Cager

I think that is exactly why Memphis should not trade Gasol. They have a great shot at getting a stud in the draft. You can always add some veteran role players to complement what you have. Pau is only 26 years old.

MikeDC

The most I can see is that we'd give up
* Deng and Thabo or pick
* Noc, Thabo and pick
* Thomas and Thabo or pick

I can see us perhaps taking back Cardinal or Stoudamire but I'm not sure about it. If we take back one of those guys, especially Cardinal, there's small chance we re-sign Noc, so we've got another hole to fill.

Anything more than those deals and I really don't see how it makes sense for us because we're giving up so many assets that it'd be hard for us to make it up in the long-run.

I don't think any of those deals except the first one makes sense for Memphis, and that's only if we take back one of your iffy contracts. That'd give you guys a nice return for Gasol. You get more cap space as well as probably 5 of your top 6 guys in the long-run set (Lowry, Gay, Deng, Miller, Thabo) but stay bad enough in the short-run that Oden, Durant, or Noah are likely to be the sixth guy. That's a heck of a rebuilding option, especially when you consider you'll probably be under the cap this summer.

If I were a Memphis fan, I'd not want Thomas. He's given me the impression that he might not handle losing very well, and I wouldn't take that chance as a centrepiece of trading my best player.

And our pick seems to be in the 8-15 range probably, which is certainly nice, but if someone offered me two picks in the teens and Noc for Gasol, I'd probably say no.

Thing is, Gasol can complain, but winning cures all ills. And good teammates help winning. Next season they will get immediate help in the form of a high draft pick in a deep draft and the return of Lowry. Unless the deal is right, I'd just let him ***** for the rest of the season.

Bottom line deal from the Bulls is Deng and Thabo.

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MikeDC

Supposely the Celts are the front runners with the Bullsin secon to get Pau.

As a Bulls fan. I think Boston probably is the front runner. They could give up Jefferson and a couple of picks. I wouldn't trade Deng or Gordon for Jefferson I don't think, but he ain't no bum either.

The other thing is Theo Ratliff's contract. It's not expiring, but he's basically done through injury and insurance is paying 80% of the $17M or so he's owed the rest of this year and next. That means the actual tab for the Grizzlies would only be about $3.4M, spread out over this season and next. If they get Brown, they'd have to pay about $4M over the rest of this year.

So all things considered, getting Ratliff is probably as good, if not a better deal than getting Brown.

The Celtics' pick is currently tracking at #3, but it'd surely drop assuming they got Gasol. Still, it'd probably not be much worse off than the mid-teens even with the Celts' horrenous start.

I wouldn't be incredibly surprised if Ainge would take back one of their bad contracts either. I mean, he doesn't seem too averse to doing things like that.

And the Celts have (or ought to have) extreme desperation on their side. I wouln't be surprised to see a deal get done.

Celtics tade:
Ratliff, Scalabrine, Jefferson, Telfair, pick
Grizzlies trade:
Gasol, Cardinal, Stoudamire, Kinsey

The Celts made a run at it with:
1- Stoudamire, Rondo
2- Pierce, West
3- Wally, Green
4- Gasol, Cardinal
5- Perkins, Kandi

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transplant

Hi gang. I'm a Bulls fan. Just visiting.

On the Bulls' board, talk about getting Gasol in a Bulls' uni has been hot and heavy. The original rumor was Gasol for Ben Gordon, Luol Deng and PJ Brown (expiring $8MM contract). Bulls' GM John Paxson, as well as the Bulls' board dumped all over that one. I agree. While you probably haven't seen it, Gordon has become a total stud this season. He's gone from being a special talent to being a special player. Deng's progress hasn't been quite as spectacular as Gordon's, but it's been impressive. He's a 18-7 guy now and he's only 21. He is not, however, a "WOW" player. He's much more of a hard-working guy than an "athletic freak."

As good as Gasol is, and I think he's VERY good, he's not worth Gordon and Gasol...ain't happening.

Gasol is probably worth Gordon, but Bulls' fans overwhelmingly don't think so. Gordon, with his 25+ ppg performances is quickly becoming "untouchable" in Bulls fans minds. As good as Gordon is (and he is VERY good), if I'm West, I don't trade Gasol for Gordon and Brown's expiring contract. I'm old school...never trade big for small unless there's a significant talent difference (there isn't).

Deng is a wonderful young basketball player, but he's not an exciting basketball player. He needs very good players around him to make him very good. He could be an all star some day, but maybe not. IMO, he's not good enough to be the centerpiece in a trade that brings Gasol to Chicago, but as a Chicago fan, I wouldn't mind seeing this happen.

