Gasol-for-Bosh deal a win for Lakers, Heat

Billy Witz

When Pau Gasol arrived in Los Angeles five years ago, he was the missing link for the desperately rebuilding Lakers. His passing, vision, skill and selflessness fit seamlessly into Phil Jackson's triangle offense, and suddenly the Lakers were back to being the Lakers " feared, loathed and on their way to three straight NBA Finals appearances and back-to-back titles.

Now, with the team having been dispatched by a better team for the second consecutive season in the Western Conference semifinals, Gasol is again the solution for the Lakers.

This time, though, they must trade him.

There's nothing wrong with Gasol's skill set. Though he turns 32 in July, Gasol has never relied on his athleticism or quickness, gifts that diminish over time. He is still a matchup nightmare, a 7-foot forward who, this season, expanded his range to the three-point line, much to Andrew Bynum's chagrin.

What has changed is the Lakers. With Bynum's development into a dominant low-post player (at least when he feels like it " or when Kobe Bryant feels like giving him the ball), there isn't space for two on the block. And now that the triangle offense has been replaced by Mike Brown's isolation plays, the ball doesn't make it into Gasol's hands often enough.

The problem with that is Gasol remains " by far " the Lakers' best distributor and decision-maker, his ill-fated pass that Kevin Durant poached at the end of Game 4 notwithstanding.

Simply put, the Lakers no longer get their money's worth " $18.7 million a year " out of Gasol.

And though there are many teams that would love to have Gasol " Houston, which almost got him in December, and Chicago are the two most oft-mentioned " one deal makes the most sense.

Hello, Pat Riley?

Sending Gasol to Miami for Chris Bosh might just be the missing piece for both franchises. The salaries are a close enough match to make it work: Gasol has two years and $38.2 million left on his contract; Bosh has four years (the last two are player options) and $78 million on his. And neither owner, the Heat's Micky Arison nor the Lakers' Jerry Buss, is afraid to go all in.

This works for the Lakers because Bosh is most comfortable playing at the elbow or on the baseline, facing the basket and shooting jumpers " a perfect (but now-absent) complement to Bynum in the post. Bosh, who just turned 28, gives the Lakers someone " anyone? " who can get easy baskets in transition and provides them two cornerstone big men who are hitting their prime as Bryant nears the end of his.

Meanwhile, in Miami, it's hard to imagine changes won't be made if the Heat don't win the title. Is coach Erik Spoelstra done? Is guard Dwyane Wade sent elsewhere? Perhaps, but flipping Bosh for Gasol would cure many of the Heat's ills.

They would have a true low-post threat, a role LeBron James has grudgingly accepted (except in the playoffs) because Bosh could not find any comfort there " and nobody else on the roster is capable. Gasol, unlike Bosh, can defend any Eastern Conference center not named Dwight Howard and would provide James with someone who also values the importance of keeping the ball moving. This might encourage Spoelstra " or whoever is coaching the Heat " to actually, like, run an offense.

Such a trade might also rejuvenate both players.

Bosh seems to shrink under the weight of the Heat's villainy, but would find comfort in a locker room that, despite some dominant personalities, is quite mature. And, in case nobody noticed, Bryant and Metta World Peace are quite comfortable being the bad guys.

Gasol's championship pedigree, both with Spain and the Lakers, would be more valued in Miami than it is in Los Angeles, and might give him a greater voice in the locker room than he's had with the Lakers, keeping him more engaged. And as much as Gasol enjoys living in Los Angeles, South Beach would also agree with his cosmopolitan tastes.

Certainly, the trade would not solve all the Lakers' problems. If Ramon Sessions opts out of his contract, the Lakers must procure a point guard. And, just as urgently, their bench must get younger and more athletic. Steve Blake is serviceable and Jordan Hill is promising, but LA needs shooters, shooters and shooters.

But those are moves made at the margins. Planting Gasol in Miami immediately makes the Heat the favorite in the East next season, and putting Bosh " and a few tweaks " in Los Angeles would put the Lakers in the mix in the West.

This would be a bold deal, but for an aging Bryant and an anxious James desperate for a championship " and owners who have been rewarded for rolling the dice " it's also the right one.

Link: http://www.foxsportswest.com/05/22/12/G ... eedID=7972

At the time of the Pau trade I would have done it in a heartbeat. Both have regressed, but the pieces fix Miami better.

I'd rather amnesty blake and pick up Ray Allen. Wouldn't mind KG too.