Ever since that botched trade (thanks to then-NBA commissioner David Stern and his #BasketballReasons) to the New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans) for Chris Paul in 2011, Los Angeles Lakers big man Pau Gasol has been the center of various trade talks. For the past two trade deadlines, Gasol survived all the rumors of him heading to another team and remained a member of the Lakers. At some point, though, the madness has to end, for Pau’s sake, for the fans’ sake and for the team’s sake.
We all know who Pau is. 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year. All-Rookie First Team. J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award recepient. The Memphis Grizzlies‘ all-time leading scorer. Four-time NBA All-Star. One-time Second Team All-NBA. Two-time Third Team All-NBA. Two-time NBA Champion. With all those accolades comes the question of what the Lakers should do with him this season. Should the Lakers keep or get rid of Pau Gasol? Each one of us, haters and fans alike, has our own opinions regarding this matter. We should see the question in three perspectives: as Laker/Gasol fans, as basketball “analysts”, and as businessmen (whether you like it or not, the NBA is a huge, ultra-successful business aside from it being a sports league).
As a Lakers/Gasol fan
Gasol is a polarizing character in Laker-land. People either love him with all their hearts or hate him with every fiber of their being. The internet, this generation’s stage for “intelligent” debates, is torn between shipping Pau and keeping him. Most of the people asking Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak to trade Pau are the same ones who sang Gasol’s praises when the Lakers won back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010. But after a couple of injury-ridden seasons have slowed Pau down, fans are already saying goodbye. So much for the loyalty that Lakers Nation is supposed to be known for. Personally, I’d want to see Pau retire as a member of the purple-and-gold not only because of the two championships he’s helped bring to the franchise, but also because of what he’s done for the community. He was a key piece to the Lakers’ success from 2008–2011, and fans have been thankful to him for that. And Pau showed his appreciation for the fans by participating in various charitable events. It really sucks to see a nice guy like him go. Verdict: Keep him.
As a basketball fan
From the basketball aspect of the NBA (funny we have to specify this since the NBA IS basketball; but again, the NBA is also a business, not just a sports league), Pau is still a serviceable big man. Many still consider him as one of the top post players today. He had a slow start to this season, but picked up the slack in January, averaging 20.8 points, 11.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game before joining Kobe and four other teammates on the injured list. Truth be told, Pau’s talents is being wasted on a losing team like the Lakers right now. Teams with real chances of making a run at the Finals could use his post skills, high IQ and on-the-spot passing. Yes, you’re right. That’s just another way of saying the Lakers should trade Pau to a team that he could help win a championship. He deserves another shot at a ring. Pau’s not getting any younger, and with all the injuries he’s had, his end as a pro may come sooner than we think. Of course, the Lakers have to receive some assets that are worth as much as Gasol’s value to a team. A quality young player who the Lakers could develop? First-round draft picks? It’s up to GM Kupchak to decide. You’ve probably read articles that say trade talks for Pau have failed because teams refuse to give up picks and young players for Pau because they feel Gasol isn’t worth losing those assets. I politely beg to differ. His production has declined over the past couple of seasons, but his experience as a champion, coupled with his skills (though no longer elite, are way better than those of all his critics combined) is invaluable to on-the-rise teams. Pau’s tremendous work ethic and overall good attitude could also rub off of young guns who foolishly think they know what’s best for team. The verdict? Trade him… IF… if the Lakers get to receive a promising player and/or first-round draft picks.
From a business standpoint
The Lakers are in the dreaded “luxury tax” zone this season. What is the luxury tax? According to Mr. Larry Coon‘s Collective Bargaining Agreement FAQ (if you guys are hardcore NBA fans, I recommend you take time to read this; it’s very informative regarding the business aspect of the league), the luxury tax is:
“…a mechanism that helps control team spending. While it is commonly referred to as a “luxury tax,” the CBA simply calls it a “tax” or a “team payment.” It is paid by high spending teams – those with a team salary exceeding a predetermined tax level. These teams pay a penalty for each dollar their team salary (with a few exceptions…) exceeds the tax level.”
(read the full text here)
The luxury tax basically limits teams from overspending tons of dough in order for them to hoard superstars on their rosters. The purpose of this is to maintain a competitive nature within the league. Obviously, small market teams such as the Grizzlies or Charlotte Bobcats could NEVER outspend teams coming from big market cities like New York or Los Angeles.
The luxury tax line for the 2013-2014 season is $71.7 million. According to Hoopshype.com, the Lakers’ total salary this year is $79, 324, 423. That means the team is over the tax line by $7.6 million (79, 324,423 – 71, 700, 000). Using the calculations from Mr. Coon’s FAQ, the Lakers would pay $1.75 for every dollar that’s over the tax line. That factors up to roughly $13.3 million! I’m no expert in business-related stuff (that’s way out of my field), but I think for an underachieving team like the Lakers, even with that $3 billion/20 years TV deal with Time Warner Cable, $13.3 million in luxury tax is too much. Only pay tons of luxury tax when your team is a legitimate title contender. Otherwise, doing so is just stupid.
Trading is one (very complicated) way of getting below the luxury tax line. This is where Pau Gasol comes into play. Pau’s salary contributes a lot to the Lakers’ luxury tax woes. He’s the second-highest paid player on the roster (guess who’s first). If he gets sent to another team, it would lessen those woes. But you can’t just trade Pau to any team if you want to go below the tax line. Normally, for a team to legally pull off a trade, the salaries of the player being traded and the one he’s being traded for must match, having a difference of no more $100, 000. You get what you give, salary-wise. For a trade meant to relieve teams of tax issues to be successful, specific scenarious must be explored.
Last month, the Lakers engaged in trade talks with the Cavs for Andrew Bynum. Half of Bynum’s $12 million salary is unguaranteed. If he’d been waived (which was what the Lakers were expected to do if they did the trade), only $6 million would have been taxed, saving the Lakers approximately $10.5 million. We all know how it went down. The Chicago Bulls were the ones who pulled off the trade with the Cavs. A similar trade has been explored with the Phoenix Suns, who are offering injured center Emeka Okafor for Gasol in a bid to acquire an established star in their surprisingly successful quest for a playoff spot. Okafor ($14.5 million) and Gasol’s ($19.3 million) salaries don’t match, but the Suns have $5.6 million in cap space, so the trade is possible. The difference in the two salaries could lower the Lakers’ tax hold marginally. One or two more trades before the trade deadline could put them below the tax line.
The Lakers should seek a trade or trades that would put them under the luxury tax hold. Of course, the other guys not named Kobe Bryant are not safe from being traded, but dumping Gasol’s huge salary should be the priority. It would not only help the team this season, but also next year. Again, why would you keep paying luxury tax this season when you’re not winning? And Pau is an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. He could sign with any team of his choosing if the Lakers don’t want him anymore. But why would you let a valuable asset walk away for peanuts (like what happened with that guy who calls himself Superman) when you could get equally valuable assets in return if he is traded now? Verdict: Trade Pau. Period.
Conclusion
I find the thought of Pau wearing a different uniform as early as Feb. 21st (the day after the trade deadline) very unappealing. He’s one of my favorite players ever and one of my favorite follows on Twitter. But my loyalty is to the team and not to individual players. If trading Pau would help the Lakers in building a new dynasty that would go on for years after the Kobe-era is over, then by all means, trade him. But don’t expect me to be happy with it.
Here is a fan-made Pau Gasol top ten plays video highlight!
You can also read this on my basketball blog Nothing But Net and on LakersNationPH.com
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