Rumors for a Pau trade in spanish newspaper

[LordBaldric]

Pau is also playing like he doesn't give a **** this season.

[Klomp]

Fueling the fire even more?

Darren Wolfson ‏@DarrenWolfson

Nope. More on this later in week. “@twolves_groupie: @DarrenWolfson would u be surprised if Kahn was calling on pau? I wouldn't be...”

[Klomp]

If I had to guess, I'd say something with this structure:

MIN Out: Derrick Williams
MIN In: Pau Gasol

ATL Out: Josh Smith
ATL In: Derrick Williams

LAL Out: Pau Gasol
LAL In: Josh Smith

Obviously a lot more salary would need to be sent out on our end.

[Klomp]

I understand the reluctance to choose Pau over Nikola. I get it.

However, it makes sense, especially when looking at the current salary structure of our roster.

Gasol's current deal expires after next season, 2013-14. As it stands now, there are only 5 players who would be on the books for 2014-15: Love, Williams, Barea, Rubio, Shved. Love and Rubio are untouchable this point and Shved is a wild card, but Williams and Barea would likely be included in any Gasol trade.

The summer of 2014 is a very important summer for this franchise. It will determine the path this franchise will take through the remainder of the decade. Not only is it the summer that Rubio can sign his first extension, but it is also the offseason before Love can opt out of his deal. Gasol is a win-now piece who brings an ideal skillset to the Adelman system at the center position.

If we acquired Gasol for a two-year run and were successful enough, it may be enough to keep Kevin around another 4-5 years. If Love decides not to re-up, we ship him out that summer for young prospects and picks, and rebuild with virtually no negatives on the salary cap. With a ownership change in the works, that is huge.

Pekovic will likely get a near max deal, as much as fans don't want to admit it. Are we willing to pay that much ($12m) if we are going through a rebuilding phase? I guess I'd be surprised. I like Pekovic, but it'd be like the Al Jefferson contract all over again.

I know people want to choose Pekovic over Gasol for youth and potential, but that may not be what's best for this franchise in the longterm.

[AQuintus]

Obviously a lot more salary would need to be sent out on our end.

And that's a big problem with this trade.

Pau = 19 million even, so the total amount leaving the Wolves would have to be at least 14 million

Williams = 4.8 million

Roy's expiring = 5.1 million and can't be moved until Dec. 15

Ridnour = 4 million

Barea = 4.49 million

Pekovic (more valuable than Pau) = 4.83 million

Total (Williams, Roy, Ridnour) = 13.9 (not quite enough)
Total (Williams, Roy, Barea) = 14.8 (enough) <- This would pretty much have to be the trade on our end, since we'd still need Pek to get us a SG in a trade. This would also push us very close to the luxury tax.

There is also the big problem of Josh Smith being more valuable than Pau and Williams and the Lakers don't have any decent assets to make up the difference.

[AQuintus]

Pekovic will likely get a near max deal, as much as fans don't want to admit it. Are we willing to pay that much ($12m) if we are going through a rebuilding phase? I guess I'd be surprised. I like Pekovic, but it'd be like the Al Jefferson contract all over again.

I'd take a 12 million a year, 26 year old, improving Nikola Pekovic 1 million times out of a million over a 19 million a year, 32 year old, regressing Pau Gasol. It's not even something that warrants any kind of thought or consideration it's so obvious a choice.

[Klomp]

Pekovic will likely get a near max deal, as much as fans don't want to admit it. Are we willing to pay that much ($12m) if we are going through a rebuilding phase? I guess I'd be surprised. I like Pekovic, but it'd be like the Al Jefferson contract all over again.

I'd take a 12 million a year, 26 year old, improving Nikola Pekovic 1 million times out of a million over a 19 million a year, 32 year old, regressing Pau Gasol. It's not even something that warrants any kind of thought or consideration it's so obvious a choice.

But is he improving though? I'm not just talking about early this season, I'm projecting out longterm. Offensively, he is what he is. There's not much more development. He'll never be a threat on the perimeter, and he'll never be as good a passer as Gasol. I appreciate the improvements that he's made on the defensive end, but I'm still not convinced he'd be worth such a large contract. Even though Gasol is getting older, he still has his length. Pekovic doesn't.

As an interesting point of reference, Pau Gasol is roughly the same age as Vlade Divac was when he signed in Sacramento. Also, at that point, Chris Webber was roughly the same age that Kevin Love is now. They played six years together.

The 19m number is a concern, I get that. But its only on the books for one more season. After that, he could probably be resigned for half of what Pekovic will be making.

[The J Rocka]

I agree that what we've seen from Pek is pretty much what we may very well see for the rest of his career. I don't see any major jump in improvement. I think he is what he is.

Question is, is that worth a max? I honestly don't think so, but it's going to happen regardless. I'm also concerned about his durability down the road.

