Gambadoro: Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers never talked about Pau Gasol
Feb 5, 2014, 8:32 PM | Updated: 8:32 pm
Earlier in the week, reports surfaced that the Phoenix Suns were interested in acquiring Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol.
Provided, of course, Gasol could be had for the right price.
According to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro, though, that’s not at all the case.
The Phoenix Suns never contacted the Lakers about trading for Pau Gasol and the Lakers never contacted the Suns. There were no offers made!
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) February 5, 2014
Obvious LA is desperate and trying to drum up interest in an injured Gasol.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) February 5, 2014
Plus the Suns are not in the market of giving up a first-round pick for a rental player. Not good business.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) February 5, 2014
The Suns were looked at as a potential suitor for a number of reasons, not the least of which was their ability to make a deal work under the salary cap without needing to surrender much in the way of assets.
The idea was that the Suns could send Emeka Okafor and his $14.5 million salary to L.A. That, along with Phoenix’s $5.6 million in available cap space, would be enough to acquire Gasol and what’s left of his $19.3 million contract.
However, it was believed the Suns would also have to part with a draft pick and/or young player to make a deal work, which some thought they would be inclined to do now that the team is in the thick of a surprising playoff run.
The 33-year-old Gasol is averaging 17.0 points and 10.2 rebounds per game for the Lakers. A four-time All-Star, his expressed frustration as part of head coach Mike D’Antoni’s offense and is currently sidelined with a groin injury that is expected to keep him out past the NBA’s Feb. 20 trade deadline.
But according to Gambadoro, the team’s postseason chances as well as the potentially cheap cost to acquire the big man is not enough to make GM Ryan McDonough veer off the path he’s set for the team by swinging a deal for a veteran who may or may not help the team this season.
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