Trade for Pau Gasol

[LarBrd33]

No this isn't a bumped thread from 2011.

Why trade for Pau Gasol?... because it runs completely counter to everything I expected this team to do this year.  I thought we'd trade all the vets (including Rondo), bottom out and try to land a Top 8 pick.  At this point, we clearly aren't bottoming out.  The Leastern Conference is garbage.  Our team is mediocre by default.  The draft dreams are down the toilet.  Right now our picks are #19 and #20.   We look like we could make a run at the 3rd or 4th seed in the Leastern Conference.  We don't currently have enough to be competitive with the Pacers and Heat, but I mean... who knows what could happen.  Maybe if you rented Gasol, you could make some noise.


Gasol is expiring at the end of the year (19 mil expiring contract).  Lakers fear they might lose him for nothing.  He's 33 years old and not having the best season, but he's still a 7 footer with skill. 

What, theoretically would it take?  Lakers don't necessarily mind taking on a year or two of salary.  They just want assets.  Draft picks and young talent, of course.  What would it take?

How about

Bass - 6 mil 2 years
Lee - 5 mil 3 years
Humph - 12 mil expiring
One of our 1st rounders (you can lotto protect it)?

Both first rounders?

Do they balk at taking on Lee's 3 years?  How about Humph, Bass, Crawford and a pick or two?   

Stop throwing tomatoes at me.

Would you do Wallace, Bass, Lee and our two late 2014 picks?  You'd get rid of 3 long-term deals for a massive expiring contract... it's sorta appealing. 

Essentially you'll be renting Gasol for a half season.  PG - Rondo, SG - Bradley, SF - Green, PF - Sully and C - Gasol at least makes us respectable this year.   Perhaps you could use Gasol's expiring contract to shed some long-term money as well.    Maybe you re-sign Gasol for a couple seasons. 

Again... trading for a 33 year old former star is counter to everything I expected Boston to do this year... but it's been a weird season so far... so I'm throwing it out there.

[esel1000]

I see where you're going with this, but mediocre playoff team or not I don't see the point of getting half a season of Gasol, especially if we have to give up first round picks to do it.

I'm all for trades to better this team as I'm pretty convinced tanking is out of the question at this point as well, but I don't think this ones worth it... I'd rather try to get players that can better the team for the long run

[LooseCannon]

If you're going to burn two picks in a trade, I'd rather send them to Houston for Asik.

[LarBrd33]

I see where you're going with this, but mediocre playoff team or not I don't see the point of getting half a season of Gasol, especially if we have to give up first round picks to do it.

I'm all for trades to better this team as I'm pretty convinced tanking is out of the question at this point as well, but I don't think this ones worth it... I'd rather try to get players that can better the team for the long run

I don't love it either.   But what if you could dump Wallace and Lee...?

I hate the idea of giving up 1st rounders for a potential rental, but at this point our picks are #19 and #20... It's not like we're giving up lotto talent... and Gasol is still an impact player who would solve a lot of the short-term issues this team has. 

Think about it for a second.

Best case scenario would be:

Bass - 2 years 6 mil
Lee - 3 years 5 mil
Wallace - 3 years 10 mil
---
The worst of our two 2014 picks

for Gasol... 19 mil expiring.  Of course, Lakers say no.  But it would be a best-case scenario. 

#1 - Makes us better short-term.  A respectable playoff team.

#2 - If you pulled that off, Boston would have about 30 million in cap space next season.  Even if they extended Bradley, they would have room for a Max deal.

[LarBrd33]

If you're going to burn two picks in a trade, I'd rather send them to Houston for Asik.

I hear you... but do you really believe Asik would have more of an impact on this team than Pau Gasol this year?  Serious question... do you?  I'm not high on Asik.   Is 27 year old Asik a more impactful player than 33 year old Pau Gasol?

[JSD]

Lakers have already made it clear this week that they want to  maintain enough cap room to bring in a max free agent.

[action781]

With a logjam at SG in Kobe, Young, and Meeks, I don't see them having any interest in Courtney Lee.  I also don't see them wanting to take on any long term salary.  They have room for a max free agent in a potentially loaded offseason.

I also don't really want to help LA out of the hole they've dug themselves by gifting them some draft picks.  I'd only be willing to send them a pick or 2 if they take Gerald Wallace - which I find unlikely.

[LarBrd33]

Lakers have already made it clear this week that they want to  maintain enough cap room to bring in a max free agent.

I thought with the extension of Kobe and Nash still on the books they wouldn't have any cap space.  Clearly that was media hysteria.  It looks like you're right... now that I look at their cap situation, it looks like they could let Pau expire and free up some cap space.

