Grizzlies to Make Up for Gasol Trade?
Right now, the Grizzlies/Lakers swap that sent Pau Gasol and Memphis’ 2nd rounder in 2010 to L.A. for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Marc Gasol, the expiring contract of Aaron McKie, and the Lakers’ first-rounders in ‘08 and ‘10 stacks up with some of the most lopsided trades in recent memory. Forget the quantity that Memphis got – this deal ranks up there with Dirk for Robert “Tractor” Traylor and VC for ‘Zo, Eric Williams, and Aaron Williams.
As June’s Draft approaches, the Grizzlies will desperately try to redeem themselves when they’re picking in the Lakers’ spot at No-28. And some in Memphis actually believe that they can find ‘rare ability’ at that spot, almost justifying the entire deal. The possibilities? Memphis’ Joey Dorsey, UNC’s Wayne Ellington, Vandy’s Shan Foster, and USC’s Davon Jefferson. No knock against those guys, but none of them are not 7-footers with a full slate of post moves and baby-soft touch around the tin.
This isn’t exactly a vote of confidence either from the most-hated man in Memphis, GM Chris Wallace.
“I don’t think you can look at the 28th pick and say this guy will plug that gap or that need,” Wallace said. “That guy may or may not play. It’s an eternity from here to the first day of the season. What you’re trying to do is take a particular talent that has the rare ability to develop into a productive NBA player. It may happen immediately or it may take a couple of years.”
May 29th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
YOUNNGFED says:
So could some explain to me why you give up your best player for nothing. “Cough” “Cough”..CONSPIRACY THEORY!
May 29th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Joe says:
OK – this is a complete non-story. is Dime really struggling that much for relevant content? Ever since Dime left foxsports, things have been steadily heading downhill.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Sam I Am says:
JOE…
SHUT THE HELL UP
Dime was struggling on FOX Sports…you see the garbage they put up now over there…
Get outta here and start your own site…punk
May 29th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
hahns says:
seriously..if you dont like the content, then dont come to the site…simple as that.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Kobeef says:
@Joe
This is a story if you are intelligent enough to appreciate the subtle undertone in Wallace’s comments: we need to do something big in the draft to make up for the Gasol trade and the 28 pick in this trade could produce an NBA player – which means he is suggesting the draft is deep with prospects and talent.
This means one of a couple of things:
1. The Grizz are going to package the picks with players and make a trade for a starter
2. The Grizz are going to trade picks or a player for a higher pick.
Regardless, if you are a GM and you read this comments you know that Wallace is willing to make some moves and that you need to talk to him.
Game on, is what this means….if you can understand that.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
rodnets says:
Stern wants a Lakers Celtics final. Gasol trade was a bold move to do it. Some interesting finals no calls are there too.
Just the perfect end for the Best Season Ever.
It has sense.
It will be entertaning to watch in and off the court.
Thats NBA, where amazing happens!!
Peace
May 29th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Chuck...Haters come in all fashions and forms so bear arms says:
Yeah Joe, that’s a pretty homo move. You could have just stop coming to the site if that was the case. But no?? You gotta post negative comments. That’s SUPER HOMO!!!
May 29th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Chuck...Haters come in all fashions and forms so bear arms says:
@YoungFed
You know that wasn’t no conspiracy theory man. LOL!!!
Memphis wanted that cap space. I actually agreed with the trade.
1. There’s a host of free agents in 2009
2. Gasol didn’t want to be there
3. They wasn’t winning nothing with him, so why not trade him.
It was a good deal to me, Memphis took 20 mil off the books, to get rid of a dude who couldn’t win them a game in the playoffs. And freed up another 10 mil in getting rid of Kwame. I mean Memphis has some contract issues over there. They are paying Brian cardinal and Darko 7 mil a peice in contracts and Mike Miller 9 mil, they have too many inflated contracts, and the facts are, they were losers with Gasol and losers after Gasol, so why not ship dude off, and take some money off the books, no one was willing to give them what they perceived as equal value.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
ERIC says:
The Gasol deal is not so much a conspiracy theory as it is just HORRIBLE management. Chris Wallace dug a grave for the Celtics and threw them in. For some reason, he was hired by Memphis, and he %*@& them up too.
