If there was ever any doubt re a Lakers championship...

[JohnnyLingo]

I'd just like to remind everyone that the Pau Gasol (All-Star forward) for Kwame Brown (never any good center) deal from two summers ago is a major, major reason the Lakers are so good right now.

Without that travesty of a "trade", the Lakers are good, but not great. Give Gasol to any of the playoff teams in the Western Conference in exchange for surrendering nothing and they, too, would be where L.A. is today.

You Laker fans can thank Stern for any championships you get as a result.

Enjoy your spoils.

[MartyFunkhouser]

I'd just like to remind everyone that the Pau Gasol (All-Star forward) for Kwame Brown (never any good center) deal from two summers ago is a major, major reason the Lakers are so good right now.

Without that travesty of a "trade", the Lakers are good, but not great. Give Gasol to any of the playoff teams in the Western Conference in exchange for surrendering nothing and they, too, would be where L.A. is today.

You Laker fans can thank Stern for any championships you get as a result.

Enjoy your spoils.

Stern made that trade? I was unaware that he is forcing teams to trade players these days.

I hate the Lakers and I hate David Stern, but even I don't blame that on Stern.

[JohnnyLingo]

Stern made that trade? I was unaware that he is forcing teams to trade players these days.

I hate the Lakers and I hate David Stern, but even I don't blame that on Stern.

He approved the trade, right? Even when it was clearly terrible and benefited one team a million times more than the other, right?

He wanted LA to make it back to the Finals, so he let it go even when it was horrific.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Stern made that trade? I was unaware that he is forcing teams to trade players these days.

I hate the Lakers and I hate David Stern, but even I don't blame that on Stern.

Wasn't Marc Gasol also part of that trade? Pao's brother hasn't been playing that poorly. In addition, the Grizzlies are extremely cash strapped and I think they were trying to shed payroll for the upcoming future. They might not have wanted anything too expensive for the long term in return for Pao. Coincendentally, West obviously has a soft spot for the Lakers organization and Kupchak so part of the trade may have had West pushing for it, I don't know.

[Surfah]

Wasn't Marc Gasol also part of that trade? Pao's brother hasn't been playing that poorly. In addition, the Grizzlies are extremely cash strapped and I think they were trying to shed payroll for the upcoming future. They might not have wanted anything too expensive for the long term in return for Pao. Coincendentally, West obviously has a soft spot for the Lakers organization and Kupchak so part of the trade had something to do with West doing a favor for the Lakers.

I may be wrong but I am almost positive West retired from the Grizzlies long before the trade.

[MarkGrace]

If there was any doubt part II...

Memo is uncertain for game 1!

[Color Me Badd Fan]

I may be wrong but I am almost positive West retired from the Grizzlies long before the trade.

I remembered that after I made the post and you're right. However, I believe the Grizzlies literally were looking to give Gasol away for something very cheap in return and they got that with Brown and his expiring contract. Plus they got a couple draft picks (albeit, late 1st rounders) and prospect in Marc Gasol who's ended up being pretty good. Even though some teams may have offered more in the terms of talent coming back, the Grizzlies were looking to stay out of the red. Reportedly, a lot of the teams in the NBA are losing money. Just a hunch, but it seems like a team based in Memphis is probably not raking in the cash at almost any time, let alone in this economy.

[MartyFunkhouser]

He approved the trade, right? Even when it was clearly terrible and benefited one team a million times more than the other, right?

He wanted LA to make it back to the Finals, so he let it go even when it was horrific.

Do the NBA rules allow for him to veto the trade because it is imbalanced?

[JohnnyLingo]

Do the NBA rules allow for him to veto the trade because it is imbalanced?

Hmm, I assumed the rules did allow for vetoing by the commissioner, but after a Google search, I can't find any evidence of that.

Do you know more than I? Are there any situations where the commissioner can veto a trade?

[MartyFunkhouser]

Hmm, I assumed the rules did allow for vetoing by the commissioner, but after a Google search, I can't find any evidence of that.

Do you know more than I? Are there any situations where the commissioner can veto a trade?

I am sure that there are some situations but my guess is they involve some proof of wrongdoing or violation of the NBA policies. I know that baseball gives broad power to the commissioner to act in the "best interests of baseball" but I'm not sure if the NBA has the same type of language.

Speaking of the best interests of baseball clause, Bud it is time to invoke that clause and give the A's the San Jose market.

[Sizzle]

Do you know more than I? Are there any situations where the commissioner can veto a trade?

Common sense maybe? The NBA doesn't function like a video game.

[JohnnyLingo]

Common sense maybe? The NBA doesn't function like a video game.

I know that baseball gives broad power to the commissioner to act in the "best interests of baseball"

Or like major league baseball.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

He approved the trade, right? Even when it was clearly terrible and benefited one team a million times more than the other, right?

He wanted LA to make it back to the Finals, so he let it go even when it was horrific.

Isn't that called free enterprise? If the Memphis owner wants to spend his money on Kwame Brown not Pau (POW) Gasol shouldn't he be able to do that?

Or do you want an overlord telling you what to do at all times?

[Sizzle]

Isn't that called free enterprise? If the Memphis owner wants to spend his money on Kwame Brown not Pau (POW) Gasol shouldn't he be able to do that?

Or do you want an overlord telling you what to do at all times?

Apparently Baseball doesn't believe in free enterprise (unbeknownst to me). Instead, they let the owner of one of the teams have a veto against trades.

In all honesty though, how many times would a trade get vetoes because it isn't fair? As unequitable as the Gasol-Brown trade was (which was only slightly more than a year ago, not the two summers ago) I still don't think that it would have been vetoed by a higher board/authority. And don't get me wrong, I hated the trade for everybody but the Lakers.

I just hope Orlando decides they want to give up Dwight Howard for Jarron Collins.

[JohnnyLingo]

Isn't that called free enterprise? If the Memphis owner wants to spend his money on Kwame Brown not Pau (POW) Gasol shouldn't he be able to do that?

Do you play fantasy sports? I do, and if someone tried to make that trade in a league I was in, I'd vote against it. It's not because I'm a Communist, but because I believe that fair play makes things more fun.

The Lakers as constituted have a dirty feeling to them. I hate that they got Bynum, but they took a chance on a kid some other teams passed on in the draft and it worked out. Gasol was a gift they did nothing to earn. There was zero risk. It feels wrong to me.