Lakers/Grizzlies Post-Mortem: The big question going around the league is not necessarily why but why now? The Memphis Grizzlies gave away Pau Gasol for future considerations that may one day help the team, but it's pretty safe to say in the short-term the Los Angeles Lakers got the better of the deal.

Here's Grizzlies' owner Mike Heisley on why he gave the green light (from the Commercial Appeal):

"We were worried that the Lakers might do the deal with Chicago," said Heisley, who had learned the Lakers were talking about sending [Kwame] Brown and [Vladimir] Radmanovic to Chicago for Ben Wallace.


That would have taken Brown's expiring contract off the table; the Grizzlies decided they had to act.


"Otherwise we'd be like Chicago is today," Heisley said, "and gotten nothing done."

Ouch. Hate to break it to you Mike, but the Lakers were not about to take on Ben Wallace. At first glance LA could use a tough, defensive-minded player like Wallace - but there are some fatal flaws in his game that made him untenable.

Wallace's lack of an offensive game would make it nearly impossible for him to play power forward in the triangle offense, making him a very expensive backup center. Playing next to Bynum would be a problem since Wallace has no jump shot - which would enable both opposing big men to double-team Bynum.

While Dennis Rodman was not a great shooter back when Coach Phil Jackson was with the Bulls, that was a very different version of the triangle since the Chicago lacked a center of Bynum's caliber.

Finally, Jackson prefers length at every position. Wallace is listed at 6'9", but that is generous. He's been relying on his athleticism to overcome his height - but now at 33 years old, that too is starting to fade.

No, the Lakers were not about to trade for Ben Wallace (which sources close to the situation confirm).

Laker GM Mitch Kupchak snowed the Grizzlies into making a deal - lest they lose out on Brown's valuable expiring contract.

Credit must also go to the Buss family for taking on Gasol's hefty contract and staying above the luxury tax threshold. While the Phoenix Suns used their draft resources to trim salary, the Lakers have upped the ante.

Gasol has yet to play a game and the Lakers will take some time to analyze what they have - but the big question will be Lamar Odom. In addition to being a very expensive player, Odom is neither a particularly effective jump shooter nor a lock-down individual defender.

He's an extremely valuable and versatile player - but he could be superfluous moving forward. The Lakers will listen to offers but with Bynum still out, the odds are they keep Odom for the remainder of the season. He'll be a very movable asset next year when he's an expiring contract.

The hope is that he'll focus on rebounding and facilitating the offense - but earlier in the season when he played small forward he got fewer boards away from the basket. If the Lakers have three players kicking the ball out from the inside (Bynum, Gasol and Kobe Bryant), is Odom the guy to be on the receiving end of a catch and shoot?

Probably not. Clearly the Lakers have some difficult decisions to make long term but for now, without Bynum, Odom may be safe. As it is, Gasol has to prove his worth in the system as well - though on paper he appears to be a tremendous fit.

But it's noteworthy that Odom's name was in discussion with Memphis. A source says the Lakers were interested in Mike Miller

Asking Out: As the trade deadline nears, a number of outspoken players have made it clear, "WE WANT OUT!" Will their teams oblige?

Jason Kidd: The hard part is finding contracts the Nets are willing to take to match Jason Kidd's $19.7 million contract. The next trick is finding the young talent and draft picks to make it worthwhile for New Jersey. There's some speculation that the Los Angeles Lakers would consider sending Lamar Odom for Kidd (they're not at this point) or that he'll end up in Dallas. The Kidd story won't die down until after the deadline but at first glance there doesn't appear to be an elegant solution to be had without a third team getting involved. Now if the Nets want to go the Memphis fire sale route - that's a different story.

Andrei Kirilenko: Despite the Utah Jazz' recent surge, Kirilenko has made it clear privately that he still wants to go. Watching Pau Gasol go so cheaply to the Lakers, the Jazz are too good to hurt their team to appease a well-paid disgruntled player. In other words - too bad. Perhaps over the summer something could be done but Utah isn't about to do anything that will diminish their playoff chances.

Shawn Marion: The message the Suns have put out is that they'll stick with the core for one more run. Quietly they've listened to Marion proposals. One rumor has them talking to the Miami HEAT for Shaquille O'Neal. True or false - that's a fun one to think about. Would O'Neal be able to keep up with Steve Nash or would Phoenix slow down to accommodate?

Ron Artest: Artest is not asking out specifically but he's fanning the fire when he tells the media to bet their homes on him opting out this summer. Sources say the Sacramento Kings have made him available despite the team's recent play. The Denver Nuggets (Linas Kleiza and Eduardo Najera) and New York Knicks (the Kings are said to want David Lee) are both very interested.

JJ Redick: Redick would like to get some playing time and could be a way for the Orlando Magic to add another rebounder. The Magic have said it's unlikely and that they still have faith in Redick as a player, but is that just GM speak? If they could pry Udonis Haslem away from the Miami HEAT, that would be a huge boost for the Magic and their eventual playoff run.

Jamal Crawford: This has turned into a little of a dispute as a report in a Seattle Times Blog had Crawford saying he'd be open to a trade out of New York. Crawford has been one of the bright spots for the Knicks this season. Later, he would completely deny making the statement. This is either a case where he told a reporter he trusted something off the record - or there was a major miscommunication.

Jerome James: Crawford's Knick teammate is more demonstrative that he wants out. Good luck there James.

Stephon Marbury: After going under the knife, Marbury is probably done for the season. The Knicks would love to move him as well but it's probably not going to be in discussion until the summer when he's a last year contract.

Charlie Villanueva: It's not that Villanueva necessarily wants out of Milwaukee. As he states in his blog, he just doesn't see himself as an important part of the Bucks' future. While the drafting of Yi Jianlian has pushed Villanueva to the bench, he thinks he could find playing time alongside him (at small forward) but that doesn't seem to be a priority for Milwaukee. With the Bucks floundering, Villanueva may be the best piece Milwaukee has to offer.

Gerald Green: When the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Kevin Garnett, it was thought that Gerald Green was an important piece for the Wolves. Apparently not. Before the season they didn't pick up his player option and now Green is asking out because he can't get the playing time he needs to earn a new contract. If the Wolves were interested in adding salary they could package Green with the expiring contract of Theo Ratliff; however it appears Minnesota is thinking more about fiscal conservatism as they try to rebuild.

Delonte West: It's not that West is demanding out - it's that he's puzzled by his lack of playing time. Depending on who you ask, West may be the one point guard actually wants to keep (though he's not Coach PJ Carlisemo's favorite). West may just need to be patient as the Sonics showcase Luke Ridnour and Earl Watson until the trade deadline.

Smush Parker: The HEAT would love to get out of Parker's contract. He holds a player option for $2.43 million next season and may have no choice but to take it. After both the Los Angeles Lakers and HEAT gave up on him, is anyone going to offer Parker more than the minimum? If he is moved it'll be as a throw-in as part of a bigger deal.

While this is just a short list of the players being shopped at the deadline - these are the ones who are pushing for their own exit. It'll be interesting to see after the deadline how many were moved. In other words, are they helping or hindering their chances of relocation by going public?

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