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Pau! POW! No contest.

Lakers made the best deal, not only because it will pay dividends in 2nd half of the season and going into the postseason, but because Gasol was a steal to begin with.

Lakers hand down. They got a player who fits their system and is still in his prime while all the other teams either got people who don't fit their system (Suns), who's best days are behind them (Cavs) or salvaged their future for a very short-term investment (Mavs). The Lakers have put themselves in the position to win now and also in the future.

LAKERS all the way, They got GASOL who is entering his prime and he is just 27 and has 3 more years on his contract.
LAKERS main weeknes was 4th slot and they filled that with the best available without giving up any of their core players and got rid of Kwame.

If LAKERS can sign KOBE for long term, meaning he won't opt out after 2009 and sign Bynum for 60-70mil 5 year deal that will be the team to beat for the next 5 years in the West.

They will add/minus peaces here and there but those 3 will be the core as long as KOBE is happy.

What I would like to know is how does Ben Wallace and Wally Szczerbiak make the Cavs any better. I mean Big Ben isn't as good as Gooden offensively nor do I think Big Ben is the defensive force he once was to not make his offense a factor in judging him. Wally Szczerbiak is better than Hughes is I give them that. But I still don't understand the logic behind it to much.

Cleveland built the team around LeBron. Ben Wallace makes a better role player than a centerpiece, as evidenced by his brief tenure in Chicago. I wouldn't be surprised if the move reinvigorates his competitive hunger too.

The problem with the Cavs was with effective shooters and scorers to compliment LeBron. They didn't really get anything better in that aspect.

they didn't have effective shooters and scorers i meant to say.

Also LAKERS made the deal to better their team with the best offer and without giving any thing away.

Even KOBE said he is not a good GM. They didn't give away Bynum for KIDD and O'NEAL which is the best they did even with all media saying they should have traded him to keep KOBE happy.

They kept intact until they got the right peace which very few teams will do when their star players goes out in the media.

Right now LEBRON wants thing to be done and CAVS made a real bad deal.

They gave away young peaces in HUGHES and GOODEN for WALLACE and WALLY.
If we watch any recent BULLS games WALLACE cann't jump and run lie he used to do in Detroit.
I don't think Wally is a good shooter like he used to be.

HUGHES is not playing for the money he is signed for, but still he is a good defender and wins them atleast 5-10 games in a season.

Also GOODEN is far better than WALLACE at number 4, he has a good jump shot and i think he rebounds better than WALLACE.

They gave away Marshall who hit some big 3's in last year play offs.

They just made it to show LEBRON that they did something.

Overall they look bad now.

LAKERS stand pat even after KOBE went to media, but CAVS bent to Lebron's orders.

Great players are not good GM's. Example is MJ.

SUNS, MAVS and CAVS are all for win now trades.

MAVS still will have Dirk and Howard to build on.

SUNS are done with a injury to NASH or SHAQ.

CAVS still have that super man who will carry them in eastern conference.

LAKERS made the move which made them legitimate like they were in SHAQ-KOBE era until ego's pop up again and they break themselves.

LAKERS are the team to beat and SPURS got Thomas to gaurd those 2 big guys down the road.

I look at the headline saying Big Ben got traded. I thought it would be to someone who wanted a defensive stopper like the Mavs or Nuggets. But no. The team that needs him the least got him. I mean they already were short on scorers already. They just subtracted from it to leave them almost in the negative.

Gasol is the most lopsided deal since McHale tanked the Grizzlies with Garnett. Equally interesting is how the Spurs felt they needed to react quickly to Shaq's arrival. When he moves, lots of big bodies follow.

Gasol was a steal. The league is in big trouble now.

Here comes a Los Angeles Championship.

Lakers made the best deal, no question. Suns got better mostly because Marion was a distraction in the locker room and media, and Shaq will be a lift for them. They will have to change scheme but it will work, just like how it worked with Kareem in his later years. I actually think the move will prolong Shaqs career because he won't get banged around as much. The spurs got better with Thomas and they're still the team to go through in the West. The Hornets got better mostly because they added needed scoring and rebounding to their bench. The Cavs got much better, despite what people are saying. I think everyone is overlooking Joe Smith. They got the scoring lift they needed from Szczerbiak, West, and Smith. Joe Smith is a much better player than Gooden. Not to mention the 3 man rotation they will get with Ilgauskus, Wallace and Smith. The only real question as to how it will work is will Wallace and Szczerbiak stay healthy, will Szczerbiak be a distraction like in the past, and will they both return to form. I tend to think they will. Szczerbiak will have a good role and not be looked to be the number one scorer for the first time in a long time, which I think will make him happy. Wallace will be happy because Cleveland knows what they're getting with him, and they won't ask him to score 20 a game, like Chicago. West is a good scorer off the bench. All in all I think it was a good deal. And they got a second round pick from Seattle in 2009. Don't forget Cleveland didn't give up any picks and are still a young team. The only team that I think made a bad deal was Dallas. Getting Kidd makes them better, but I don't think it makes them better than LA, San Antonio, New Orleans, Pheonix, or Utah. They gave up Harris who was improving. Essentially, they gave up they're future, closed they're window to about 3 years, and they won't be the best team in those 3 years unless they pull off something huge.