With Gasol, I think he does fit here. $20 mil in his 12th season looking like he's on the decline is a tough pill to swallow but if he's decent here, maybe he will be re-signed for half of what Pek could potentially make when his contract is up? Maybe he just needs a change of scenery?

What happens if Pau is complete trash and we need a franchise center again? We just moved Pek and we have to start all over again? I guess we would have the money to spend in FA to go after somebody like Gortat but nothing is certain.

I'm glad I don't have to make a decision like this. A lot of question from both sides.

[AQuintus]

For me, it really comes down to a simple equation.

Is Pekovic at 12 million a year (his contract will likely be less, imo) + whatever we can trade Williams and Ridnour for > Pau Gasol at 19 million a year + whatever we can trade Pekovic for*.

If the answer is yes, then we trade for Pau. If no, then we don't.

* Pekovic in any Gasol trade is a complete non-starter.

[shrink]

Do you ever feel like if something is repeated often enough by the media in a major market, people start to believe it?

Pau Gasol is exactly the opposite of the direction MIN needs to go, wasting assets to fix a problem that doesn't exist, while MIN starts free agent reject Josh Howard at SG.

Gasol is:

- ultra-expensive - for two years!
- quite old
- having a bad season now
- declining
- plays a position we don't need
- some of his offensive skills duplicate our best player
- would be unhappy to be here
- would require assets to acquire, despite being massively overpaid

Which of those fit the Wolves?

Shipping off Gasol before the new lux tax hits would be a giant win for LA, but this feels like they are trying to foist him on us without any concern whatsoever for how he fits with this team.

[sisibilio]

What if you could add Gasol without giving up anything but some depth and keep the team under the luxury?

It's a bit complicated but hey, i guess it works.

LAL out: Gasol, Meeks
LAL in: Williams, Ridnour, Roy

Min out: Williams, Ridnour, Roy, Barea
Min in :Gasol, Meeks

Hou out: 11.7% of Harden's facial hair
Hou in: Barea

You'd still have enough cap next season to re-sign Pek and Budinger, get your shooter (not a great player but still an upgrade over Lee) and Shved can back up both G positions (he's already the de facto PG when he is out anyway).

[Mattya]

It doesn't make sense to me to keep Pek if Pau is coming in. Any trade with that happening means we probably won't resign Pek.

[[RCG]]

Even more complicated:
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=c6ruk2s
-sign a vet min PG

Rubio/Shved/VetMin/Lee
Beal/Shved/(Budinger)/Lee
Kirlenko/(Budinger)Howard/Cunningham
Love/Gasol/Cunninham/Amundson
Gasol/Stiemsma

[C.lupus]

One terrible trade after another. There is not a good Pau trade because he doesn't fit on this team.

[cpfsf]

Gasol used to be better than Pek. Pek has been more productive this year. I just don't know how much Gasol has left in the tank. The age and salary difference make it not worth the risk.

Not to mention trading half the team to make it work. The only way I could see him playing in Minnesota is if he accepts the MLE.

Quick, trade for Calderon now. There's no time to explain!

[m2002brian]

Can someone tell me, who is the Miami Heats "franchise center"?

The center position is not nearly as big of a deal as it is being made out to be on in this thread.

I'm not for Pau, but Pek isn't nearly as important as it seems some people are making it out to be.

[sisibilio]

It doesn't make sense to me to keep Pek if Pau is coming in. Any trade with that happening means we probably won't resign Pek.

I don't see why.
If you include Williams, Barea and Ridnour in the deal and assuming Roy and Stiemsma will be gone in the summer you can afford both.

Minute distribution this season:

Rubio (33) / Shved (10) / VetMin-Lee (5)
Meeks (20) / Shved (20) / Lee (8)
Kirlenko (35) / Howard (10) / Cunningham (3)
Love (35) / Gasol(10) / Cunningham (3) / Amundson
Gasol (20) / Pekovic (28) / Stiemsma

Once Budinger is back he'll take all the minutes of Lee-Howard and some of Shved-Meeks in the SG position and you'd be able to rest AK some more.
Not saying that it's likely or anything but it could work, and you would be a much more dangerous team, i don't think anyone can doubt that.

[FinnTheHuman]

Pau is not as good as Pek for our team. You are all glorifying Pau's diversity. Well, we don't need diversity, we need a good role player which Pek is, in all his greatness. We already have a diverse big, and that's Love.

[LaViggins]

I would want Pau, but its not worth giving up Pek.

It would be insane to see these 5 on the court at the same time

Rubio
Shved
Love
Pau
Pek

[funkatron101]

I would want Pau, but its not worth giving up Pek.

It would be insane to see these 5 on the court at the same time

Rubio
Shved
Love
Pau
Pek

Love is not quick or agile enough to guard the 3.