Woo-Hoo!

What a day for Lakers fans! (like myself...die-hard since '85). Here are the details of the trade with the Memphis Grizzlies:

Lakers Get:

Pau Gasol
Grizzlies 2010 2nd Round Pick

Grizzlies Get:

Kwame Brown (thank you for taking him!)
Javaris Crittendon
Aaron Mckie
Lakers 2008 1st Round Draft Pick
Lakers 2010 1st Round Draft Pick
Rights to Marc Gasol (Pau's brother)

Lakers make out huge in this deal. Let's talk about what they get rid of first: Brown, maybe the worst low-post player in the history of basketball...will hurt you more than help you...Crittendon, a young, raw rookie point guard who could develip into a good talent, but the Lakers are happy with the progress of Jordan Farmar, so Critterndon becomes dispensable...Mckie, who was signed today for salary-cap purposes (he won't play for the Grizzlies)...and two 1st rounders likely to be in the 20's based on the talent the Lakers have now.

Right now, here is what the Lakers now put on the court:

G Derek Fisher
G Kobe Bryant
F Luke Walton / Ronny Turiaf
F Lamar Odom
C Pau Gaosl

That's a potent lineup as it is, with Kobe, Odom, and Gasol all able to score the ball in different ways. Plus, Gasol gives us even more rebounding on one of the tallest teams in the league already.

But then you take into account what this lineup will be when Andrew Bynum returns:

G Derek Fisher
G Kobe Bryant
F Lamar Odom
F Pau Gasol
C Andrew Bynum

Bench: Walton, Turiaf, Farmar, Vujacic, Ariza (when he returns from a foot injury in mid-March)

Wow! That is as potent a lineup as there is in the NBA now. The Lakers go from a middle-of-the-road Western Playoff team to a legit Championship contender. It's now the Lakers, Mavs, and Spurs. Hornets and Suns are just a step behind.

Let's go Lakers!