Gasol: Moving to Bulls?

With the Kobe Bryant trade talks apparently on hold for now, Bulls general manager John Paxson should turn his attention to Pau Gasol and gauge the chances of making a deal for the Memphis Grizzlies big man.
Gasol isn't nearly as talented as Bryant and I can't see any scenario in which fans at the United Center would begin chanting his name, but he'd give the Bulls their first legitimate low-post scorer since Eddy Curry was dealt a little more than two years ago -- and would come at a much cheaper price than what the Los Angeles Lakers are asking for Bryant.
Gasol, 27, is close in age to other members of the Bulls' young core, and his addition likely would make them serious contenders to reach the NBA Finals for the next five years or so. He's exactly what the Bulls need, a big man with a well-rounded offensive game. He can score on a variety of moves in the low post and step out to knock down an 18-foot jumper with regularity.
He averaged 20.8 points and 9.8 rebounds in 36.2 minutes last season. He shot 53.8 percent from the field and 74.8 percent from the free-throw line. Gasol also would give the Bulls a player capable of drawing fouls and getting easy points from the free-throw line. He had 400 free-throw attempts last season in only 59 games. The only player on the Bulls' roster to have that many free-throw attempts was Ben Gordon (440) -- and he played in all 82 games.
Gasol isn't a great defender, but he's big enough to make his presence felt and is a decent rebounder. His pluses far exceed his negatives.
Of course, the first thing Paxson has to do is discover if the Grizzlies have any interest in trading Gasol. Paxson talked with the Grizzlies about Gasol before last season's trading deadline, but it became apparent that they had no interest in making a deal then.
Although it's unlikely the Grizzlies would be willing to pull the trigger on a major deal at this point of the season, it never hurts to inquire. Besides, Memphis has a new general manager (Chris Wallace) and coach (Marc Iavaroni), and they might be more receptive to trading Gasol.
As solid a player as the 7-foot Spaniard has been during his six years with the franchise, he's not the type of player who can create interest in a marginal market. If the Grizzlies continue to play before modest crowds at the FedEx Forum, trading Gasol might be the team's best option from a business standpoint -- especially considering he makes nearly $14 million this season and has an additional three years for better than $49 million left on his contract.
If the Grizzlies get off to a slow start, the chances of the Bulls dealing for Gasol get considerably better.
So what would it take to make a deal? If I'm Paxson, Luol Deng still is an untouchable and so is Gordon in this scenario. I'd put together a package built around Tyrus Thomas, a younger, much cheaper player who could spark some fan interest in Memphis. An offer of Thomas, Andres Nocioni, another player and a pick might get a deal done under the right circumstances.

BY JOHN JACKSON Sun-Times Columnist