Grizzlies' Pau Gasol trade to the L.A. Lakers

Memphis Grizzlies will trade Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Grizzlies' Pau Gasol trade to the L.A. Lakers Memphis Grizzlies (13-33) have agreed Friday to trade Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers (28-16), it was reported today. Pau Gasol, who is averaging 18.9 points and 8.8 rebounds in 39 games this season, will join the Lakers and in return Los Angeles will give Kwame Brown, rookie Javaris Crittenton and two first-round draft picks (2008 and 2010 drafts) to the Memphis Grizzlies.

"We're extremely pleased to be able to make this trade. Pau is a proven player of all-star caliber in this league who can score and rebound and is still a young player. We feel this strengthens our team in the short term as well as the long term," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak addressed the trade of the forward in a statement. Speculations in the media place Gasol to fill in at center until Andrew Bynum's knee injury heals, and then switch over to power forward.

The Lakers, who are 3-6-1 against the spread in their last 10 games and have won 13 of their last 19 games, will travel tonight to Air Canada Centre where they will meet the Toronto Raptors (25-20). At the online sportsbook Bodog Sports, the Los Angeles Lakers are the underdog of tonight's game, with odds +240 to win and the Raptors are -280 favorite. The point spread on the Lakers vs. Raptors game is sitting at -6.5 points chalk Toronto.

Published on 02/01/2008