Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers Both Ready to Part Ways After Turbulent Season

The trap door is no longer a threat to Pau Gasol.

He will finish in a couple months on his own two feet, in a manner befitting his grace. It’ll end when the Los Angeles Lakers’ regular-season schedule does, not via surprise trade to an unknown destination.

This summer, Gasol will move on to some other NBA franchise where, along with his two championship rings, the fresh fans will respect all that is clearly good in him—much as Lakers fans saw generosity in his heart when Memphis Grizzlies fans only saw Gasol wasn’t selfish enough to prop up a team all by himself.

It’s even possible he might do the Lakers one last good deed on his way out, considering a sign-and-trade deal could still give the Lakers a substantial boost in their rebuilding around and after Kobe Bryant.



Both the Lakers and Gasol, who’ve had a working relationship marked by a refreshing sort of maturity, understand it’s time to part.

As bad as the Lakers are now as they lose and lose with Gasol again unable to prop this team up by himself, it’s certainly not going to end well for the Spanish big man.

But it’s going to end OK.

There might be ongoing disagreement in philosophy with Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni—to be expected when D’Antoni came in and so catered to Dwight Howard, Steve Nash and Bryant all ahead of Gasol. There will not be anything more than that, however.

Gasol has no malicious intent toward the franchise that tried to trade him so many times. He is beyond open-minded in being mindful that they must’ve declined to trade him plenty, too.

Gasol has no interest in torching this Lakers nation he has served as aristocrat and warrior for six-and-a-half years, the exact same tenure he first lasted in Memphis. He returns to Memphis on Wednesday for his expected last appearance here as a Laker, and it wa...

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