Memphis didn't take best deal available...

by R I O T on Feb 5, 2008 12:03 PM PST

Link (free preview): http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=Gasol-080205&a ction=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnba%2finsider%2fcolumns%2fstory%3fcol umnist%3dford_chad%26page%3dGasol-080205

Basically it lists ten teams (including the Warriors) who potentially had better packages then the Lakers' package that ultimately got them Gasol. I'm just pissed the Lakers got him...

Interesting tidbits:

One GM I spoke to asserted he had a better deal to offer, claiming that Wallace didn't return his calls.

Another said that just two weeks ago, Wallace was asking for twice as much in return. If this GM had known the Grizzlies were lowering the asking price on Gasol, he would've made another offer, he said.

A Western Conference GM said the Grizzlies' timing threw him off: "Big trades like this normally don't happen until after the All-Star break. Who would've guessed that the Grizzlies would've jumped the gun and taken such a lopsided deal three weeks before the trade deadline?"

Another prominent GM said his owner vetoed any trade that would've pushed his team into luxury-tax territory.

I wonder who the GMs were...

This FanPost is a submission from a member of the mighty Golden State of Mind community. While we're all here to throw up that W, these words do not necessarily reflect the views of the GSoM Crew. Still, chances are the preceding post is Unstoppable Baby!

Tweet Comment 21 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

ugh.

That trade would have been awful. Gasol is crap now anyways.

by xcoma on Feb 5, 2008 12:21 PM PST reply actions

keep in mind

that the Grizz GM said the overarching issue was cap space - Kwame was not the best talent available, his contract was the best available so in that the GM did get the best deal he was trying to achieve

by hardcore on Feb 5, 2008 12:22 PM PST reply actions

man

im not sure, i think we'd definitely be a better team in the short term, but what would that mean as far as keeping biedrins and monta? and barnes is pretty valuable to our team. im suprised the golden state warriors front office would be so willing to trade brandan wright this early in his career, i hope that doesn't reveal a lack of potential the warriors think brandan wright has.

by bigbenny11 on Feb 5, 2008 12:27 PM PST reply actions

wright

im suprised the golden state warriors front office would be so willing to trade brandan wright this early in his career, i hope that doesn't reveal a lack of potential the warriors think brandan wright has.

These are hypothetical offers made up by a sports writer. They weren't necessarily (and probably weren't) offered.

It's almost like the Warriors have 6 guys out there... they always have a guy open! - Jon Barry commentating game 3 last year

by gsw4life on Feb 5, 2008 12:32 PM PST up reply actions

It just doesn't make sense

why would the Grizzlies not try as hard as possible to get the best deal available? I don't really believe it.

A lot of those deals aren't really better than the Lakers deal anyways. The Hawks deal is better, but their only point guard left would be Acie Law, who hasn't played very well this year. And he'd have no back up. The Bulls refused to go into the luxury tax so that deal wasn't happening. Our deal's better, but are we really giving up Pietrus, Barnes, and Azubuike? Our lineup would become

PG Davis
SG Monta
SF Jax
PF Gasol
C Biedrins/Al

Bench
Biedrins/Al
Webber
CJ Watson
Bellinelli

Nice top 7, but very, very shallow... also our style of play would completely change with 2 big guys out there at all times.

Moving on, hard to trade for Brand without seeing him play post-injury. The Marion deal would be better, but the Suns probably don't want to break up their core.

The Raptors' deal would be better, but I don't think the Raptors are giving up on Bargnani yet.

The rest of the deals are either the same or worse.

I would bet that none of the deals mentioned that were better were ever offered.

It's almost like the Warriors have 6 guys out there... they always have a guy open! - Jon Barry commentating game 3 last year

by gsw4life on Feb 5, 2008 12:29 PM PST reply actions

Its a done deal,

Get over it.

This trade is as lopsided as Jrich for a #6 draft pick (its not like the they will use the TPE anytime soon and might even let it expire like the 2.x million TPE that expired a few weeks ago). They seriously could have gotten more for jrich than that. Utter BS.

by Delinquentsoul on Feb 5, 2008 12:41 PM PST reply actions

I'm glad

you're not running the team.

by Psion on Feb 5, 2008 1:39 PM PST up reply actions

Man

I wonder what the T-Wolves could get for Theo Ratliff's contract, more than 11 mill expiring.

by Elcold on Feb 5, 2008 12:53 PM PST reply actions

no one or crap

last time I check, McHale is still "running" the team.

by lightz0ut on Feb 5, 2008 5:03 PM PST up reply actions

I think it doesn't expire until next year

maybe next year they can trade it for Lebron!

It's almost like the Warriors have 6 guys out there... they always have a guy open! - Jon Barry commentating game 3 last year

by gsw4life on Feb 5, 2008 11:57 PM PST up reply actions

I'm a little surprised

at how quickly everyone is anointing the Flakers as the new faves out of the west.

I'm still skeptical (in a desperate sort of way) that this is the magic jelly bean that LA needs to run away with the conference.

A true all-star quality player puts up numbers regardless of his team or situation. Gasol hasn't been that guy of late. Perhaps he has been a victim of his own dissatisfaction.

