What Memphis was discovering was it could not get commensurate talent for Gasol, who has averaged almost 19 points and nine rebounds over his career. The Lakers initially were offering Brown and Vladimir Radmanovic, the Cavaliers supposedly were offering Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes and the Trail Blazers were believed to be offering Raef LaFrentz and Travis Outlaw. All were veteran players with long contracts at a time the Memphis franchise is for sale and losing upward of $25 million annually.
There were talks with the Bulls about Andres Nocioni, whom the Grizzlies courted last summer, and Tyrus Thomas. Sources say the Grizzlies were angling for a package of young players that included Joakim Noah and Thabo Sefolosha. Though there was no offer, Memphis insiders believed the Bulls eventually would make such a deal because it wouldn't have involved any of their main players and the Bulls also were willing to take on a contract like that of Brian Cardinal...
Likewise, the Bulls were prepared to offer their lottery pick and young players and the expiring contract of P.J. Brown last year to Memphis. But the Grizzlies declined to deal Gasol then. When they got ready last month, the Bulls
no longer had enough in expiring contracts. They could have tried to do a sign-and-trade deal with Brown, which is permitted since he last played for them, but it would have put the team well into the luxury tax and, in effect, cost $25 million to $30 million this season to have Gasol with money paid to Brown, the tax penalty and revenues not received from teams over the tax.
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I was wondering when someone was going to bring that little salient fact up. I would have let all of the conspiracy theorists off the hook tommorrow if no one brought it up.
