Under the conditions of the proposed deal, the Suns would've been sending one of their many first-round picks and the expiring contract of Emeka Okafor to L.A. in exchange for the services of the Spanish 7-footer. However, there was some disagreement over which of Phoenix's picks would be included.
After all, they have four:
From the Minnesota Timberwolves, protected for selection Nos. 1-13 From the Washington Wizards, protected for selection Nos. 1-12 Their own From the Indiana Pacers, lottery protected The Lakers wanted one of the first two, as they'd be the most valuable. The Suns presumably want to give up the selection from the Indiana Pacers.
And that's a problem.
According to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, "Phoenix could own four picks in the June draft, and the Lakers coveted one of the more valuable two—the pick the Suns could potentially get from Minnesota or the one they might receive from Washington."
That's why the deal—at least in its current form—fell apart, though ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reports hope is still alive on the Lakers front:
But without Gasol on the court, it'll be awfully hard for L.A. to squeeze anything more out of the Suns or find a new partner willing to pay them a hefty ransom for the Spaniard. A strained groin has knocked the big man out of the lineup for at least two weeks, and it may also have knocked Gasol off the list of players who will be traded before the Feb. 20 deadline.
There are two main reasons: timing and concerns about the future.
Mark Medina explains the former issue for the Los Angeles Daily News on InsideSocial.com:
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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
