Pau Gasol recalls the shocking 2008 trade that sent him to the LA Lakers while his brother, Marc Gasol, was included in the deal to the Grizzlies.
One of Europe's greatest basketball players, Pau Gasol, was part of one of the most controversial trades in NBA history. In 2008, the Memphis Grizzlies traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers in a deal that included his younger brother, Marc Gasol, going the other way.
Pau recalled the whole process during his recent appearance on the Knuckleheads podcast.
Trade details:
- Lakers received: Pau Gasol and a 2010 second-round pick (became Devin Ebanks)
- Grizzlies received: Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, first-round picks in 2008 and 2010 (became Donte Greene and Greivis Vasquez), and Marc Gasol (rights from 2007 Draft)
"At first, it was shocking and seemed like a lopsided trade," Gasol remembered. "However, it ultimately showed value for both the Lakers and the Grizzlies."
Marc was selected by the Lakers in the second round with the 48th pick.
Pau recalled watching the 2007 draft with Marc and Juan Carlos Navarro, hoping his brother would be picked late in the first round or early in the second. When Marc was chosen, Pau had already been advocating for Memphis to acquire him.
The older Gasol brother frequently reminded Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace about Marc's potential, even suggesting they trade for him right after he was drafted. However, Wallace was hesitant, mentioning that the LA Lakers were asking for $500,000 in exchange for Marc.
"Take it out of my contract. I'm telling you he's going to be a great player," Pau even said.
During the 2007-08 season, Pau continued pushing for the Grizzlies to take notice of Marc's dominance in Spain and his MVP season with Girona.
He kept repeatedly asking, "Did you see what Marc did last night?"
When the trade finally happened, Pau was called into the GM's office. Chris Wallace went over the trade package, listing the players and picks involved, and then casually mentioned, "And your brother, Marc."
Pau was stunned and responded, "Are you kidding me? I've been trying to bring him here with me, and now you're sending me away and bringing him in?"
At the time, Marc was still under the radar, and many people didn't know how good he was. But the trade turned out to be a win-win.
Marc became a franchise cornerstone in Memphis, helping them build a competitive team alongside Zach Randolph. Meanwhile, Pau went to the Lakers, where he teamed up with Kobe Bryant and won two NBA championships.
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