Report: Bulls Trying to Acquire Pau Gasol


Considering Dwight Howard‘s supposed lack of interest in joining Chicago, the Bulls are reportedly exploring ways to acquire Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol before Thursday’s trade deadline. ESPN has the details: “Sources say that the Lakers, however, have limited interest in the players Chicago would be offering, starting with Bulls forward Carlos Boozer. So the Bulls would have to recruit at least one more team to the discussions to have any shot at Gasol, sources said, with the Lakers known to be insistent on getting back at least one certifiable star if they consent to the trade the Spaniard. Sources say that the Lakers, furthermore, continue to talk to other teams about Gasol in advance. The Lakers’ longstanding preference, of course, is acquiring a top point guard if they agree to surrender Gasol. L.A. included the 7-footer in the December deal with New Orleans and Houston that would have landed Chris Paul with the Lakers, only for NBA commissioner David Stern — acting as the final decision-maker for the league-owned Hornets — to tell New Orleans’ basketball people to cancel the deal after all three teams agreed to terms. Gasol has been subjected to constant trade speculation ever since and recently acknowledged to ESPN.com that ‘there’s no guarantees’ he’ll be with the Lakers beyond the trading deadline despite recent assurances from Lakers management that no deal was imminent.”