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"What they did in Memphis is beyond comprehension," said Popovich. "There should be a trade committee that can scratch all trades that make no sense. I just wish I had been on a trade committe that oversees NBA trades. I'd like to elect myself to that committee. I would have voted no to the L.A. trade."

When told that Wallace had challenged executives to criticize the deal publicly, Popovich replied, "Well, there you go. I'm on the record."

 The above is an exerpt from:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/nba/02/08/popovich.grizzlies/index.html?eref=fannation

Now, given Pops made this comment less than a week after the Spurs benefited from the buyout of Damon Stoudemire's contract by none other than the same very Wallace that Pops is criticizing here, doesn' this make Pops a bit of a hypocrite?  After all, it seems like Wallace's motivation for buying out Stoudemire was at least partially the same as his motivation for trading Gasol, with that motivation being saving $$$$.

From ESPN:  "it's believed that Memphis was asking Stoudemire to surrender a significant portion of next season's guaranteed $2.3 million to secure his release."

And it's important to note here, that $2.3 million was just his guaranteed money for next season, not his whole contract. He was earning $4.35 million this season from Memphis and was due to make $4.65 million next year. That being said, between the remainder of this year and next, Memphis probably saved about $5 or 6 million by buying him out rather than have him finish out his contract.

If Pops wants a committee that reviews all trades, maybe that same committee should review all buyouts, too.  Is the  Lakers deal for Gasol any worse than a contender like the Spurs very conveniently getting a vet PG for nothing?  After all, at least LA had to give up essentially 3 first rounders and a 2nd rounder in addition to Kwame in order to fill their need caused by Bynum's injury.  What did the Spurs have to give up to fill their need created by Tony Parker's injury?  $335,442, the veteran minimum salary, pro-rated for the remainder of the season.  They didn't give up a single player or draft pick to add a veteran PG and address a burning need.  Sure, they did it in different ways, but they essentially did the same thing as LA.

The Spurs took advantage of Memphis' desire to cut payroll just as much as the Lakers did, which Pops very conveniently ignored when he expressed his outrage over the Gasol deal.