As we move closer to the March 15th NBA trade deadline, expect more and more of these stories to surface. According to Chris Tommason from Fox Sports the Minnesota Timberwolves have expressed interest in trading for Lakers F Pau Gasol.
…a source said Wednesday that Minnesota continues to pursue a possible trade for Lakers forward Pau Gasol, dangling rookie Derrick Williams, who is from the Los Angeles area, and draft choices. The only players considered untouchable by the Timberwolves, who are seeking to add a veteran by the trade deadline, are Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio.
Williams is a promising young prospect out of La Mirada high school in southern california and has shown flashes in limited minutes for the T-Wolves this season. But as our friend Kurt Helin from Pro Basketball Talk points out, this would be a move more in the vein of a team that is rebuilding, not one that sees itself as a championship contender.
For the Lakers to consummate any deal with the Timberwolves, one would have to assume that the talks would begin and end with Kevin Love, who just signed a contract extension to remain in Minnesota. Since the “source” tabbed Love as untouchable, I would categorize this rumor along with the 5,000 others that we will all hear about in the next month that nothing will ever come of.
Although, one thing to keep in mind is that with higher luxury tax penalties levied against teams significantly over the cap, one can’t discount the fact that Gasol is owed nearly $40 million over the next two seasons. So to think that the Lakers wouldn’t be interested in moving him for multiple players to add depth, and be more financially efficient with the roster would be a mistake as well. Of course the major caveat of that is, it has to be the right package of players, and something tells me Derrick Williams, a few mediocre throw-ins and a collection of draft picks wouldn’t come close to cutting it.
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