Links to the Present: Bynum for Gasol trade?
2013-12-31
For the next week, rumors will continue about Bynum’s status with Cleveland. The latest, is a report that the Cavs are talking to the Lakers about a Pau Gasol trade. Pau has not been happy in LA, or at his most productive this year, but he is certainly an upgrade on Henry Sims.
How about this 3-way trade with LAL, CLE and GS? http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=kdjngxp CLE would need to give a 1rd pick (2015 or later) to Lakers in this deal, but it seems like everyone is getting what they need: LA – Young prospect (Harrison Barnes), Cle 1rd pick and salary relief, CLE – Pau Gasol, Jack’s salary off the books and no long term contracts, GS – 6th man (Jack) is back, 1 useful role player (Hill), 1 good prospect (Karasev) and Speights off the books.
Couldn’t agree with Rodney Mac more. His post is spot on. It’s one thing to have a pair of No. 1 overall and a pair of No. 4 overall picks in strong drafts. It’s quite another to have them in weak ones. This draft is the best in many years. We shouldn’t let our desire to WIN NOW to make the playoffs — as if that’s a feat in the Eastern Conference — or our disgust with watching the current product cloud reasoned long-term judgment. Unless overwhelmed with an offer — and a Pau Gasol rental at this stage in… Read more »
ugh, I don’t want to deal with ANY of Mike Love’s relatives.
thanks, but no thanks.
Look at the Lakers Cap after they make their misguided max level signing this off season, will they even be able to sign Kevin Love? Just seems a little outlandish.
@Scott I just can’t guarantee that Gasol would be unhappy here honestly. His brother who grew up pretty much the same way Pau did seems to really enjoy Memphis and the only thing they have on Cleveland is more crime and a better music scene.
Gasol is over the hill and won’t sign with the Cavs when his contract is up. I’d rather get some young guys/draft pcks, finish low (again) and build through the draft. Wait til next year (again) LOL
Zeller played really well tonight.
I don’t mind giving up a 2015 (or later) first round pick (as long as it’s out ‘second’ first rounder and Gee for Gasol. IF we are able to keep him for 3 more seasons at a reasonable rate. As much as I think the Cavs need a strong veteran presence, I don’t know if Gasol is a vocal enough leader or has the leadership type personality that can really create a culture in the lockerroom. Not ‘any’ veteran with or without a ring is the ‘right’ veteran for this team. Saying that, I think that Gasol has a few… Read more »
Kevin Love is the only guy in the NBA who is averaging like 100 points a game and still can’t win. WTF is up with that.
Or, better yet, loop in the Lakers and send Gasol to the T-Wolves instead of Bynum:
Cavs Kevin Love, Corey Brewer, and Dante Cunnighaa
Wolves: Pau Gasol, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters, Cavs No. 1 in 2014 (unprotected), Cavs’ Memphis Pick
Lakers: Bynum and Cavs’ Sacramento Pick
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ltfthdo
Everyone is happy.
Obviously, I know neither trade will ever happen. I have to come up with these fake Kevin Love trades though to get me through the day.
Time to make a “Godfather” offer to the T-Wolves who, as of this post, only have 66% chance of winning the eighth seed in the west and only one more year before Love opts out and heads to L.A.
Cavs: Kevin Love and Corey Brewer
Wolves: Bynum, TT, Dion, Cavs No. 1 in 2014 (unprotected), Memphis No. 1 in 2015
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=k5b4354
The T-Wolves won’t get a better haul next year and aren’t going to contend during the team’s window with Love.
Dion’s Flaws: Uncreative when driving, weak left handed finisher (gets blocked because of this), shoots long ranged step backs. Pros: He’s had some fouls on some REALLY athletic dunks that would have been in the ESPN top 10 plays had he finished, the second most willing passer out of our guards (Delly is #1), stands up for his team mates, I mean Jarrett Jack misses a lot of stupid 2’s why shouldn’t everyone take some (has to be his mindset, he’s young). He’s still trying to figure things out. I like the kid, when we start winning Kyrie and Dion’s… Read more »
@Kojo – I didn’t say Waiters was a horrible pick – it was a weak draft and he is just not that good. for my money, I’d rather have Barnes. In addition to Lillard, Drummond and Henson are both obviously better (and were drafted lower), but I didn’t think either was a sure bet at the time. In terms of “swag” – you have got to be kidding? I’d like to see Dion fight for a rebound or make some hustle plays instead of jacking up step-back jumpers from 20 feet out or drive headlong into shot-blockers and get stuffed.… Read more »
Andy and Delly bring the hustle, Dion brings the fire. The biggest question is, what does Kyrie bring? Also there is a Bulls fan in the ESPN comment section of the Bynum article who says that our pick is worthless because our team without Bynum is going to make the second round of the playoffs, so we got that going for us I guess.
