According to multiple sources, the Phoenix Suns have emerged as a possible trade suitor for Los Angeles Lakers center Pau Gasol as the team makes a playoff push and looks to land an established player.
According to ESPN, the Suns have explored the option of landing the four-time All-Star and are considering swapping big man Emeka Okafor. The Suns have $5.6 million available in cap space, ESPN reports, and Okafor's salary of $14.5 million this season is less than Gasol's $19.3 million.
The Lakers have shown a willingness to deal Gasol as the team engaged with the Cleveland Cavaliers over the possibility of sending Gasol to Cleveland in exchange for Andrew Bynum who would have been waived to help Los Angeles save around $20 million in salary and luxury-tax obligations, according to ESPN. These talks took place in December but a deal never came to fruition and Cleveland eventually dealt Bynum to the Chicago Bulls for Luol Deng.
With the trade deadline looming on Feb. 20, there's a good chance that the Lakers will pull the trigger on a deal for Gasol. ESPN reports that the Suns have been shopping Okafor's contract in advance of the deadline and whoever acquires Okafor, 31, will save more than $5 million in salary due to insurance coverage.
The Lakers have been adamant about the fact that they aren't just trading Gasol for financial relief despite the fact that the team is 16-31 and in the bottom three teams in the Western Conference. Gasol, who is expected to miss the next week due to a strained right groin that isn't expected to be serious, averaged 20.8 points and 11.9 rebounds in January after his name continued to pop up in trade speculation.
The Suns, meanwhile, are 29-18 and second in the Pacific Division, and general manager Ryan McDonough has expressed interest in dealing one of the team's four first-round picks in the 2014 NBA Draft for an All-Star that could help the team.
"We're obviously all looking for stars," McDonough said in December via ESPN, "and we feel like we can put together a package as good, if not better, than any other team in the league if and when a star becomes available."
It remains to be seen if the Lakers will move Gasol, but the Suns remain interested as the deadline looms.
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