Some Bulls fans would like to get Gasol for Andres Nocioni (a crowd favorite...total hustle guy who can make the open 3), Chris Duhon (heady 6-0 PG) and Brown's expiring contract. I can't see West doing this and he shouldn't. Gasol's worth a lot more.

My advice to West and Grizz fans is to hold on to Gasol. The worst trade in the post-dynasty Bulls history sent a young, NBA-proven big man (Elton Brand) for the rights to draft a "freakish talent" in Tyson Chandler. It set the program back 4 years.

The Grizz obviously are going through a tough time right now. Even if Gasol wants to leave, keep him unless some team truly makes an "offer you can't refuse." Young 7-footers who can do it all aren'y very easy to replace.

Good luck.

Ballscientist

What did the Nuggets offer you?

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vincedunkedonzo2

What about RJ and Kristic for Gasol and a 2nd rounder.

Cager

Since we don't know what the real communication has been between Gasol and West or what Memphis management thinks will happen to Gasol's motivation if they struggle next year also, we can only speculate. It is pretty clear that teams rarely get fair value, in current terms, when they trade a quality big man. If Memphis believes that keeping Gasol long term is not a viable option, then it is unlikely they can get as much for him as they can before this trading deadline. Trading him now would offer them the opportunity to get cap relief ( i.e. dumping someone in addition to Gasol), a young high potential player and a lottery draft pick. If Memphis waits, they may be able to get a higher quality player but they will lose the addirional cap relief benefit as well as a likely lottery pick. If you look at expiring contracts ( defined as someone you probably wouldn't resign) in 2008 , you'll see that there is nothing significant there. So the trade needs to be made now. The best trade option I see is trying to get the Bulls to take Cardenal and receive PJ Brown, Sweetney, Thomas and their #1 pick. I'm not sure if the Bulls would do that but I think that is the best Memphis can hope for. That would provide plenty of cap room, another potential star in Thomas and two lottery picks for this year's quality draft. I think if you give Jerry West those things Memhis could become a beast in a few years.

However, if there is a good chance that Memphis can keep Gasol happy, then I wouldn't trade him.

DaBabyBullz

You're funny. Gasol isn't worth half of that. I wouldn't include Deng for sure, in ANY trade for Gasol. I wouldn't include Hinrich and the '07 1st either. We'd have been better off to have kept Tyson Chandler and not gotten PJ....that's basically like trading Tyson, Luol, Kirk, AND a high draft pick for PAU GASOL??? That's insane...that's 4 of 5 starters right there, for an over-rated, soft non-defensive big man.

He scores good, rebounds ok, sucks on D, has no heart, and is soft.

As far as some of the Grizz fans saying they'd be getting back lesser talent, etc, I'd take a team full of guys like ours who put forth 110% effort every night, than a team full of Gasols who quit when the going gets tough, and only put forth as much effort as they feel like putting forth.

SPIN DOCTOR

Well I agree that I am alot of things. I have been a diehard Bulls fan for 25 years. I have seen or heard thousands of one sided comments and trade proposals over the years that would result in the Bulls winning a trade...guess what? Not a single time has this ever happened or the deal gone down as reported. I wish the Bulls could get a 26 yo 7 footer that has been an allstar for scrubs and picks, but color me skeptical as to the possibility of it actually happening.

Consider the situation, Pau is locked into a long term deal and would like to be moved to a contender. If we were in his situation, we could all feel the same way, but I too have a big issue with this attitude and lack of commitment to his team. Jerry West does not impress me as the type who will respond favorably to being pressured, by some young / dumb spoiled NBA nearstar. Will he respond by taking any deal that gets rid of the distraction, of course not, he has zero pressure to do so.

I consider Ben Gordon untouchable due to his ability to score when it matters most and finish games, this may be the toughest skillset to replace in the league today. I started the conversation with Kirk & Deng as principals from the Bulls side because that is where I GUESSED Jerry West would start, that does not make it the truth... only speculation from a fan! That does not mean that any deal would be based on those players but establish a starting point for further discussions.

My opinion as a Bulls fan:
The Bulls need Pau Gasol (you may feel otherwise).
Anything less than 2 good players will not get it done (you may feel otherwise)
Any trade that gets made will be hotly debated from both sides as to whether it was fair, and yes... who won in the deal.
The Bulls would win the East if they had Pau (you may feel otherwise).

But...you are a genius...I am but a humble idiot!

vincedunkedonzo2

Until Pau cam block a shot he can never really be a dominant big man.

cpawfan

See boys and girls, it pays to check your facts before you post

Gasol is averaging 2.1 Blocks per game this season which would tie him for 9th in the NBA if he had played enough games.

For his career he has averaged 1.9 blocks per game

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Cinco de Mayo

Where's vincedunkedonzo1?

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