Scott, I was going to stop reading after you were banging on Waiters but I thought ‘no that’s juvenile let’s see what else he has to say.’ I should have just stopped reading. Waiters is not a bad pick. Sure we all would have liked the have Beal but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Barnes is nothing more than an average role player with questionable skills and athleticism. The only two players in that draft that are well above him is Davis and Lillard. If he was pushed into the second go to role he would struggle mightily.… Read more »
@JHill – The Cavs have a losing culture right now. Kyrie is a potential superstar who is developing selfish habits and only reluctantly passes to anyone besides TT or Andy. The team lacks leadership and, to me, that’s unlikely to come from an unhappy Gasol. Kyrie is not Lebron, but he will eventually have to develop as a leader. I watch the Cavs all the time and the team simply has too little talent. You don’t win playing CJ Miles and Waiters big minutes. And, let’s be real, Lebron is NOT coming back to this team – except, perhaps at… Read more »
Listening to Carr is one of the worst things about A Cavaliers broadcasted game … Until the end of the game when they lose in a heartbreaker. I’m running out of hearts.
Trading for Pau is stupid. At best we’ll be a 7 or 8 seed to get mauled by Indy or Miami. This team is close to needing to go to tank mode. I hate typing that sentence. I hate this year. I hate Bynum and Pau and I’d rather neither be on the team.
I say get Gasol. He’s an excellent, heady player and would really help the team get wins and get in a groove of playing team basketball. If we want another trip to the lottery we should just trade Kyrie because by the time next years lottery pick develops into an impact player Kyrie will be gone anyways.
Without Bynum we must get another big man or Andy is going to get hurt.
Having a good team creates the ability to sign free agents that are actually good.
The Cavs are on the fence right now. I’m okay with them just chalking this up as a development year and I’ve been advocating getting Bennett and Zeller more playing time for weeks. I just want them to pick a direction. They wouldn’t necessarily have to give up a first but if they did, do it. Gasol is having his worst season, but he could still give this team more than Bynum’s knees and brain would ever allow. I’d go with the Kings over any of the Cavs own or the Memphis pick. Shit, I think the Heat pick in… Read more »
Agree with Jhill about Andy’s passing. That’s why Scott had Andy initiating the offense last year. Gasol and Andy would be one of the best passing front court’s in the league.
I want Gasol. But I don’t think we should have to give up a first to get it done. Maybe protect a pick top 18 and give it to them.
Grover13. I disagree with your point that we can see that just adding young talent with high draft picks doesn’t translate to wins. What we can see is that having high draft picks doesn’t mean your getting good talent some years. Bennett and Olidipo wouldn’t be drafted in the top 12 this year. That goes for Noel, Len and Mclemore to. Porter wouldn’t be top 20. Grant didn’t miss with Bennett. There was nothing to hit. Olidpo sucks. Porter sucks worse than Bennett. Mclemore sucks the same as Olidpo but is a lot younger so maybe there is some upside… Read more »
@Scott, we can’t keep losing it sucks. I actually watch the damn games and lets just say putting up with Carr’s drivel is bad enough. You create a winning culture and players will want to stay, look at the Pacers, all their guys want to be there because they win. If you lose you just turn into the Kings, how many lottery players do they have? We don’t want to be the Browns rebuilding for the past 20 years.
@Underdog Varejao can pass, they just never give him the ball unless it’s a pick and roll.
@TV63, ain’t my money.
We’re on he hook for 20 million for another broken down fence AND they want some assets !! Not a deal at all.
If we give up a first rounder I’ll shit my pants. That would be a total choke by our front office. Gasol doesn’t want to be there. Bynum doesn’t want to be here. This deal helps the Lakers avoid $20 MILLION in luxury tax. If anyone should be sending a first rounder, it’s the Lakers.
Good move for us if Gasol doesn’t sulk on a bad team. I really hope we don’t have to throw in anything other than Bynum. We shouldn’t have to give up someone like Zeller. Grant needs to nut up and not let the Lakers take advantage. This trade helps them more than it helps us, so tell them it’s a straight swap or nothing. No picks, no players. Nothing.
