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Lifestyle => Sports & Entertainment => Topic started by: Now_Im_Not_Banned on January 24, 2007, 04:58:09 PM

Title: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: Now_Im_Not_Banned on January 24, 2007, 04:58:09 PM
Chicago GM John Paxson spoke publicly about trying to put a deal together to acquire F/C Pau Gasol from the Grizzlies.

"More will come down to if Memphis is in fact going to make a move, they're going to get the best deal they can get. That's what they should do," Paxson said. "For us, it's very difficult to give up too much. If it's just going to be a lateral move, I tend to keep the assets we have and try to find some other way to get better." The fact that other GMs are talking so openly about Gasol's availability is rare, and appears to almost gurantee the big man will be moved before the February trade deadline. You can bet that just about every team in the league is going after Gasol, but the Bulls are in a good spot with several expiring contracts, draft picks and young, good players to offer. If there's still a possibility of Kevin Garnett being traded this year, the Bulls are going to want to make sure he's not an option before making a serious run at Gasol.

but...

Pau Gasol says he's loyal to the Grizzlies and is upset that his ethics have been questioned, and the Commercial Appeal's Ron Tillery says that there's a chance Gasol could finish the season with the Grizzlies.
"I don't know how long this thing is going to last," Gasol said. "I love being in Memphis. I'm still here and I'm still competing. For people to second-guess my professionalism and my willingness to work is a real shame. I've been here the longest. I'm loyal to my team. I'm a loyal person. But from what I hear, I'm getting (lambasted). It's unfair." Gasol is still a likely candidate to be traded, but nothing is set in stone. If you own him, continue to start him until further notice.

Source: Memphis Commercial Appeal




Hmmm...Would be interesting, especially down in Chicago, that could really push them over the top. I heard it would be something like Luol Deng and Chris Duhon for Pau Gasol. doubt it'll go down though, not this year at least...PeACe
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: herpes on January 24, 2007, 05:56:10 PM
yea there have been rumors about this for the past 2 weeks.  Ive heard gordon, deng, and thomas.  ive heard deng and duhon and a draft pick.  This a lot of rumors swirling around about it, but its lookin more like gasol wont get dealt untill the season is over.
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: Bay Area Jat on January 24, 2007, 06:16:29 PM
From ESPN Insider

Criticism Unfair
Jan 24 - Pau Gasol expressed disappointment about the situation, saying his request was misrepresented and the bitter fallout has been a bit misguided.
"I don't know how long this thing is going to last," Gasol said. "I love being in Memphis. I'm still here and I'm still competing. For people to second-guess my professionalism and my willingness to work is a real shame. I've been here the longest. I'm loyal to my team. I'm a loyal person. But from what I hear, I'm getting (lambasted). It's unfair."

When asked if an immediate trade would make his life easier, Gasol said he won't be consumed by constant speculation. -- Memphis Commercial-Appeal


The Bulls possess basically every element needed to trade for a star, specifically young talent, expiring contracts and draft picks. GM John Paxson gave a telling answer when asked if matching Gasol's $12.3 million salary would be the most difficult element of making a deal.
"In this case, probably not so much," he said. "More will come down to if Memphis is in fact going to make a move, they're going to get the best deal they can get. That's what they should do. For us, it's very difficult to give up too much. If it's just going to be a lateral move, I tend to keep the assets we have and try to find some other way to get better."