Oh, and I forgot about Utah. They got a whole lot better with the Korver deal, which no one talks about. They look like Detroit from years back when they won the title. They were a great defensive team with no scoring, and got what they needed in Korver. Look out for them in the playoffs.

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People dont realize how much better the hornets just became. Bonzi will not start the playoffs on the bench. He will start. Mo Pete just aint gettin it done. Bonzi averages more per game as far as points rebounds assist and steals off the bench than mo pete averages as a starter. Mike james will be the perfect insurance policy if anything happens to pargo off the bench. This move should really make the rest of the west kind of restless.

Of all the trades, the Lakers' is the best combination of player quality, suitability, youth, and requital.

Pau Gasol is an All-Star player who immediately fit in with the Lakers, inexperience with the triangle offense notwithstanding, bringing a consistency that was sorely needed beside Kobe Bryant. He is still young, especially compared to the other big names that were acquired, i.e. O'Neal, Kidd, Wallace. Most importantly, the Lakers gave up incredibly little for Gasol, sending Memphis one of the biggest busts of all-time in Kwame Brown, rookie guard Jarvis Crittenton, Marc Gasol who may never end up being more than the answer to the trivia question for the only pair of brothers in professional sports to be traded for one another, and two draft picks that will likely turn out to be low (i.e. worthless) ones given the Lakers' bright future.

Lakers Gasol - with Bynum in recovery and due to come back before the playoffs; I hope the Lakers can make it deep into the playoffs. However, West is heavy loaded this year. He was the most inexpensive of all the trades.

Suns- Shaq should be used sparingly till the playoffs when he will make the most impact.

Mavs - Dirk said that he had no-one to pass to him since Nash went away. Now he has Kidd.

Spurs - Let's not discount the Spurs with Stoudormire and Thomas addition. Vaughn is a good backup guard, but Damon Stoudomire is an overall upgrade.

New Orleans - the elephant in the room no one sees.

Golden State - Baron Davis man.....

I don not understand the cleveland deal. Yes Larry Hughes' contract was ridiculous but he plays defense despite his offensive inconsistencies. Wally Sczerbiak, is a good offensive player a best but is a defensive liability. Anyone remember when he was in minnesota trying to guard Rick Fox? or any other opposing guard/forward for that matter. He just doesn't have the lateral quickness to do it. He is a great spot up shooter who can fill up a stat sheet once in a while but I think that cleveland needs an artest-like player who can score and defend. Ben Wallace is going to give them some defence, but will have nothing offensively to contribute. Can any of the players they added today give Lebron the offensive support that he needs? Which one of the players added can anyone honestly say will be the Cavalier's 2nd scoring option on a consistent basis. I know King James is a scoring machine but come playoff time who is he going to look to help him score when he can't.
I really think Cleveland blew it on this one. This deal is more about finances that about winning a championship this year. If they were serious they would have added either a point guard who be a scoring threat,(kidd, or Bibby) or they would have added a consistent scorer who defends consistently (Artest). I am by no means an Artest fan but that deal would have made more sense to me. Anybody out there agree with me.

Why did the MAVs trade deal, the first one, got put under a Microscope but the Memphis-Lakers trade where Lakers basically got Pau for free didnt even get a 2nd look? This is where my friends commissioner David Stern is biased. He wants a Lakers-Celts finals so badly he probably orchestrated that trade himself.

People think the Pau Gasol to Lakers is the deal of the century? In paper maybe, but I have seen they are now the Suns of 2008, all offense no defense. They will falter in the playoffs, Kobe's injury will get worse and Gasol will be exposed.

The Mavs trade will haunt them in the future unless they can win this year, which they can. Jason kidd, Howard and Nowitzki is a scary combo. With Kidd's leadership we will see Nowitzki improve and Howard unleased. I pick them to win the Western Conference.

The Suns downgraded dramatically, they should have gotten Ben Wallace instead of Shaq. The trade is a tragic mistake by Steve Kerr.

The Cavs overhauled their entire rotation, which maybe the biggest deal that could change the outcome of the Eastern Conference. I still think its a great deal, Wallace can be a force when he is playing for something and hopefully LeBron will whip him into playing like the old days with the Pistons.

Lastly, watch out for the Spurs, they are still the defending Champs and have the players and experience to beat ANYONE.