The trade deadline is just two weeks away, so it’s time to get the rumor mill going. 
One of the biggest names who is most likely to get traded is L.A. Lakers’ Pau Gasol. The Lakers tried to trade Gasol before the season started and there are lots of sources saying L.A. is still shopping him around.
No one seems to have solid information on where Gasol will end up, but the newest rumor is that he’ll be traded to the Boston Celtics for Rajon Rondo. The Celtics are really struggling so there’s a chance Danny Ainge wouldn’t mind giving up his All-Star point guard for a big man, especially since Rondo hasn’t seemed happy in Boston for a while.
Giving up Gasol for a point guard would be a win-lose situation for the Lakers. It would give the Lakers some much-needed help in the back court but would definitely decrease their advantage in size. The combo of Gasol and Andrew Bynum has been a solid part of the Lakers offense for years (as long as Bynum has stayed healthy). When those two are playing well together, it makes it so tough to game plan against the Lakers. No other team in the NBA can match up to that kind of talent in the post position. If they give that up for Rondo, I think they’ll be an easier team to play.
Since only seven games separate the second best record in the Western Conference from the tenth, it’s a little early to start talking about playoff matchups, but there’s always a chance the San Antonio Spurs could see the Lakers in the first round. Would you rather see the team the Lakers have now, or the Lakers minus Pau Gasol but with a much better point guard? I think the Spurs would match up so much better with the latter considering San Antonio doesn’t have the size to contend with Gasol and Bynum.
We won’t get to see the Spurs and Lakers play until the end of the regular season when they play each other three times in nine days, so we won’t get to compare, we’ll just be getting a preview of what it could look like if the teams played each other in the playoffs.
Of course adding Rondo to the Lakers would make a formidable backcourt with Bryant but the Spurs would counter with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.
Either way, trade or no trade, I still think the Spurs would have the Lakers number in a playoff series.
What do you have to say Spurs fans? Would you rather see the Spurs face a Lakers team with Rondo or Gasol should these two teams meet in the playoffs?
