Lakers Rumors: LA Should Be Patient in Shopping Pau Gasol

The Los Angeles Lakers may not have had NBA Finals aspirations heading into the 2013-14 NBA season, but they were certainly hoping it would go better than this.

Los Angeles has been decimated with injuries, including the devastating knee injury to superstar Kobe Bryant, and sits at 14-25 as a result. In fact, the last time the Lakers won a game was Jan. 3, and that came against the lowly Utah Jazz.



As if dropping six in a row and 12 of the past 13 games isn’t bad enough, the team had to have a meeting to address concerns that nobody had Nick Young’s back during a recent scuffle with the Phoenix Suns.

Needless to say, it has been a season to forget in Hollywood.

The one thing that is even keeping the Lakers afloat in most of these games is the production of veteran Pau Gasol. The big man is posting nightly averages of 16 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 blocks, while shooting a respectable 45.6 percent from the field. What’s more impressive is that Gasol has been doing this while dealing with a nagging foot and toe injury, according to the Lakers’ official Twitter account.



Los Angeles has always been a win-first town (look at the Dodgers’ recent efforts to sign every living baseball player under the sun). Some may want the front office to trade Gasol for a solid player who can help this team when Bryant returns to form; however, even with the return of the Black Mamba, this squad isn’t going anywhere in 2013-14.

It makes sense for the Lakers to get some type of long-term asset for Gasol and his expiring contract as long as he is still productive.



They almost did just that in a trade for Andrew Bynum—which would have helped tremendously on the financial front once they presumably cut him—but the Cleveland Cavaliers shipped their big man to Chicago in exchange for Luol Deng instead.

Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers