☆Official Pau Gasol Thread: Pau Gasol Appreciation Thread

[dd24]

He actually has tons of leverage or at least more than you think... First he's not working out for teams which usually includes a brief medical exam/discussion so a lot of teams will be hesitant to pull the trigger on a player that they can't get a good look at.

He has a big time agent in Pelinka that teams are wary about going to war with

Draft picks have become the new gold standard teams are not going to burn one if there's even the slightest chance there could be a hiccup, even less of a chance they gamble when there's a draft with as much talent as this one has...

If Exum was like the only good player or one of two then a team might take a flyer at him because there's nothing to lose but when you take a chance on a guy you can't work out or interview over a player that has the same amount of talent that's just bad basketball

I disagree about drafting a player that hasn't worked out for you. Teams do this all the time. These teams have already scouted these players a ton before the individual workouts. They've seen all kinds of tape. Seeing the players in real games is what makes the difference. Teams will often times not bring in a player for a workout so other teams will think they aren't interested. It's a tactic that gets used every year. When was the last time a lottery pick of that caliber decided he wasn't going to play for the team that drafted him? Even Ricky Rubio, who very publicly wanted to go to a place like NY and really didn't like Minnesota ended up playing there.

[DKLaker]

I disagree about drafting a player that hasn't worked out for you. Teams do this all the time. These teams have already scouted these players a ton before the individual workouts. They've seen all kinds of tape. Seeing the players in real games is what makes the difference. Teams will often times not bring in a player for a workout so other teams will think they aren't interested. It's a tactic that gets used every year. When was the last time a lottery pick of that caliber decided he wasn't going to play for the team that drafted him? Even Ricky Rubio, who very publicly wanted to go to a place like NY and really didn't like Minnesota ended up playing there.

Exactly....you beat me to it

[DKLaker]

I think it was dumb for Phoenix to not do that deal and give up one of those picks.

In a deep draft, that pick they didn't give up could turn out to be a Derek Fisher, you know, the guy who went late in the same draft as Kobe, Iverson, Nash etc. It's not like Pau was going to lead them to a championship or anything.

[dd24]

In a deep draft, that pick they didn't give up could turn out to be a Derek Fisher, you know, the guy who went late in the same draft as Kobe, Iverson, Nash etc. It's not like Pau was going to lead them to a championship or anything.

It's not like Fisher as a rookie would either. Pau would have made that team better for sure. Plus having 3 first rounders is just too many anyway. I don't think any team wants three more guaranteed contracts immediately added to it's current roster. They should have gave one up. Maybe if Pau left them they could have signed and traded him to that team. Now he's probably going to walk for nothing.

[gts]

They obviously didn't want Pau... can't blame them.. he wasn't himself until well after the trade deadline, there's no guarantee he'd stay there and if they want to make a run at him in the offseason he'd certainly come cheaper...

Besides that, draft picks are too valuable now, more so this year with the depth of the upcoming draft and then there's the fact the Suns are a young guard oriented team, they play fast and loose... I can easily understand why an aging big man who's been fighting those niggling injuries (going into his final couple seasons most likely) wouldn't fit in their long term plans

The way things are you only take those types of contracts or players on if they get you over the hump to a shot at the WCFs, you don't make that move just to eek into the playoffs that would have you looking down the barrel of a first round exit...

[Lakers91]

He actually has tons of leverage or at least more than you think... First he's not working out for teams which usually includes a brief medical exam/discussion so a lot of teams will be hesitant to pull the trigger on a player that they can't get a good look at.

He has a big time agent in Pelinka that teams are wary about going to war with

Draft picks have become the new gold standard teams are not going to burn one if there's even the slightest chance there could be a hiccup, even less of a chance they gamble when there's a draft with as much talent as this one has...

If Exum was like the only good player or one of two then a team might take a flyer at him because there's nothing to lose but when you take a chance on a guy you can't work out or interview over a player that has the same amount of talent that's just bad basketball

Good post (couldn't think of a more appropriate emoticon doesn't appear to be a thumbs up here haha), don't think we've been introduced but please post more

[GimmeThat]

It's true, if we had a young superstar, who won't complain to us that we must win within the next 2 years, yea, draft picks are very valuable.

Which, we don't.


Why would teams give up picks for players like Pau if they can't attract young superstars on the first place?


I'm a Lakers.

[$LakerGold]

Last call - Keep him?

[Mgamer20o0]

for the right price.

[DKLaker]

for the right price.

Let's hear what you and others call the "Right Price"
Given what we are already paying Kobe and Nash, plus his age and lack of health, I wouldn't give him more than 2 years at $3mil per yr.
Gotta have room to sign more players and somebody has to pay the price for Kobe's bloated contract.

[lakerfreak]

Let's hear what you and others call the "Right Price"
Given what we are already paying Kobe and Nash, plus his age and lack of health, I wouldn't give him more than 2 years at $3mil per yr.
Gotta have room to sign more players and somebody has to pay the price for Kobe's bloated contract.

Or we could find someone to take Nash's expirer. No big man as good as Pau, even if they are soft, would take less than 9 million per year.

The better question is, who is out there that is 1) available, and 2) more serviceable than Pau?

[DKLaker]

Or we could find someone to take Nash's expirer. No big man as good as Pau, even if they are soft, would take less than 9 million per year.

The better question is, who is out there that is 1) available, and 2) more serviceable than Pau?

Pau = our next Steve Nash situation....talent doesn't matter if you can't get on the court. How many injured guys can we afford???

[lakerfreak]

Pau = our next Steve Nash situation....talent doesn't matter if you can't get on the court. How many injured guys can we afford???

Was that really the situation for Pau? I felt that Pau was one of our more available players relatively speaking. The injury bug for us last year was terrible so maybe he seemed pretty good compared to others.

Nash on the other hand was getting hurt running out on the court from the bench. As much as he was great back in the day, he probably should have retired before we traded for him.

[D-Rose]

I don't think he wants it anymore, considering all the abuse and disrespect he's taken from us. If the money is elsewhere, I think he leaves.

[Lakers91]

I don't think he wants it anymore, considering all the abuse and disrespect he's taken from us. If the money is elsewhere, I think he leaves.

I think he'd feel most at home or comfortable back in Memphis playing with his brother Marc, would be a bit of a situation having to juggle the minutes between the two Gasol's and Randolph but for a coach it's a good decision to have to make picking between those 3 players, there'd be a fair few I imagine would be interested, I think its in Pau's best interests to leave after all he's copped I think he's emotionally drained from here, sometimes when he was playing he looked very sad and almost depressed so I think he needs to go elsewhere for his own sake, at the right price I'd love for him to stay but for him I think his best situation is with his brother.