There’s a certain percentage of Lakers fans that constantly go back and forth about their feelings for Pau Gasol. One month he’s exactly the kind of skilled, versatile big man that is vital to a team’s championship hopes, the next month he’s soft and these people want to see him traded out of town.
The people who want Gasol gone have no idea what they’re talking about, of course, but that’s another discussion for another time. There have been rumblings about the Lakers having interest in Atlanta’s Josh Smith, who is an unrestricted free agent after this season. Presumably, the Hawks wouldn’t want to see him walk without receiving something back in return, and L.A. has been rumored to be willing to part with Gasol in a deal that would bring Smith to the Lakers.
Atlanta, however, has no interest in dealing Josh Smith to L.A. for Gasol, or to any other team at this point. From Marc Stein of ESPN.com:Sources say that the Hawks, at present, have no interest in parting with Josh Smith and Kyle Korver for Gasol. Or even Smith and lesser parts for Gasol.
Positions can obviously change between now and the Feb. 21 trade deadline, but sources maintain that Atlanta has not been enticed in the least by the prospect of parting with the 26-year-old Smith -- even as he heads into unrestricted free agency -- for the 32-year-old Gasol. The Hawks, for the record, have also been telling interested teams that they value Smith and what he offers as a hybrid forward in an Eastern Conference that’s generally been getting smaller.
Smith is an amazing talent, especially defensively, and his shot-blocking ability playing alongside Dwight Howard would be showcased to the point where defensively, the Lakers would be among the best in the league inside.
But if Lakers fans aren’t happy when Gasol has an off night, imagine their disgust as Smith launches a barrage of long twos (and even some threes), which is the primary criticism of his game offensively.
Lakers fans need to relax with Gasol. He was the victim of Mike Brown’s offensive ineptitude last season, and once Mike D’Antoni takes over, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where the team won’t find a way to properly utilize his talents on the offensive end of the floor.
As for any deals at all this year, unless it’s something that involves Steve Blake or Chris Duhon that will strengthen L.A.'s bench unit, they’re not likely to happen. The Lakers are in win-now mode, and mid-season roster upheaval of the team’s core pieces gets them further away from that goal, not closer to it.
Besides, if the Lakers want Josh Smith, they’ll have him once he hits free agency. And they won’t need to trade anyone to make that happen, least of all a piece as important to L.A.'s championship aspirations as Pau Gasol.