Forget it.  Close the thread.  Lakers are signing LeBron this summer.

[LooseCannon]

If you're going to burn two picks in a trade, I'd rather send them to Houston for Asik.

I hear you... but do you really believe Asik would have more of an impact on this team than Pau Gasol this year?  Serious question... do you?  I'm not high on Asik.   Is 27 year old Asik a more impactful player than 33 year old Pau Gasol?

I am thinking about next season.  With Asik, I can see the Celtics being a top five defense and an above-average rebounding team.  I believe that Stevens has a shot at massaging an average offense out of a team that can do that.  If he can do that, I don't see how that team isn't at least a fringe contender with a legitimate shot of upsetting a couple of favorites.

The Celtics are multiple players away from contention, but I think that getting Asik now and having a good off-season for free agency and/or trades could put the Celtics in position to contend for 2014-2015.

Asik will be a highly motivated player who wants to prove Houston wrong and earn his next contract.  Given a starting job somewhere, I wouldn't be shocked if he had a season where he is a top three rebounder who is in the conversation for DPOY.

[freshinthehouse]

I see where you're going with this, but mediocre playoff team or not I don't see the point of getting half a season of Gasol, especially if we have to give up first round picks to do it.

This.  Trading picks for a 30something Pau is counterproductive.  All Pau does is possibly get us into the 2nd round so we can get blasted by Indy or Miami.  And even if those picks are are mid first rounders, Ainge has shown he can get talent outside the lottery.  He might not score a franchise-changing talent, but he has shown in the past that he can package young potential for that franchise-changing superstar.

Also, I still think our pick ends up in the top 10.  Call it a hunch.

[LarBrd33]

I see where you're going with this, but mediocre playoff team or not I don't see the point of getting half a season of Gasol, especially if we have to give up first round picks to do it.

I'm all for trades to better this team as I'm pretty convinced tanking is out of the question at this point as well, but I don't think this ones worth it... I'd rather try to get players that can better the team for the long run

This.  Trading picks for a 30something Pau is counterproductive.  All Pau does is possibly get us into the 2nd round so we can get blasted by Indy or Miami.  And even if those picks are are mid first rounders, Ainge has shown he can get talent outside the lottery.  He might not score a franchise-changing talent, but he has shown in the past that he can package young potential for that franchise-changing superstar.

Also, I still think our pick ends up in the top 10.  Call it a hunch.

... Our picks are currently projected 19th and 20th.  If you think our pick ends up in the Top 10, you must expect this team to plummet very soon.  We'd have to miss the playoffs. 

[LarBrd33]

If you're going to burn two picks in a trade, I'd rather send them to Houston for Asik.

I hear you... but do you really believe Asik would have more of an impact on this team than Pau Gasol this year?  Serious question... do you?  I'm not high on Asik.   Is 27 year old Asik a more impactful player than 33 year old Pau Gasol?

I am thinking about next season.  With Asik, I can see the Celtics being a top five defense and an above-average rebounding team.  I believe that Stevens has a shot at massaging an average offense out of a team that can do that.  If he can do that, I don't see how that team isn't at least a fringe contender with a legitimate shot of upsetting a couple of favorites.

The Celtics are multiple players away from contention, but I think that getting Asik now and having a good off-season for free agency and/or trades could put the Celtics in position to contend for 2014-2015.

Asik will be a highly motivated player who wants to prove Houston wrong and earn his next contract.  Given a starting job somewhere, I wouldn't be shocked if he had a season where he is a top three rebounder who is in the conversation for DPOY.

Our offense is already pretty weak.  Who scores the buckets when you replace Crawford and Bass in the lineup with Rondo and Asik?   Should improve our defense, but man... Stevens will have to get really creative for the team to score any points.

[freshinthehouse]

... Our picks are currently projected 19th and 20th.  If you think our pick ends up in the Top 10, you must expect this team to plummet very soon.  We'd have to miss the playoffs.

I'd still bet money that we miss the playoffs.  I think ainge is going to make enough chemistry-altering trades this year that we are going to go on the schnide around mid-season.

[PhoSita]

No.

It goes against every principle of rebuilding I believe in to trade 1st round picks just to get a 33 year old former All-Star who will only solidify the Celtics as a clear 3rd best behind two far, far superior teams in the conference this season and next.

Plus, with all of Pau's injury issues recently, I'm not even sure you could rely on him to improve the team.

Trading for Asik makes more sense -- at least he's younger and could stick around for longer.  But I don't like that idea, either.

[j804]

Did you last see him play against us in the 2010 Finals? Lol