Pau Gasol is finding himself in hot water with the Los Angeles Lakers after he made some not-so-nice comments towards head coach Mike D'Antoni. Team front offices normally do not take too kindly to internal criticism and Gasol could find that out the hard way. After a few heated exchanges between player and coach, the center is now the cause of several trade rumors.
Kobe Bryant describes the Gasol-D'Antoni relationship as that of an old married couple. Gasol made headlines are he criticized the offensive system of his head coach. The center has had low stats once again, averaging just 14.4 points per game which is a career-low. He blamed the fact that he never gets the ball enough to make plays. D'Antoni responded saying if Gasol wanted the ball then he needed to work harder for it. Bryant is downplaying the whole thing.
"That's every year. They're like an old couple," Bryant said, via ESPNLosAngeles.com. "That's every year. It's not really anything new. It's not a big deal. He can play a myriad of positions. I think having a balance is always the best way. He's obviously phenomenal in the post. He's phenomenal at the elbows. He's incredible at picking and popping. So, it's finding a balance and being able to do all of those things. I don't really see it as being too complicated."
The relationship between the two has been shaky ever since Dwight Howard was with the team. D'Antoni could not figure out how to make both Howard and Gasol co-exist on the court, leading to a lot of frustration. While it might not be a big deal to Bryant, it is a big deal to the Lakers' front office, leaving the team to think about a trade.
Gasol's future has been uncertain ever since Bryant signed a new two-year contract extension that has left the team strapped for salary cap space. The center is playing out the final year of his current contract that will pay him $19.3 million. He will likely be searching for a small pay raise or at least a long-term deal, something the Lakers do not have room to offer.
While the Lakers are still uncertain what they intend to do with Gasol, a trade could be the best option. The New York Knicks could become a partner with Tyson Chandler. The Chicago Bulls could also be an option with Carlos Boozer. The Lakers will want quality in return for the veteran and those two teams fit the description.
Gasol may have the support of Bryant, but he does not have it from the front office. The people that make the money decisions are ready to let Gasol go.
