That's the wrong move.
While the Lakers continue to deal with inefficiencies in the defensive end of the court, the team is trying to develop some chemistry in their offensive assault and dealing with injuries to top stars like Gasol and Dwight Howard.
As much as Gasol has struggled when on the floor during the 2012-13 season so far, the lack of depth on the Los Angeles bench and the need for frontcourt production makes the veteran invaluable.
Marc Stein of ESPN.com is reporting on why the Lakers are likely to keep the forward through the remainder of the season:
They're going to need a 30-15 finish just to get to the 45 wins that are typically sufficient to snag the eighth playoff spot in the West. But the sense out there is that trading Pau Gasol -- even if the Lakers could actually find a deal they like when Gasol's numbers, mobility and trade value are at all-time lows at age 32 -- would just as likely lead to more upheaval and adjustment for a team that fired Mike Brown after a mere five games, stunningly chose Mike D'Antoni over Phil Jackson as Brown's replacement and then had to wait 20-plus more games before reintroducing Steve Nash into the lineup.
As much as the Lakers want to claim that they are better off with Gasol in the lineup, there is no doubting the dip in his numbers. With 12.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, a change of offensive systems and injuries have hampered the veteran’s season.
It takes time for a veteran who has played as long in the NBA as Gasol to learn a completely new system on the fly, and the growing pains are very obvious.
That’s doesn’t mean the team should give up on the project just yet; Los Angeles still has enough talent to win its way int...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