That's why trading two players from the core of Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng and Andres Nocioni won't happen. -- Chicago Tribune


Gasol won't come at a bargain price. In Monday's loss at Denver, Gasol finished with 23 points and 17 rebounds, while the other four Grizzlies starters combined for 17 points and 7 boards.
"I know our main weakness," Paxson said. "We need a four (power forward) who can score. It's obvious. I'd like to address that. But I'm not going to mortgage the organization for that." -- Arlington Heights Daily Herald


"Gordon and Deng have more value today then they did before the season started," Paxson said. "That's a good thing if we're talking about names.
"The one thing I don't like about stuff like this is that their names are out there. Everybody in this league would love to have Lu Deng and Ben Gordon. I'm glad we have them, but it's very hard for them to read things and, hopefully, they understand. Until something happens, I hope they don't worry about it." -- Chicago Sun-Times


Paxson neither confirmed nor denied interest in Memphis Grizzlies star forward Pau Gasol, who's been mentioned prominently in trade rumors.
According to a league source, the Bulls offered a package that includes guard Ben Gordon, forward P.J. Brown and a first round draft pick in return for Gasol, who has requested a trade. The source also said Brown would be included in any trade made before the deadline. -- Daily Southtown
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: GangstaBoogy on January 24, 2007, 06:47:36 PM
I get the feeling when he said "I want to play for a contender" that was more of a wake up call than a trade request.
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: Vegasmac25 on January 24, 2007, 07:58:30 PM
It would be good for both teams i think.
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: Halu Sination on January 24, 2007, 09:38:14 PM
I get the feeling when he said "I want to play for a contender" that was more of a wake up call than a trade request.

yea thats wut i was thinking.
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: Now_Im_Not_Banned on January 25, 2007, 11:36:31 AM
I get the feeling when he said "I want to play for a contender" that was more of a wake up call than a trade request.



Yea, well Memphis just beat Utah in OT last night...Gasol with the fat triple double, Eddie Jones with the game winning shot...

It'd be nice to see Jerry West's team pick it up again, especially cuz I just acquired Gasol on my fantasy team for Curry and Nocioni.
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: d-nice on January 25, 2007, 11:39:33 AM
I get the feeling when he said "I want to play for a contender" that was more of a wake up call than a trade request.



Yea, well Memphis just beat Utah in OT last night...Gasol with the fat triple double, Eddie Jones with the game winning shot...

It'd be nice to see Jerry West's team pick it up again, especially cuz I just acquired Gasol on my fantasy team for Curry and Nocioni.

Being a Bulls fan, I really do not want to part with Deng or Gordon, but we do need to get bigger on the front line. I wish we could have kept Curry and Chandler now that I think about it.  :'(
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: Now_Im_Not_Banned on January 25, 2007, 11:48:05 AM
Being a Bulls fan, I really do not want to part with Deng or Gordon, but we do need to get bigger on the front line. I wish we could have kept Curry and Chandler now that I think about it.  :'(


Yea, I really think you guys shoulda' kept Curry and Chandler at that offensive/defensive PF-C combo...The Bulls were on to something in 04-05, they kinda took a step back with releasing Curry and then Chandler...I mean, you coulda had:

PG Kirk Hinrich...Chris Duhon
SG Ben Gordon...Thabo Sefolosha
SF Luol Deng...Andres Nocioni
PF Eddy Curry...Tyrus Thomas
C Tyson Chandler...Michael Sweetney


^^IMO, if that team grew together, they'd own the east right now...PeACe
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: WC Iz Active on January 25, 2007, 11:49:13 AM
I get the feeling when he said "I want to play for a contender" that was more of a wake up call than a trade request.



Yea, well Memphis just beat Utah in OT last night...Gasol with the fat triple double, Eddie Jones with the game winning shot...

It'd be nice to see Jerry West's team pick it up again, especially cuz I just acquired Gasol on my fantasy team for Curry and Nocioni.

Being a Bulls fan, I really do not want to part with Deng or Gordon, but we do need to get bigger on the front line. I wish we could have kept Curry and Chandler now that I think about it.  :'(

I agree,  Eddy Curry > Ben Wallace
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: Now_Im_Not_Banned on January 25, 2007, 11:50:38 AM
I get the feeling when he said "I want to play for a contender" that was more of a wake up call than a trade request.



Yea, well Memphis just beat Utah in OT last night...Gasol with the fat triple double, Eddie Jones with the game winning shot...

