According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles, trading center Andrew Bynum or power forward Pau Gasol doesn't appear to be an option right now.
Pau or Bynum trade the next shoe to drop after Nash? Not so fast. Source tells me Lakers intend to keep core intact to play with Nash
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 5, 2012 Would it be a smart decision decision for the Lakers to not trade Bynum and Gasol? Let's examine this scenario with an old fashioned pros and cons list.
Pros
Acquiring Howard: When Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash retire, who will the Lakers have to lead them forward? The Lakers need to determine if Bynum will be that player, or if Orlando Magic star center Dwight Howard is a better fit for that role. The purple and gold are currently a team in which nearly all the star players are past the primes of their careers. At age 24, Bynum is the Lakers' only young star.
Gasol's value won't get higher: Gasol celebrated his 32nd birthday on Friday, and it isn't likely that his trade value will ever be higher than it is now. He's still a fantastic player and could be used to acquire a young player for the Lakers' future.
Cons
Disrupting team chemistry: It would be unwise for the Lakers to disrupt their team chemistry by trading Bynum and/or Gasol to acquire a player like Howard. Bynum and Gasol know how to be an effective big-man tandem. Team chemistry is a crucial part of every team, and it's something the Lakers front office cannot take lightly.
Giving up on Bynum's talent: Bynum didn't go to college and is still a very young player, so he hasn't fully developed yet. He is already an elite center, and has a good chance to become a superstar player.
