Even though All-Star center Andrew Bynum has been the one player on the Lakers’ roster that has been involved in the most trade rumors over the last few years, Pau Gasol has taken that distinction this season and if any big-name player on the Lakers will be dealt before or on the deadline it will most likely be the Spanish forward.
According to Sam Amick of SI.com, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Houston Rockets are still interested in acquiring Pau Gasol via trade:
Sources say Minnesota general manager David Kahn is still attempting to land Gasol, and that push is likely to continue all the way until the deadline. Houston general manager Daryl Morey remains equally enamored with the player he thought he landed in the vetoed three-team deal with the Lakers and New Orleans on Dec. 8, but the Rockets’ love of point guard Kyle Lowry (who the Lakers would also love) has likely ended any possibilities there.
The one team that seems most interested in making a trade with the Lakers in the next week and half is the Minnesota Timberwolves as they have been looking for a way to acquire Pau Gasol and send forward Michael Beasley packing. The Lakers have already denied one trade proposal from the T’Wolves that would have sent two first-round draft picks to Minnesota in exchange for Beasley.
A similar trade proposal was denied by the Lakers shortly after the T’Wolves pitched a deal to acquire Beasley. The Cleveland Cavaliers were prepared to send point guard Ramon Sessions to the Lakers in exchange for just one first-round draft pick. For some reason, this didn’t convince the Lakers’ front office to pull the trigger despite losing just a single draft pick in exchange for an upgrade at the point guard position with the 25-year-old up-and-comer.
Things will start to get very interesting in the coming days with the Lakers weighing their trade options. Pau Gasol could be headed elsewhere before the NBA trade deadline, but there is also a chance that the Lakers settle on minor deals to improve the point guard and small forward position with draft picks and the $8.9 million trade exception.