It'd be nice to see Jerry West's team pick it up again, especially cuz I just acquired Gasol on my fantasy team for Curry and Nocioni.

Being a Bulls fan, I really do not want to part with Deng or Gordon, but we do need to get bigger on the front line. I wish we could have kept Curry and Chandler now that I think about it.  :'(

I agree,  Eddy Curry > Ben Wallace


Yea, and Eddy Curry+Tyson Chandler combo >>>>> Ben Wallace.
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: rik on January 25, 2007, 11:54:21 AM
Being a Bulls fan, I really do not want to part with Deng or Gordon, but we do need to get bigger on the front line. I wish we could have kept Curry and Chandler now that I think about it.  :'(


Yea, I really think you guys shoulda' kept Curry and Chandler at that offensive/defensive PF-C combo...The Bulls were on to something in 04-05, they kinda took a step back with releasing Curry and then Chandler...I mean, you coulda had:

PG Kirk Hinrich...Chris Duhon
SG Ben Gordon...Thabo Sefolosha
SF Luol Deng...Andres Nocioni
PF Eddy Curry...Tyrus Thomas
C Tyson Chandler...Michael Sweetney


^^IMO, if that team grew together, they'd own the east right now...PeACe

Yeah man, that team would have been a beast out there.
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: d-nice on January 25, 2007, 12:03:43 PM
And looking back for the short time we had Chandler, we gave up Elton Brand for him. So I thought for sure the front office was going to keep him for a long time. I really do not know what went down with the whole Curry situation but I see the damage he is consistently doing now with the Knicks and it like, FUCK! If the Bulls are cold from the perimeter, they can forget it now. We do still get another draft pick from New York in the 1st round but the 2 prized big men (Oden and Noah) will probably be gone by the time we pick.
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: d-nice on January 25, 2007, 12:14:48 PM
Chicago got impatient. After all those losing seasons after MJ left and them basically coming out of nowhere 3 years ago and making the playoffs, they panicked. They saw the early 1st round losses as more of something is missing. The team is still young, they were learning how to win games and defensively they still are beasts at times but they still have problems closing out games. Curry and Chandler to me showed the front office what they could do but I guess it was not consistent enough for them to stay. And the past drafts have either been guard and forward heavy or we had a late pick. That is why I can respect the Lakers because they are allowing the young talent to improve and get better.
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: Now_Im_Not_Banned on January 25, 2007, 12:17:26 PM
And looking back for the short time we had Chandler, we gave up Elton Brand for him. So I thought for sure the front office was going to keep him for a long time. I really do not know what went down with the whole Curry situation but I see the damage he is consistently doing now with the Knicks and it like, FUCK! If the Bulls are cold from the perimeter, they can forget it now. We do still get another draft pick from New York in the 1st round but the 2 prized big men (Oden and Noah) will probably be gone by the time we pick.

The 2 prized big men? How 'bout Kevin Durant?...LOL. But yea, if you look deeper into it, just imagine what it COULDA been:

PG Ben Gordon
SG Luol Deng
SF Andres Nocioni
PF Elton Brand
C Eddy Curry

 :o :o :o

And lets not forget off the bench- Kirk Hinrich, Chris Duhon, Tyrus Thomas etc...Bulls had all the right pieces, they're sill working with some nice pieces, but they really should be stronger than they are right now IMO.
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: GangstaBoogy on January 25, 2007, 12:22:11 PM
I get the feeling when he said "I want to play for a contender" that was more of a wake up call than a trade request.



Yea, well Memphis just beat Utah in OT last night...Gasol with the fat triple double, Eddie Jones with the game winning shot...

It'd be nice to see Jerry West's team pick it up again, especially cuz I just acquired Gasol on my fantasy team for Curry and Nocioni.

I got Gasol for nothin the day before he came back. He was still under the free agent players!
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: Now_Im_Not_Banned on January 25, 2007, 12:23:35 PM
I get the feeling when he said "I want to play for a contender" that was more of a wake up call than a trade request.