Blame the owners for hiring incompetent GMs. Hawks fans just witnessed this by the hiring of Rick Sund who sank the Sonics.
These guys suck! Get some new talent from established and professional organizations.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Celts Fan says:
Plus they got to showcase the epic big man tandem of Kwame and Darko. Hey, let’s pair 2 of the biggest draft busts in recent memory. How could it not work?!?
May 29th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Kobeef says:
BREAKING NEWS
Doug Collins is the new Bulls Head Coach
May 29th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Chuck...Haters come in all fashions and forms so bear arms says:
@Celts
LMAO!!
Gasol took Memphis too the playoffs 3 years in a row, and they got swept everytime, and the last two years they only won like 20 games with Gasol. Dude is gonna make 15 mil next season, you play a player 15 mil and he’s not even your leading scorer? (Rudy Gay was), and he’s complaining like a chump.
Wouldn’t you do what you had to do to ship him out?
May 29th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Tron Carter says:
If only they had a good rare talent, like a 7 footer with great touch, that they could trade in the draft to move up? Hmmmmmmmm. Wallace is gonna trade Rudy Gay for a bunch of magic beans. Dip Sheeeeet
May 29th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Jeffrey says:
The grizzles have had a history of bad drafts in the past.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
BlazeMcHerbs says:
Rebuilding around Rudy Gay made sens because of Gasol’s paycheque. So trading Gasol, not the actual trade itself, made cents.
As far as the trade is concerned, hell no, that shit was robbery, they could have gotten decent pieces from Chicago or a number of other teams. Like someone said, they teamed up Darko and Kwame on their frontcourt, who in their right mind would do that? Its been years, since they’ve been drafted, so they weren’t looking for a potential, they got robbed. And I dont know too many people that get robbed like that, if it were a movie scene i’d say with was a carjacking.
This trade only really did two things, upgrade the hell out of the Lakers; and secondly, it demoted McHale to Second Biggest Dumbass of the NBA, atleast he has Al Jefferson, what does Wallace have? Marc Gasol?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Genius says:
HEY! I HAVE A GREAT IDEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let’s do a “READ MORE” link for this:
“The possibilities? Memphis’ Joey Dorsey, UNC’s Wayne Ellington, Vandy’s Shan Foster, and USC’s Davon Jefferson. No knock against those guys, but none of them are not 7-footers with a full slate of post moves and baby-soft touch around the tin.
This isn’t exactly a vote of confidence either from the most-hated man in Memphis, GM Chris Wallace.
“I don’t think you can look at the 28th pick and say this guy will plug that gap or that need,” Wallace said. “That guy may or may not play. It’s an eternity from here to the first day of the season. What you’re trying to do is take a particular talent that has the rare ability to develop into a productive NBA player. It may happen immediately or it may take a couple of years.”
It’ll be great!!!!!!!!
May 29th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Big Freeze says:
Any team with Kwame Brown sucks.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
K Dizzle - Pasadena - Laker fan since 1982 says:
Fed
you just mad still cuz Joe D passed on Carmelo, Wade AND Bosh and took Darko……that’s some shit you won’t ever live down
May 29th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
doc says:
Gasol a soft pussy anyway and if people mad at the trade they should’ve got at Memphis first.They was saying the bird face prick wanted to leave since that olympic shit last summer.
May 29th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
shake&bake says:
There’s a pretty small chance that you can get a player of Gasol’s abilities at the 28th pick. There are a few who have been picked that late or after who can be but it’s not very likely. Especially if you have a team who think it’s a good idea to acquire Kwame and Darko.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
GEE...Only talk to one cat and he won't squeal says:
If the Lakers win it all Memphis should get honorary rings lol.