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I think we need to try to get Pau Gasol

Utah IN: Pau Gasol

Utah OUT: Any one of the following, with most preferred first with each big as options: Al Jefferson/Raja, Al Jefferson/Raja/Tinsley, Al Jefferson/Foye/Raja if needed. Millsap/Marvin/Raja, Millsap/Marvin/Foye/Raja, Millsap/Mo/Raja.

Why? I believe at 32 Pau Gasol has 5-6 good years left, maybe even 2 or 3 or 4 elite years left. Why has his productions fallen off the past 2.25 seasons since their championship. The lakers board explains this best, here is their summation from their Salt City Hoops or SLCDunk equivalent informed fans: Pau Gasol was ALL WORLD as a Center. He is a Center and since Bynum finally became healthy and had to be played Pau was taken away from the basket and put as a PF out of position and thus his FG% went down, touches went down as he was playing out of position. It would be for us like trying to play Randy Foye as a PG, you just lose all the good aspects of their game when you make them play a different position. Lakers fans contend that their championship runs that were successful and best lineups came when Gasol/Odom matched up.

Why continued: I think once put back in the low post as a center he will go right back to 19/10 and perhaps much much better. Remember Gasol was 19/10 with Kobe chucking. He would become the focal point of our offense and would thrive unlike any player in the post for the Jazz since Malone and since he is one of the best passers in the league he will be much better than anything Millsap or Jefferson will give us over the next 4 years.

Why continued: Do we really want to sign Al for 4/$56M and give in to mediocrity? Same with Millsap. We have to choose between the 2 and I choose neither if the cost for Al is 4 years at anything from 10-14 which is what he will get. Millsap, I think is an 3/$25M player and he should have accepted that deal offered to him in the off season, but if he breaks out of his slump someone will give him $9-$12M per for 4 years. I don't want that. It locks 0us into mediocrity.

Why...: Pau gives us one more year to see if the young guns are going to be able to take over. If Pau is finished well fine.... don't re up or extend him after next season.

My plan and the upside and options I see:

#1 Pau returns to all world C status and by the off season every team in the league is offering us high lottery picks and players for him: Say Toronto ends up 1-3 and offers their pick, a future pick, and any player you want. Well if we kept Millsap and can resign him to a better contract and Favors and Kanter showed enough promise would we take the picks and Derozen (or some other team and picks and players) and run with that?

#2 Pau returns to all star level and loves being the focal point of an offense and the new found respect, and he sees all the young pieces and picks the Jazz have and he says to himself, I am only 32, and I can lead this young and talented team to the promised land and so he starts to plan for a 3yr/36-42M extension with the Jazz. We go forward and don't resign Millsap and commit to a Gasol/Favors/Kanter rotation of bigs because the rest of this year those three prove to be ready.

#3 Pau is very good the rest of this year but the jury is out on him wanting to stay long term and if we want to keep him long term. The best time to flip him will be at the draft, and if we do we offer contracts to anyone of our choosing: Jefferson, Millsap, West to pair with Favors/Kanter/ and picks. I think if Toronto keeps their pick that is entirely possible. I could see Washington sending us a number 2 or 3 or 4 pick along with a Beal or that SF they drafted last year that we all like from Florida St as long as we took on the last year of Okafor or something for Gasol.

#4 Most importantly we don't give in to the mediocre future of a big 4 year deal to the mediocre Jefferson/or Millsap. Don't get me wrong I like both players but contracts length and size matter now more than ever in this league. If Al Jefferson or Millsap are your highest paid players or close to, you are a destined to a 6-10 finish in the west.

Pau Gives us upside and time and prevents us from making the mistake of a long term contract to Millsap or Jefferson.

#5 My most likely scenario with a Pau trade: Pau comes in and returns to All Star status, having just shipped out our best player in Jefferson we are implicitly telling Millsap that next year Gasol and Favors are starting so why continue the sharade with Millsap. and just put him as the back up PF and make him earn his contract from the bench. Millsap is the leagues best 3rd big. Millsap will either bolt in free agency somewhere so he can be a starter, and if he finds the offers to be to small for his liking he can give into being the leagues 6th man frontrunner each year, accept his fate and his role and resign with the Jazz for 3/$21-25M. Then we try to extend Pau to a good deal if he is playing well and move forward, or we trade him for great picks and talent because we get to sell high on a super talented C asset in a contract year.

2013 Lineups w and w/out Pau:

Mo/Watson (Hopefully we get a PG in the draft with the GSW pick... Marcus Smart)
Burks/Foye
Hayward/Carrol (Williams opts out and we move on)
Favors/Millsap
Gasol/Kanter

or

Marcus Smart (drafted w/ Gasol trade)/ Watson
Burks/Foye
Hayward/Carrol
Millsap/Kanter
Favors/Pick Big with GSW pick Kansas Center Wiffy for shot blocking

Gasol gives us serious options and upside, and prevents us from locking in a mediocre team with a large contract to non star players like Jefferson/Millsap.

