Pau Gasol has been given a reprieve from the basketball gods, and won’t be banished from L.A. at this present moment.
After strong play over his last couple of games, and trying to make amends via the media, Gasol will be allowed to remain a Lakers player for now according to Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein of ESPN Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Lakers have decided — at least for now – that they’re better off keeping four-time All-Star center Pau Gasol, according to sources close to the situation.
Sources told ESPN.com that the Lakers, after weighing the idea of making Gasol available before the NBA’s annual trade deadline in February, are encouraged by the way Gasol has played over the last three games as well as his efforts to make amends for his recent public spat with coach Mike D’Antoni. …
Sources maintain that the Lakers would be reluctant to surrender any of that hard-fought flexibility in a potential deal for Gasol or any other player. Yet it’s believed that the Lakers would consider taking back some salary that bleeds into the 2014-15 season — but not beyond — if they could acquire a player who could significantly help them in the short term or other trade assets to help them reload around Bryant.