We're now into the third full season since Memphis Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace traded Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers, and the general consensus coming in was that things aren't so bad. The lopsided deal back in February of 2008 seems to have found equilibrium, with both sides claiming benefits. But then the Lakers ran off eight straight wins to open this season when a championship hangover was in order, while the Grizzlies are still searching for an identity at 4-7. The wounds have been re-opened, and this trade now needs to be re-examined for the sham it was.
Everyone remembers the panic wave that washed over the NBA when Memphis sent its franchise player to Hollywood. Former Grizzlies coach Mike Fratello wasted no time in criticizing the trade, and San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich opened the floodgates when he called Wallace's actions "beyond comprehension." Wallace himself would later acknowledge it as "the gift that never goes away."
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