My point is; I want to see how the Skankers function with Gasol before I start wringing my hands over it.

by shadowboy on Feb 5, 2008 1:09 PM PST reply actions

Ummm....

Before Bynum went down, they WERE (in a factual kind of way) the 31 seed out west. Yeah, they lost Bynum, but you can't argue that they lost much of anything on the court this year in the trade for Pau. If Bynum comes back, they're SERIOUS title contenders. Though, I've been hearing that he's not coming back so soon...

Fish/Farmar
Mamba
Walton
Pau/Odom
Bynum

Yeah, that's a pretty formidable lineup, not too shabby with Bynum out either. They're legit.

by Dubs fan in Boston on Feb 5, 2008 1:37 PM PST up reply actions

huh?

How exactly has Gasol not been putting up numbers of late? His season average of a shade under 19ppg and 8.8 rpg in a shade under 37mpg is almost identical to his 18.8ppg/8.6rpg in 35.5mpg over his career. He's shooting about the same (50.1% vs 50.9% for his career). What part of his "numbers" has he not been putting up?

by jae on Feb 5, 2008 1:43 PM PST up reply actions

Gasol

heh, I agree with you to some extent, but Gasol has been a disappointment this year in comparison to the previous year. His FG%, pts, assists, rebounds, and blocks are down(although his FT% is WAY up apparently randomly). He was even worse in the first few months of the season but over the last month he's been the Gasol we were expecting averaging 21.6/10.5/3.7 with 1.8 blocks on 55.7% shooting

It's almost like the Warriors have 6 guys out there... they always have a guy open! - Jon Barry commentating game 3 last year

by gsw4life on Feb 6, 2008 12:04 AM PST up reply actions

gasol's numbers

If 19ppg on 50% shooting with 9 rpg in 37 minutes is a disappointment, people have to rethink what they'd be satisfied with. He started a bit slowly this year though looking at the monthly splits, it's not that big a difference from his career numbers. Someone said he wasn't playing as well and it got repeated long, long after it wasn't actually true.

He had an exceptional year last year. Otherwise, his performance this year has been almost exactly in line with what he's done for the rest of his career.

by jae on Feb 6, 2008 7:23 PM PST up reply actions

Wow

If I wanted to change my team to the run and gun style, I would have swooped in on that Shawn Marion deal from Phoenix. Sure you're going to have to pay him but I think he was the key piece to the early dominant days of Phoenix's running style. He can run like a gazelle, rebound like a monster, block shots, get steals, all he couldn't really do was hit perimeter shots consistently. SMH

by dandydaniel on Feb 5, 2008 1:27 PM PST reply actions

pau

is 0-12 in playoff games...i know he's got a much better team now but im just saying, as the best player on his team in memphis he didn't really lead them to anything spectacular.

by lowchi on Feb 5, 2008 3:09 PM PST reply actions

How's Kobe's record

in the playoffs?

Obviously Pau is no KG or Duncan or Shaq (of old): he's not a big that can be successful in the playoffs as the best player on his team. Now that he has Kobe, Bynum, and a host of roll players, i'll be surprised if he doesn't take care of business.

by BingBluNT on Feb 5, 2008 3:34 PM PST up reply actions

wrong and right

I didn't realized so many other teams have expiring contracts amounting to what the Lakers gave in Kwame Brown. But, looking at the mock offers that were put up, taking the Lakers deal was a good choice.

I am at least happy to know that it probably was a real long shot getting involved in that deal. There was no chance, all 3 would agree to that trade. Let's just leave it at that.

Most of the offers were either not gonna happen or inferior to about the same.

Hawks - interesting offer, perhaps the best(and only???) team that could've given Memphis more.

Bulls - if not for a stingy owner, Gasol would probably a Bull today. Owner made it clear, not happening.

Clipps - makes some sense for Memphis, not for the Clipps.

Heat - same as above. Miami would have to believe that lineup can win it all. Otherwise, they just screwed themselves even more.

Nets & Magic - pretty much the same offer as the Lakers. It's just a matter of opinion of which player you like. Though it probably made more sense dumping Gasol to an East team.

Suns - intriguing trade. But either they like Marion or he sure is opting out for Memphis to make this trade.

Spurs - inferior trade. Now, this is a real bargain.

Raptors - doubt either team would do this. Raptors (their fans at least) are really high on Bargnani and Moon. Would Memphis rather have Bargnani - to me, a so-so player, than take a chance of a much better player in the offseason?

by lightz0ut on Feb 5, 2008 5:31 PM PST reply actions

Re: Bargani

I agree with you that he's not "the best", but he's certainly a better option than the #27 draft pick, or whatever the Lakers pick ends up being...

About Miami, if they could move Shaq for Marion:

Banks/Quinn
DWade/Cook
Marion/Wright
Haslem
Pau

That'd be pretty solid... weak at PG tho...

by Dubs fan in Boston on Feb 6, 2008 11:01 AM PST up reply actions

I agree with the comment above

Bargnani is not a great player but he's not a bad player either. He's still young and is likely to be a better player in the future than a #27 or so draft pick.