There's less than two hours left before the NBA trade deadline ends. From the looks of it, the Los Angeles Lakers, a team heavily rumored to making changes, will remain with its fading and struggling stars. The Lakers might look to keep one big man, but thinking about possibly trading Pau Gasol could help the team.
Last night, on ESPN, they brought up an interesting deal, though heartbreaking to some Laker fans who respect what Gasol has done for the team over the years, the fact is that the Spaniard has been largely affected by Mike D'Antoni's coaching. A trade of this caliber can make the Lakers a better team.
How about Andre Iguodala and another guard from the Denver Nuggets bench, say, Evan Fournier for Gasol?
The deal makes sense in terms of money and it could help both teams. The Nuggets could become dominant in the paint, meanwhile, Iguodala's pace can help the Lakers in the "D'Antoni System."
Gasol helped the Lakers get two championships and though his game has been declining, he's been terrible this season. Gasol hasn't been as useful under the system and it's sad to see a champion who can still play struggle out on the court.
Iguodala has more speed than Gasol, can shoot the jumper and handle the ball as well.
This deal would make sense especially if Dwight Howard continues playing the way he did Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics.
It didn't take long for Howard to make an appearance in that game and there were plenty of positives as Howard was dominant for the first time in a long time.
In the first quarter, Howard had 12 points, six rebounds with a block and a steal, not to mention he sunk both of his free throws at the end of the period.
He had a pep in his step that fueled the Lakers in what eventually became a blowout. Not only was Howard sinking buckets and altering shots on defense, he was very mobile, setting beautiful picks for Steve Nash all night long.
This is the Howard the Lakers traded for and this is the Howard they need to win this alluded 17th championship.
The Lakers are battling to get into the playoff picture and though it's an uphill battle, if Howard can be dominant, who knows what they can accomplish by the time April rolls along.
Though considering the Gasol trade is amusing, the Lakers have said that they are not trading anybody during this deadline. If they don't make any moves, it will be interesting to see how the team plays down the stretch when it matters most.
