NBA Rumors: Lakers only received second round trade offers for Pau Gasol

Los Angeles Lakers owner Jim Buss was apparently more than okay with trading longtime power forward Pau Gasol, but general manager Mitch Kupchack, not so much.

Part of that was likely due to the fact that the Lakers never received anything more than a second round draft pick offer for Gasol when the team made him available for trade.

"Buss was fine with trading him, Kupchak wasn’t so sure. In the end, the Lakers were never offered more than a second-round draft pick for the aging star, a pittance in their mind. And they didn’t want to seem like they were dumping Gasol’s $19.3-million salary for nothing."

Dumping Gasol’s deal wouldn’t have done much for the Lakers outside of saving a few million dollars given his now free agent status and even then that was iffy considering the Lakers would have had to take back salary, clogging up their cap unless it was also an expiring deal.

Teams were reluctant to give up anything of value for Gasol giving his contractual status and the Lakers were reluctant to move him given the return wouldn’t have been worth anything.

Now the former All-Star heads into free agency unsure of where it will take him.