If they don’t like it, go get Deng for Bynum + assets (Zeller + pick(s))
Making the playoffs as a 6-8 seed in the abysmal Eastern Conference should NOT be a goal. The Cavs should try to develop their young talent and hope they get lucky in the lottery. We need to play Bennett to see if he can find a way to be productive. Zeller needs a chance, too. And, we need to dump Chris Grant before the draft. The Cavs are in dire straights, right now. Pau Gasol, who is on a steep decline and wants to be in LA or Memphis (or a contender), will NOT right this ship. We have three… Read more »
All good points. Grover13 argues for a veteran presence to teach the young guys. That would help start developing a winning climate, and get us some sorely needed playoff experience. He may even get along with Varejao and stay in Cleveland’s lower pressure setting. Gasol’s a good passer, so you can change from a guard dominated offense to an inside-out one. He can teach that to Varejao and Tristan. Chris K liked the idea of Zeller and Bennett getting minutes and figuring things out. A Gasol deal would slow that process, but maybe that’s ok. Maybe somebody gets hurt and… Read more »
Nope, not a chance…the Cavs were the only team to give Bynum a chance and that kind of money. I’ll give Bynum credit for working hard to get back in shape and rehabbing his knees to being functional, but I won’t thank him for forcing his way out of town because he didn’t get the minutes/touches he wanted. He’s paid millions of dollars to play basketball. I think we would all jump at the opportunity to do the same (even if we hated basketball). He had a job to do and he didn’t have the courtesy or the respect to… Read more »
Didn’t realize I posted this in the other links to the present right below on the front page, thought the comment monster got it. My bad if anyone reads this twice.
Alright guys hear me out (this is all redacted in the event he signs with another team), personally I’m saying thank you to Andrew Bynum. He came he tried (we all saw that at the start of the season) in the end it didn’t work out, maybe he’s in pain, maybe he doesn’t really like basketball and you know what that’s fine. If we think about it pretty much any 7 footer in America (perhaps the world) that is physically capable of playing in the NBA is in the NBA. What are the odds that they all really like basketball?… Read more »
Similar feelings to those above. I like the idea of Zeller and Bennett figuring things out on the court, not backing up a player–Bynum OR Gasol–who might not be a long-term fit. This team could EASILY make the playoffs with the addition of even a marginal vet, so a healthy, motivated Gasol would be useful. The picks really need to be stashed, for sake of trade-up/trade-down possibilities. I am ambivalent towards this team making the focus of this season on the next year’s draft…I am not sure Grant is overseeing the draft if the team misses the playoffs, and I… Read more »
Not necessarily for or against this trade, but there is a counterpoint to be made to all of the “our future first rounders are more valuable than a short term veteran rental” talk. To those clamor ing for a shot at Wiggins/Parker/Randle as the panacea for this team….sorry, you’re delusional. If the last three years has taught us anything, it’s this: just adding young talent after young talent doesn’t equate to wins. At some point, they need to learn HOW to win. There needs to be a veteran presence on this team to help teach that skill to the youngsters.… Read more »
I’m talking a straight up swap, maybe the Sacramento pick because it’s looking more and more like that will never be a first rounder anyways.
Is the idea to put Zeller and Bennett back on the bench, save the Lakers tens of millions in cap space and give up more assets worth 50 games of Pau? Grant may not have made the best draft picks but he traded Mo and Mickey D’s gift certificates to get us six extra first round picks. I rather have him working for us with any trade.
People like to discount this trade idea because it’s a one year rental, but what if Pau likes not getting death threats every time he doesn’t pass it to Kobe, maybe he ends up enjoying the lower pressures associated with a small market and enjoys the international presence we have on our team and takes a reasonable deal to stay in Cleveland. You saying LBJ doesn’t want to play with Irving, Pau and Andy?
Oh Nice! The chance to trade one underachieving big man for another on a six month rental and all we have to do is give up a first-rounder or other assets?! Sign me up! Pau hasn’t been good in two years and he’s got the same pouty attitude as Bynum. I realize that Pau is in the wrong system and he’s a better player than what he’s shown but this is a bad idea. If this season has taught is anything it’s that the Cavs are nowhere near where we thought they were. As painful as it is, we need… Read more »
I hope it happens and a number of us were talking about Gasol to the Cavs on this very blog months before Simmons and national media ever mentioned it. Bynum for Gasol was discussed weeks ago here. I normally rip the Plain Dealer for going through more maxipads and Midol than any other major newspaper in the country, but the writers and commenters of this blog are ahead of the heavy weights as well. If you have to throw in the Sacramento or Miami pick, do it. Why not? The Lakers have NO SHOT at making the playoffs. Pau is… Read more »