The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into a vitally important season for the future of the franchise, as star Kobe Bryant will be returning from a serious knee injury and players like Pau Gasol and Steve Nash could be entering the final stages of their careers.
Gasol will be a primary player for the Lakers this season, as he likely will be much more productive now that Dwight Howard is gone and his future with the team could be decided with the way he plays in 2013-14. Gasol put up career low numbers last season, but that was partially due to the way Mike D'Antoni played him and Howard and now he will have the chance to have a rebound season.
Gasol is often mentioned in trade rumors and while nothing got serious this past summer, the star is looking to stay with the Lakers for the future. According to CBS Sports, Gasol said that despite being in the final year of his contract and the constant trade speculation in the media, he is hoping to remain with the Lakers after this season and since the team doesn't have much money locked up going forward, he could find his a way to stay with the team, although it will likely mean a pay decrease. Gasol is making nearly $20 million and while he isn't that type of player anymore, he still should command a decent salary.
Gasol missed over 30 games last season while averaging 13 points and over eight rebounds and the Lakers will need him back to form to get anywhere in the west this season. The team has an old roster with Steve Nash, Gasol and Bryant, but if those players can stay healthy, the team should easily be able to get into the playoffs. The west has plenty of teams that will contend for a title, including the Thunder, Spurs, Grizzlies and Rockets and the Lakers will have to play very well to stay in the running with those teams.
The Lakers are happy to see Kobe Bryant recovering from his injury and he made a significant step by getting back on the court and doing some workouts and Mike D'Antoni said that Bryant is making his way back to full health. Bryant is key for the Lakers this season and once he is back to full strength the team should be much better.