It is a possibility.
After Gasol was 4-for-13 against the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, Kobe felt Gasol was distracted by trade talks that had the Minnesota Timberwolves offering Derrick Williams and draft picks to the Los Angeles Lakers for PG16.
Mark Medina of the LATimes quoted Kobe as saying, "Personally I don't understand that crap. But it is what it is. It's important for him to know we support him. I support him especially. I just want him to go out there and play hard and do what he does best for us."
At this point, the best thing he may be able to do for the Lakers is bring Williams and picks in a trade.
Still, Kobe wants to win now, and moving Gasol will appear as a move towards rebuilding. That is a process that Bryant will unlikely be excited about. Here is what the situation would mean for Kobe:
Present
Gasol leaving will mean new teammates and Kobe will be forced to trust Andrew Bynum wholeheartedly, as he will be the Lakers' only inside threat. Bynum is having a career year, averaging 16 points and 12.6 rebounds. He has solidified himself as the games' second best center.
Gasol has been solid, but through two major trade talks, his scoring is down from 18.8 to 16.6 points per game. The Lakers will not be as good without Gasol this year, but I believe they are better long term. That likely will be of no solace to Kobe, who is 33 years old and, though he's still amazing, on the downside of his career.
He has played through this season with substantial pain in his injured wrist, and still excelled. Though the Lakers are not a championship-caliber team, they are competitive. Kobe can at least find peace in that, and there are enough familiar faces around from championship years to make him believe they can still win now. They...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
