Well, this certainly affects the landscape out West, huh? The Memphis Commercial-Appeal is reporting that the Lakers have acquired Memphis center Pau Gasol … for next to nothing. It only cost them stone hands Kwame Brown, 2007 first round pick (and disappointment) Javaris Crittenton and first-round draft picks in 2008 and 2010.

Man, once Andrew Bynum returns, that’s an impressive frontline.

UPDATE: Brown is a salary dump, and who knows if anyone will take a chance on him. Crittenton is an athlete first, a guard second, and a point guard never. But maybe he runs and jumps well with Memphis. The picks the Grizz get are going to be crap – the Lakers with Bynum, Kobe and Gasol will be a top 5 team in the West for the next three years. Memphis really couldn’t get anything better? Absolute steal for the Lakers to get a 18-8 potential guy (albeit with an injury history) for next-to-nothing.

Gasol traded to Lakers (Commercial Appeal)