Yea, well Memphis just beat Utah in OT last night...Gasol with the fat triple double, Eddie Jones with the game winning shot...

It'd be nice to see Jerry West's team pick it up again, especially cuz I just acquired Gasol on my fantasy team for Curry and Nocioni.

I got Gasol for nothin the day before he came back. He was still under the free agent players!


WTF? Are you in a Special Olympic 3-team league?
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: d-nice on January 25, 2007, 12:24:27 PM
And looking back for the short time we had Chandler, we gave up Elton Brand for him. So I thought for sure the front office was going to keep him for a long time. I really do not know what went down with the whole Curry situation but I see the damage he is consistently doing now with the Knicks and it like, FUCK! If the Bulls are cold from the perimeter, they can forget it now. We do still get another draft pick from New York in the 1st round but the 2 prized big men (Oden and Noah) will probably be gone by the time we pick.

The 2 prized big men? How 'bout Kevin Durant?...LOL. But yea, if you look deeper into it, just imagine what it COULDA been:

PG Ben Gordon
SG Luol Deng
SF Andres Nocioni
PF Elton Brand
C Eddy Curry

 :o :o :o

And lets not forget off the bench- Kirk Hinrich, Chris Duhon, Tyrus Thomas etc...Bulls had all the right pieces, they're sill working with some nice pieces, but they really should be stronger than they are right now IMO.

Shit can't believe I forgot him.  ;DnDurant is nice but what position do you think he would play in the NBA?
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: Now_Im_Not_Banned on January 25, 2007, 12:27:39 PM
I think he will be playing power forward and maybe small forward, depending on his development and the team he ends up with...Possibly even center.
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: d-nice on January 25, 2007, 12:31:57 PM
Yeah he is going to be a mismatch at either of those positions on the offensive end. Just wondering what he would do defensively. But I doubt he would be around by the time we picked.
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: Now_Im_Not_Banned on January 25, 2007, 12:36:42 PM
Yeah he is going to be a mismatch at either of those positions on the offensive end. Just wondering what he would do defensively. But I doubt he would be around by the time we picked.


Of course not, he's a top 3 pick...But yea, dude is very versatile, he can even play shooting guard!
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: d-nice on January 25, 2007, 12:40:35 PM
Yeah he is going to be a mismatch at either of those positions on the offensive end. Just wondering what he would do defensively. But I doubt he would be around by the time we picked.


Of course not, he's a top 3 pick...But yea, dude is very versatile, he can even play shooting guard!

Isn't the Knicks 1st Round pick for the Bulls if they finish with one of the worst records like last year? If that is the case, I still do not think that we would land Oden or Durant but if you got a lotto pick ya never know where you might end up.
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: Now_Im_Not_Banned on January 25, 2007, 12:49:10 PM
Yeah he is going to be a mismatch at either of those positions on the offensive end. Just wondering what he would do defensively. But I doubt he would be around by the time we picked.


Of course not, he's a top 3 pick...But yea, dude is very versatile, he can even play shooting guard!

Isn't the Knicks 1st Round pick for the Bulls if they finish with one of the worst records like last year? If that is the case, I still do not think that we would land Oden or Durant but if you got a lotto pick ya never know where you might end up.


Yea, I don't see the Knicks landing a top pick though...Your management made one really smart move, and that was getting those picks in the Curry deal. The Knicks thought they'd be playoff bound for years to come after picking up Larry Brown. :laugh:
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: d-nice on January 25, 2007, 12:51:04 PM
Watch it, that is still a sore subject with Knick fans.  :D

Yeah I don't see them being as bad as last year. Which means no big men for us in the draft.
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: MIAMI4LIFE on January 25, 2007, 12:58:47 PM
Watch it, that is still a sore subject with Knick fans.  :D

Yeah I don't see them being as bad as last year. Which means no big men for us in the draft.

