Lakers Cap Problems

[BDodgers at aol.com]

MARK HEISLER / ON THE NBA
Lakers' trade could have a downside

 


Adding Gasol, and  subtracting Brown, represents a roster upgrade, but it's 
also expensive and  doesn't help their defense.
By Mark Heisler, ON THE  NBA 
February 2, 2008 
News story: Lakers get Pau Gasol.

Comment:  Duh.

Does one need to comment?

Actually one does,  because it's not as simple as it looks. If the Lakers 
pulled off a major theft,  there were a lot of moving parts and some of them may 
still be  moving.

Here's what we know for sure: The Lakers just got a 7-foot,  27-year-old 
All-Star-caliber forward, essentially for nothing.

Aside from  Kwame Brown's huge body and the soft spot he had in Phil 
Jackson's heart, he  wasn't of much use (appropriately, the Pistons played volleyball 
on the  offensive boards at the end of his last game to nip the Lakers at the 
wire) and  his contract and Lakers career were running out in tandem.

The Lakers  loved Javaris Crittenton but Jordan Farmar has been so good, it 
would have taken  Crittenton years to overhaul him . . . if he ever did.

Here's the tricky  part:

Lamar Odom was originally discussed in the talks between the Lakers  and 
Memphis, according to an NBA source.

However, Memphis owner Michael  Heisley, who has had the team up for sale for 
years and is projecting a  $20-million loss this season, predicated 
everything on knocking as much money as  he could off his payroll in this deal.

With Odom making $13.2 million  this season and $14.1 million next, Heisley 
told his basketball people he didn't  want him.

The addition of Gasol will give the Lakers the tallest front  line the NBA 
has ever seen. When Andrew Bynum returns, their front line will go  7-0, 7-0 and 
6-11.

Of course, one of them has to guard small  forwards.

With Gasol's scoring ability and the Lakers' huge financial  commitment in 
him, one thing is clear:

The moment the deal went down, he  replaced Odom as No. 3 Option of the 
Future.

This one is breathtaking  even for Jerry Buss, who has long set the market 
when he wanted a  player.

With Gasol getting $49.4 million the next three seasons and  Bynum's 
extension projected to kick in in 2009, the Lakers will go far over the  luxury tax 
threshold, and this deal could cost $80 million in salary and tax  over three 
years.

That's how they got Gasol. No one else would step  up.

The Chicago Bulls, who eyed Gasol for years, could have offered P.J.  Brown's 
expired $12.8-million contract and Andres Nocioni, whom Memphis  wanted.

However, to put Brown's salary in the deal, the Bulls would have  had to pay 
luxury tax on it this season, which owner Jerry Reinsdorf refused to  do.

This wasn't the Lakers' only option. They could have had Chicago's  Ben 
Wallace for Kwame Brown and Vladimir Radmanovic, according to an NBA source,  
incurring far less cost.

Moving Radmanovic's contract, which has three  seasons worth $19 million 
left, would have meant the Lakers were taking on only  an additional $20 million.

However, the Lakers thought Wallace was old  and diminished, which was true. 
He's attitudinal, too, but I don't think he's as  bad as he looked with the 
runty Bulls. He and Bynum might have been a  devastating defensive tandem, but 
we'll never know.

In any case, the  Lakers now have another major piece and we don't have to 
watch Kwame fumble  passes and chase the ball around the floor.

It does bring down the  curtain on an unforgettable era. When will the Lakers 
have another player who  hits some guy on the street in the face with a 
birthday cake?

But enough  about Kwame, forever.

The Lakers just took a big step Friday.

Into  what, we'll have to see, but it was definitely  big.






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