Gary A. Vasquez-USA Today Sports
It’s going to be an interesting off-season for the Los Angeles Lakers. From Kobe Bryant‘s recovery to Dwight Howard‘s free agency to their attempts at getting younger through the NBA Draft, the Lakers have some serious decisions to make.
While Los Angeles can surely be expected to offer Howard a max contract, there’s no telling whether or not he would accept it, especially considering the rumors that are already swirling around his upcoming free agency.
Well, in addition to the impending Howard news, the Lakers are also attempting to make some noise on draft night — and it could involve Pau Gasol. Right now, all the Lakers have is the 48th overall pick, so they need to figure something out if they are going to follow through with their plans at getting younger heading into the 2013-14 season.
Now, according to a report from Sam Amico of FoxSports.com, the Lakers would be willing to trade Gasol if they can move up into the lottery portion of the draft and with it could come the pick, a younger players and an expiring contract, potentially.
Gasol is the perfect trade bait if the Lakers are looking to do something along these lines. Free agency doesn’t begin until July 1, so this move would have to come before a decision is made on Howard. That could have an interesting domino effect, so keep an eye on the Lakers on draft night, even though they only hold the 48th pick as of this moment.
This draft is considerably weaker than others in the past. So, Los Angeles better be set on someone in the lottery portion of the first round if they are willing to deal Gasol prior to knowing what Howard will do.
Follow Paul Seaver on Twitter: @PaulSeaverRS
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