After allowing the Memphis Grizzles a day to announce that they had let a seven-year old Los Angeles Lakers fan run the team after an horrible publicity promotion, it’s apparent that the Pau Gasol trade wasn’t a joke. After all, how many other trade rumors reported on the blogosphere never happen?The deal is clearly an advantage to the Lakers. The team was red-hot until Andrew Bynumwent down, and with the addition of SuperPau, expect a revitalization from Kobe and the Lakers. Many anaylsts see the Lakers near the very top of the Western Conference, and remain only six games out even after going 5-5 in their last 10.Lakers get: Pau Gasol, 2010 second round draft pickGrizzlies get: Kwame Brown, player/coach Aaron McKie, Javaris Crittenton, the rights to Marc Gasol, and first round picks in 2008 (top-three protected) and 2010 (top-six protected)While the Lakers become a contender after this deal, the Memphis Grizzlies made this deal for financial reasons, and financial only. The team already let go of Damon Stoudamire, now they’ve got ridden of Pau Gasol and Stromile Swift. Aiming either to get sold or win the lottery, the Grizzlies won’t get much positive attention unless Rudy Gay wins the dunk contest. The Grizzlies were already 13-33, before they watered down their roster.Juan Carlos Navarro is a free agent after this season. One reason, a really BIG reason, the Grizzlies won out, is because of Spaniard teammate Gasol. You might as well consider Crittenton-for-Navarro a secondary trade, because Navarro has been playing solid and may very well follow Gasol this offseason.The trade with the Lakers has some sense for the Grizzlies: two first-rounders and two promising players along with a creaky old shooting guard and a bust. But the Stromile Swift trade is what’s really confusing. The team wants cap room, so they trade a $6,000,000 expiring contract for Jason Collins?On the bright side, in the entertainment category, Swift could finally fill in the Kenyon Martin roll in the alley-oop department.Unless I’m missing something, the Grizzlies get very little immediate flexibility for this upcoming offseason, especially with Collins coming in. In a few years, the team will benefit from dumping Gasol’s contract and having a couple more first-rounders, but none of the three deals (Stoudamire, Swift, and Gasol) put the team in a spot to sign Gilbert Arenas or Allen Iverson this offseason.So who won out on the trade? Okay, better question, what justifies the Grizzlies trying to clear cap space, and then acquiring Jason Collins? Don’t they realize these two Lakers picks are now in the mid-20s?
Trending