DON'T GIVE IN TO MEDIOCRITY!
 
I dont want pau
 
Why? Who else can the Jazz get? Think about it: Pau Gasol is only 32. He doesn't depend on jumping or speed for his success, for Pau it is skill and size. He is Tim Duncan as a professional and skill level on both the offensive end and defensive end. Why has their been drama about him and why is he available: Kobe Bryant provides the drama. He is available because with all the tax implications he would cost the Lakers $60 M and they need depth... they can't compete going 5 deep. They want to resign Howard and Gasol plays his position. Why have his stats not been up? Kobe, Kobe, Kobe, and Bynum/Howard.
 
No matter what the trade is. Lakers will not take Jefferson. No way he works in that offense.

They will want Millsap & Bell. And we need a 3rd team to trade Jefferson to that has a starting SF for the Lakers.

Only way it happens.
 
I don't think it will take Jefferson/Millsap. The Lakers are the sellers here, they are the ones with a player whose value is down because they are playing him out of position. The lakers are the ones that will have to pay $60M in fees and contract to Gasol. The entire league knows his value is down, that they have to unload his contract, but yet if they want to take care of it this season they need some value in return but they also need to unload Gasol before they resign Howard. They can resign Howard don't get me wrong but once they do the leagues offers will come down because then they know it is a fire sale to save money.

In a way I think the Lakers would be wise to not trade him and make sure that they can resign Howard because they could be without both. But I think they have to make sure they get something of Value now, and Gasol is more valuable now when he has 1.75 seasons left on his contract.

But would I give up both Millsap/Jefferson.... probably but I think it is too much so I think that would be in a 3 team scenario.

Like this:

UT Out: Millsap/Jefferson/Raja/Foye
UT IN: Pau Gasol/ Chandler Parsons/ Cook

Hou Out: Parsons/ Jones/ Cook
Hou In: Jefferson

LAL Out: Gasol
LAL In: Millsap/Foye/Raja/T Jones
 
I'd take Pau right now. I'd even throw in a second round pick with Jefferson/Bell to get it done.

Pau at least moves the ball. Getting decent ball movement will do wonders for Favors and Kanter's development.
 
Lakers would want a first round pick to start and why would Lakers even consider Jefferson.
He plays a similar but far worse game than Howard.
Would just get in Howards way.
 
Lakers would want a first round pick to start and why would Lakers even consider Jefferson.
He plays a similar but far worse game than Howard.
Would just get in Howards way.

He would come off the bench and Jamison or Millsap would start.
 
I'd take Pau right now. I'd even throw in a second round pick with Jefferson/Bell to get it done.

Pau at least moves the ball. Getting decent ball movement will do wonders for Favors and Kanter's development.

Exactly, one of the best bigs ever done it, but his knees that what worries me. He don't have that quickness he used to have that made him a great post up player and thats limiting his offensive game. And he is getting softer deffensively, with every passing year.
 
Exactly, one of the best bigs ever done it, but his knees that what worries me. He don't have that quickness he used to have that made him a great post up player and thats limiting his offensive game. And he is getting softer deffensively, with every passing year.

I can completely understand this concern. It doesn't concern me for two reasons:

He will basically be a rental for a year and a half.
He will free up time for the young guys and we will know if they have what it takes to get it done.

If his knees do give out then Kanter and Favors will be forced to step up. On the positive side of things, Pau's ability to pass the ball and take advantage of cutters will help every player on the Jazz with the exception of Jefferson who will have to be shipped out in order to make the trade work. Watching Kanter last night and seeing Favors, Hayward, both Williams, Carroll, Foye and others move without the ball, I am convinced that Jefferson is really hurting the Jazz right now. In fact, Millsap is starting to do the same thing.
 
Lakers would want a first round pick to start and why would Lakers even consider Jefferson.
He plays a similar but far worse game than Howard.
Would just get in Howards way.

Jeffy plays NOTHING like Howard on either end of the floor.
 
LA isn't going to trade Gasol away for a center. Especially one who's D is as bad as Big Al's. Although the idea makes sense to get Gasol for jefferson it won't happen. Jefferson's gets paid too much to come off of the bench
 
LA isn't going to trade Gasol away for a center. Especially one who's D is as bad as Big Al's. Although the idea makes sense to get Gasol for jefferson it won't happen. Jefferson's gets paid too much to come off of the bench

Jefferson gets paid too much even as a stater.
 
If we would have had Gasol the last couple years of Stockton and Malone, we would have destroyed the Bulls and anyone else!
 
I'd take Pau in a deal that cost us both Al and Paul AS LONG AS we got a pick too. (This is obviously a 3-team trade. The third team takes Al, and sends something to the Lakers. either them or the Lakers sends a pick to us. If its a pick in the 20s, then I want a young backup PG, too).
 
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