The Los Angeles Lakers were pointing fingers at just about everyone to take the blame for missing a chance at another championship after the Thunder knocked the Lakers out of the postseason. Los Angeles is not a patient city, so you can bet all the guys taking flack for not stepping up during the playoffs will most likely be headed elsewhere.
Guys like Andrew Bynum are probably already looking forward to their next opportunity, a chance to prove themselves outside the shadow of Kobe Bryant. But then there are guys like Pau Gasol, guys that are up there in age, who may not want to start over with a new team.
Well, according to the New York Daily News, Gasol may not have a choice.
“The Lakers are committed to moving Pau Gasol — the fall guy for their second-round ouster against the Thunder and previous playoff failures — even if they have to take back less talent.”
Pretty harsh words for a guy who helped get the Lakers to three NBA Finals appearances and two NBA titles. But I guess L.A. is really a “what have you done for me lately?” kind of town.
Gasol will be 32 at the start of next season and his stock has fallen in the last few years, but no matter what anyone says, he is still a quality big man in a league where that commodity is hard to come by. I would imagine the Lakers will see a good amount of offers from teams hoping to capitalize on their urgency to unload Gasol.
The New York Daily News went on to say the Memphis Grizzlies may have an interest in picking up Gasol and pairing him with his brother Marc. I have also heard that the Dallas Mavericks might consider Gasol as a consolation prize if they cannott win the Dwight Howard sweepstakes.
Like I said, good quality big men are hard to find these days. A couple teams could find a good use for a solid 7-footer like Pau Gasol. Once he gets out of L.A. we may finally get a good idea of the kind of player he really is.