Knicks are beasting dude, LOL they still aren't going to the playoffs but they're more fun to watch than last year thats for sure
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: Now_Im_Not_Banned on January 25, 2007, 01:01:20 PM
Watch it, that is still a sore subject with Knick fans.  :D

Yeah I don't see them being as bad as last year. Which means no big men for us in the draft.

Knicks are beasting dude, LOL they still aren't going to the playoffs but they're more fun to watch than last year thats for sure

Yea...I really think they have a bright future with their nice, young core.
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: GangstaBoogy on January 25, 2007, 01:02:55 PM
I get the feeling when he said "I want to play for a contender" that was more of a wake up call than a trade request.



Yea, well Memphis just beat Utah in OT last night...Gasol with the fat triple double, Eddie Jones with the game winning shot...

It'd be nice to see Jerry West's team pick it up again, especially cuz I just acquired Gasol on my fantasy team for Curry and Nocioni.

I got Gasol for nothin the day before he came back. He was still under the free agent players!


WTF? Are you in a Special Olympic 3-team league?

Shiet I wish. Nah nobody picked him because he was out till January.
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: Now_Im_Not_Banned on January 25, 2007, 01:04:33 PM
I get the feeling when he said "I want to play for a contender" that was more of a wake up call than a trade request.



Yea, well Memphis just beat Utah in OT last night...Gasol with the fat triple double, Eddie Jones with the game winning shot...

It'd be nice to see Jerry West's team pick it up again, especially cuz I just acquired Gasol on my fantasy team for Curry and Nocioni.

I got Gasol for nothin the day before he came back. He was still under the free agent players!


WTF? Are you in a Special Olympic 3-team league?

Shiet I wish. Nah nobody picked him because he was out till January.


That's still absurd, especially since you got him a day before he came back...How many teams in your league man?
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: GangstaBoogy on January 25, 2007, 01:13:05 PM
I get the feeling when he said "I want to play for a contender" that was more of a wake up call than a trade request.



Yea, well Memphis just beat Utah in OT last night...Gasol with the fat triple double, Eddie Jones with the game winning shot...

It'd be nice to see Jerry West's team pick it up again, especially cuz I just acquired Gasol on my fantasy team for Curry and Nocioni.

I got Gasol for nothin the day before he came back. He was still under the free agent players!


WTF? Are you in a Special Olympic 3-team league?

Shiet I wish. Nah nobody picked him because he was out till January.


That's still absurd, especially since you got him a day before he came back...How many teams in your league man?

I'm in 2 leagues. 1 has 8 players, the one where I stole Pau Gasol has 4. My homie wanted to make a league for the homies that actually watches the games together.
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: Jakubs on January 25, 2007, 11:50:12 PM
As a Bulls fan I would love to have Gasol. It's nice to hear that Paxson doesn't want to part with Hinrich, Gordon, Deng or Nocioni. The Curry/Chandler thing doesn't really bother me, because Curry still hasn't impressed me. Chandler will probably never improve his offense, and his defense his still not up there with Ben Wallace. The Elton Brand trade bugs the hell out of me. I don't understand trading a 20/10 guy. If we could of had him and Wallace now we'd be set. A little undersized, but Brand gives a nice mid-range shot and an inside scoring presence. If we can land Gasol or Garnett that would be great. I'm willing to part with Thabo and Tyrus, although I would love to see what they can do, but we have plenty of young talent that has already had 3 seasons to gel, and they are just getting acclimated with the team right now. I still think we're the best team in the East when we play up to our potential, the problem is that the Bulls play up to the better opponents and down to the lesser ones. They need to learn how to play at a high level all the time, and close out games. Tonight's win verse Dallas was huge. Defense wins championships, regardless of the sport.
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: Now_Im_Not_Banned on February 04, 2007, 05:12:43 PM
He's got a ticket to ride (http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/clippers/la-sp-nbacoast4feb04,1,2038888.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-nba-clippe)

Mark Heisler
February 4, 2007

Insiders say Memphis keeps dropping its asking price for Pau Gasol, suggesting owner Michael Heisley has told Jerry West to forget fair value and slash the payroll.

