Pau Thread: Surgery a success; now rehab & rest for 12 weeks

SI wrote:Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol would like to play for the Chicago Bulls, Bulls.com’s Sam Smith reports. Smith cites “Lakers insiders” that tell him Gasol wants out of Los Angeles and would like to land in Chicago.

Gasol clashed with Lakers star Kobe Bryant and Lakers management this season, as he put up the worst statistical season of his 11-year NBA career. He finished the season averaging 17.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, but he only averaged 12 points on 44 percent shooting in the Lakers’ second-round playoff loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Keep in mind that the Lakers already traded Gasol once, before the 2011 season started, only to have the deal nixed by NBA commissioner David Stern. Gasol trade rumors also floated around near the trade deadline. That, plus his $19 million salary over the next two seasons, are prime reasons the Lakers want to move him.

The question is whether Chicago will get involved and whether the Bulls are prepared to significantly overhaul their roster after a first-round playoff exit at the hand of the Philadelphia 76ers. Smith ponders whether they would:

That, of course, would be if the Bulls decided to start anew and provide a new and different kind of cast to play with Rose. It’s maybe the biggest philosophical question to begin to consider these next few weeks.

Early last week, The Los Angeles Times reported that Gasol got few answers from Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak in his exit interview.

“I wish I could have clarification but they can’t give it to me right now,” Gasol told the paper. “I think management still has to talk to ownership to see what direction this thing will be going next year.”

He did say that if he was back with the Lakers, he hoped for a “much more peaceful year.”

khmrP wrote:^^^yuck, Chi would most defenitely try to pwn off Boozer on us.....hell's to that even if Deng came along with him.

Scnottaken wrote:

J-Dub562 wrote:Mitch has his work cutout for him because it's evident that a move has to be made, and the obvious move is trading Gasol. It's not going to be easy for Mitch to get any kind of quality deal for a guy who has played the way Gasol has played the last two post seasons, and make as much money as he does. I just hope they don't make a "salary dump" type of move where they just get rid of him for a bunch of expiring deals, or a bunch of "nobodies". If they go after a quality trade, the Lakers are going to have to take back a bad contract, but that doesn't bother me if we can somehow get Williams, or a player of that caliber.

Well. . . here comes a TPE we won't use.
I'm kidding, please don't let this happen.

gcclaker wrote:

SI wrote:Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol would like to play for the Chicago Bulls, Bulls.com’s Sam Smith reports. Smith cites “Lakers insiders” that tell him Gasol wants out of Los Angeles, and would like to land in Chicago.

Pau Gasol clashed with Lakers star Kobe Bryant and Lakers management this season, as he put up the worst statistical season of his 11-year NBA career. He finished the season averaging 17.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, but he only averaged 12 points on 44 percent shooting in the Lakers’ second-round playoff loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Keep in mind that the Lakers have already traded Gasol once before the 2011 season started, only to have the deal nixed by NBA commissioner David Stern. Gasol trade rumors also floated around near the trade deadline. That, plus his $19 million salary over the next two seasons, are prime reasons the Lakers want to move him.

The question is whether Chicago will get involved and whether the Bulls are prepared to significantly overhaul their roster after a first-round playoff exit at the hand of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Smith ponders whether they would:

That, of course, would be if the Bulls decided to start anew and provide a new and different kind of cast to play with Rose. It’s maybe the biggest philosophical question to begin to consider these next few weeks.

Early last week, The Los Angeles Times reported that Gasol received a few answers from the Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak in his exit interview.

“I wish I could have clarification but they can’t give it to me right now,” Gasol told a paper. “I think management still has to talk to ownership to see what direction this thing will be going next year.”

He did say that if he was back with the Lakers, he hoped for a “much more peaceful year.”

John3:16 wrote:

NWLakerfan wrote:DOUBLE DING!!!

