Pau Gasol Hears The Trade Rumors Too

Earlier this month, Pau Gasol was mentioned in a trade rumor involving Rajon Rondo. Forgive me if I dismiss that rumor as either someone's source's fantasy (not trying to throw rumor reporters under the bus - they are only as good as their sources) or one of dozens of ideas that are tossed between GMs on a daily basis that likely never got past the "hmm, that's interesting, but nah" phase.

Still, there's smoke around Gasol these days. If fact, that smoke might be the smoldering remains of the trade that wasn't this summer.

Los Angeles Lakers' Pau Gasol says possible trade 'out of my hands' - ESPN Los Angeles

With the NBA's March 15 trade deadline now less than a month away, Lakers forward Pau Gasol admits he's not sure if his future lies in Los Angeles. "There's talks and rumors every day. Today I was reading it was Minnesota is really interested in trying to put a good package together," he said. "[Other teams are] calling, and it seems like things are just waiting for the right offer to come along, for [the Lakers] to pull the trigger." Certainly Gasol has evidence of the team's willingness to move him. He was a major component of the controversial three-team trade in early December between the Lakers, New Orleans, and Houston that would have sent Gasol to the Rockets and Chris Paul to the Lakers.

Chances are, if the Lakers are going to land Dwight Howard, it will take giving up Andrew Bynum. If they want to do something smaller or complimentary, Gasol is going to be the bait.