The Grizzlies reportedly asked Chicago for Ben Gordon, Luol Deng and the Knicks' No. 1 pick, which the Bulls own. Now Memphis is down to Deng or Gordon plus another young player such as Thabo Sefolosha, P.J. Brown's expiring contract and a 2009 first-rounder.

Insiders say a few losses may bring the Bulls around. They just eked out a win in Seattle to go 1-1 on this seven-game West Coast trip, so stay tuned.
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: "THE" MoSav on February 05, 2007, 05:13:39 PM
^^Gasol would be huge in Chicago
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: 7even on February 06, 2007, 05:09:00 AM
lol, gasol for deng and some young niggas... that a rip-off, chicago has to do this
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: Now_Im_Not_Banned on February 06, 2007, 09:28:19 AM
lol, gasol for deng and some young niggas... that a rip-off, chicago has to do this


Deng is better than you think, this could be a fair trade...
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: Now_Im_Not_Banned on February 11, 2007, 04:54:24 PM
Struggling Bulls may renew interest in Gasol (http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/grizzlies/article/0,1426,MCA_475_5343976,00.html)

By Ronald Tillery
February 11, 2007

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Grizzlies are still entertaining trade offers for center Pau Gasol.

No deal appeared imminent as of Saturday night when the Griz played on the road against the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. But the situation could soon change with Chicago -- the Grizzlies' preferred trade partner -- perhaps close to deciding that it needs to improve on a potential package for Gasol.

Chicago general manager John Paxson has kept a close watch on the Bulls' recent West Coast trip, using the seven-game, 14-day jaunt as a determination on whether or not to pull the trigger on a Gasol deal.

Paxson's concerns about the Bulls' ability to contend in the Eastern Conference appear to be growing. The Bulls are 2-4 (including losses at Sacramento and Golden State) on the trip heading into a game today at Phoenix.

Conventional wisdom around the Bulls suggests that Paxson has given more thought than ever to making a major move before the Feb. 22 trade deadline.

A deal sure to send Gasol packing would include P.J. Brown, Luol Deng and Andres Nocioni.

Ben Gordon reportedly is off limits.

Grizzlies interim head coach Tony Barone Sr. still owns a front-office title (director of player personnel) and remains an active part of the team's decision-making. Without talking specifics, Barone said the Griz are being patient, holding out to receive top-dollar compensation for Gasol if they swing a deal.

Team president Jerry West is on a scouting mission in Europe but working the phone.

"He's called me every day since he's been in Europe," Barone said, adding that the team is under no pressure to move Gasol. "It's going to have to be a dramatic offer that we feel is consistent with the type of player Pau is. There's not going to be a fire sale with him. Someone is going to have to prove to us that they are willing to make a deal based on value for Pau."

Bulls' players recognize Gasol's abilities, but several told the Chicago Tribune that they'd rather stand pat and allow the team's nucleus to grow.

"For whatever reason, I have a hard time believing (Paxson's) going to make a move," Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich told the newspaper. "I'm just focused on this being a huge trip for our season with the group that we have. ... We have to play well down the stretch, but we still have a good chance to win the division. That would be another step in our development."

Meanwhile, speculation about where Gasol could end up will continue to swirl around the league. Chicago, though, is the leading candidate to acquire Gasol. Boston has been diligent to no avail.

Grizzly insiders revealed that Phoenix is the Western Conference team Gasol referred to last week during an interview with Spanish media. The Suns’ All-Star forward Shawn Marion’s name apparently was mentioned in a potential trade for Gasol.

Bottom line: There’s still great interest in the Spaniard since he asked the team last month to consider trading him.
Title: Re: Grizzlies Looking to Deal PAU GASOL...Maybe to the Bulls?
Post by: "THE" MoSav on February 11, 2007, 09:05:36 PM
They need a gasol type player if they want to get over the top in the east