Pau has been great (for the most part) since we got him, but SOOOOOOOOOO tired of his psyche having to
be massaged constantly, ESPECIALLY during a playoff run... Holy cow man... GROW SOME BALLS... Definitely time to get whatever we can for him in the offseason and transition this team from full on Kobe to Drew in the near future...

Good seeing you bro. You've been away far too long.

Do the people of Seattle still root for the Thunder or did they jump ship?

Gasol is increasingly likely to stay with the Lakers until at least this summer. Making him somewhat hard to move is a 15% trade kicker in a contract that already pays $38.3 million over the next two seasons. If traded, Gasol would make $21.9 next season instead of $19 million.

Gasol has two years remaining on his contract, which does contain a trade kicker, but because he's at his maximum salary the raise would be minimal.

The Rock wrote:Just came across this from a trade deadline article. This makes it even damn harder to move Pau.

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/mar/14/sports/la-sp-lakers-fyi-20120314

Gasol is increasingly likely to stay with the Lakers until at least this summer. Making him somewhat hard to move is a 15% trade kicker in a contract that already pays $38.3 million over the next two seasons. If traded, Gasol would make $21.9 next season instead of $19 million.

The next team to take on Pau has to pay him $22 mil next year. Darnit who would want that

EDIT:

Looks like it wont be a full $2.9 mil but there will be some more money added to the $19 mil

Gasol has two years remaining on his contract, which does contain a trade kicker, but because he's at his maximum salary the raise would be minimal.

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Wolfson_Dont_be_surprised_if_the_Timberwolves_trade_for_Pau_Gasol052312

khmrP wrote:

The Rock wrote:Just came across this from a trade deadline article. This makes it even damn harder to move Pau.

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/mar/14/sports/la-sp-lakers-fyi-20120314

Gasol is increasingly likely to stay with the Lakers until at least this summer. Making him somewhat hard to move is a 15% trade kicker in a contract that already pays $38.3 million over the next two seasons. If traded, Gasol would make $21.9 next season instead of $19 million.

The next team to take on Pau has to pay him $22 mil next year. Darnit who would want that

EDIT:

Looks like it wont be a full $2.9 mil but there will be some more money added to the $19 mil

Gasol has two years remaining on his contract, which does contain a trade kicker, but because he's at his maximum salary the raise would be minimal.

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Wolfson_Dont_be_surprised_if_the_Timberwolves_trade_for_Pau_Gasol052312

and yet we still have delusional fans here who want the nothing short of the kitchen sink for him.

XXIV wrote:^ It's going to have to be a team that wants to make a playoff push or one that needs salary in order to meet the league minimum. Either way it's going to be tough.

Bryan Colangelo may be interested in trading Toronto’s lottery pick in next month’s draft in order to bring some proven talent to his roster.

“Obviously if there’s a transaction that warrants moving the pick, we’ll consider that but we’re not actively shopping it,” Colangelo said after league’s draft lottery.

“It’s all going to be a matter of what’s on the board and as you know, the $12 million of flexibility that we have … gives us some options to take on contract,” he said. “It may be committing some or all of the cap space moving forward. We would consider doing that and if it was the right player, a player of a significant caliber, then we would obviously consider upping the ante by including the pick if necessary.”

The Raptors are slotted to pick eighth in the draft.

John3:16 wrote:^^^ we'd be lucky to get the 8th pick for Gasol.

John3:16 wrote:^^^ we'd be lucky to get the 8th pick for Gasol.

Pau was a no show 2 postseason's ago, but the excuse at that point (and rightfully so) was that his engagement was broken off.

bystander wrote:

Pau was a no show 2 postseason's ago, but the excuse at that point (and rightfully so) was that his engagement was broken off.

I don't know what the hell happened to Pau 2 years ago, but FWIW his girlfriend was with Pau's mother in Staples in G2 vs Dallas and they both were seen together during the summer after Lakers got crushed by the Mavs. So that wasn't the reason he sucked hard.