...
I DARE SOMEONE SAY TRADE KOBE AND THAT WILL MAKE THE LAKERS A DYNASTY. KOBE IS THE BEST PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE RIGHT NOW THAT EXCLUDES NOBODY. EVEN LEBRON ADMITTED IT ON T.V. AND NOW TO ADD GASOL 2 THE MIX!!! GIVE THEM A MONTH TOGETHER AND LET ME SEE SOMEONE TRY TO STOP THEM....
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2-01-2008 @ 5:54PM
A. Nonymous said...
OMG OMG OMG OMG I can't believe it!!! Never in a million years, did I ever think the LAKERS would get Pau Gesol for a few players! OMG I'm so excited!!! Now I can't wait for Bynum to come back!! OMG OMG OMG OMG
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2-01-2008 @ 5:57PM
lrod said...
yeah! f- shaq! kobe,pau, bynum, any other two will do! were back!!!!!!!!3 peat again?
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2-01-2008 @ 6:13PM
Darrin said...
I say get rid of Odom and walton also.
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2-01-2008 @ 6:15PM
Richard Weissfeld said...
Our prayer, oh Lord, our prayer, to thee:
"Sweet God in heaven, (and one more for Mitch), y'all are the greatest, yessir, the greatest, may Kwame be damned to the underworld and thank you for a big white-boy who can play b-ball!
Come home Bynum, we can win this thing, because of Mitch, come home Bynum. Oh Lord, we get rebounds, and moves inside the paint, and passes, and no more small hands, and free-throws and good sh*t like that!
So long, midgets, we got another big body that can play, y'all are done!"
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2-01-2008 @ 11:16PM
Mark Norman said...
As a Bulls fan I agree botching last years trade opportunity for Gasol should be the final nail in G.M. Paxson's coffin as he should get the axe at season's end. Gasol seems like a nice guy in interviews and the Lakers and Phil Jackson will make him the best player he can be. I'm actually glad for Gasol he didn't come to Chicago because the Bulls Head coach(es) suck just as bad as the Grizzlies.
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2-01-2008 @ 11:27PM
EricM said...
What do all you Suns fans think??? hehe haha
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2-02-2008 @ 9:06AM
frank said...
The best MOVE for the Lakers in a long time they got the real deal no way the Lakers were going to compete with the Spurs ( Duncan) or Dallas (Dirk) or Boston ( KG ) without having a legit big man not even if the Lakers have 2 Kobe's finally they got it !
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2-02-2008 @ 12:23PM
Jack B. said...
It was a great trade for the Lakers, but not for Laker season ticket holders. The Lakers have 9 contracts for next year that already guarantee nearly $78 million. They need to sign 4 more minimal contracts so they are over $80 mil. Bynum gets his extension next year and they are at least at $88,000,000.00 by 09 if they make no trades. Guess who will pay the luxury tax? Jack Nicholson and his friends.
Don't worry Weissfeld, this won't affect you at all a-hole, you watch all the Laker's games from inside a Circuit City Store.
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2-02-2008 @ 6:51PM
tom schmidt said...
I agree that Odom will be shopped this summer, and probably Radmanovic, which could end up giving the Lakers a lottery pick as they think long term about replacing Kobe with a potential all-star shooting guard.
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