Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Players L.A. Should Swap Pau Gasol For Right Now

Before we even delve too far into this piece, understand that I do not advocate one way or another on this topic. But being a journalist and then a fan, I can't help but hear what is out there. Everyone has an opinion about whether or not Pau Gasol should stay a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.

The pros are typically these:

Immense skill set, size when combined with Dwight Howard is a distinct Lakers advantage, and he's a professional that can do a little bit of everything.

And the cons:

Passive (okay, that's being nice, as many call him flat-out soft), not the best defender, and he lacks speed to get back up and down the court

For Los Angeles, the keys are simply whether they could get adequate value for Gasol while shedding some of his $38 million contract over the next two years.

But all of those are for another column.

Let's get back to the issue at hand: Who would the Lakers be best-suited to go after by dealing Gasol? This is a matter of realism, not just turning some trade machine on and matching salaries. 

So let's get to it.

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