Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE

Pau Gasol has been twisting in the wind like a kite stuck to a telephone pole for almost two years now. He’s been the source of constant trade speculation and like a trapped kite he’s getting beaten up as the trade winds blow violently around him.

Going all the way back to the 2011 NBA Draft there was talk of the Lakers moving Gasol to Minnesota in order to acquire the T-Wolves 2^nd overall pick in order to select La Mirada native Derrick Williams.

Now one year into Williams’ NBA career those same talks are continuing.

That leaves me with only one question – what the hell are Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak waiting for?

Even if they weren’t convinced that Williams is going to be able to live up to his draft status after one season they still should make the deal. For one they’d be ridding themselves of Gasol’s contract even if that means taking on enough contracts to match dollar for dollar. But at least they’d a few more assets to package in further dealings.

Plus they’d be doing Gasol a favor. If this franchise wants to show any respect to Pau for all he’s done they owe it to him to go out playing for a team that will put his talents to use. This Mike Brown approach of putting Gasol 25 feet from the hoop is an insult.

Also, it stands to reason that this is going to be the last and best chance to deal Gasol for anything more than expiring contracts, late-round draft picks and a Jerry West throwback jersey. The Lakers can’t keep flirting with deals then get all gun-shy just because David Stern flexed the NBA’s communist manifesto on the Chris Paul trade.

If it were Jerry Buss running the show and not his trust fund son playing owner he would have kept bombarding the Hornets with trade requests until Stern would have ha no choice but to admit he was acting as Dan Gilbert’s mouthpiece.

More to the point, the Lakers are no longer in a position to keep holding out for the right deal to come along. The time has come to start acquiring young talent still striving to earn their first phat payday to see what works and what doesn’t. We’ve been here before. It was called the 90s and while there were no title there were no boring teams nor were there any seasons of miserable losing.

We already know this current Lakers team is not good enough to win a title. That’s been proven two years running. Whatever has been done to try and fix the problem hasn’t worked. Now I’m not advising the Charlotte Bobcat/Washington Wizard method of going with nothing but young knuckleheads across the board. However getting a few players that have some upside and something to prove could go a  lot further in the long run then letting Gasol continue to fade in Mike Brown oblivion while continuing to beg veteran players to play for less and produce more.

The formula is broken and getting Derrick Williams might not fix it but it will help to provide a blueprint.

Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

Jim Buss claims his team isn’t interested in making any major moves. Yet there is word spreading that the Lakers are looking to unload Pau Gasol in hopes of moving into the top 5 of the draft in order to get their hands on Kentucky’s Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. There’s also an L.A. Times report claiming the Atlanta Hawks were pursuing a trade of Josh Smith for Gasol shortly after the Lakers’ season ended in Oklahoma City.

So, which is it, trust fund Buss? Are you standing pat with the same squad that is no closer to contending than Kim Kardashian is to becoming the mayor of Glendale or are you going to do something “major” and get us another parade?

If the Lakers covet the potential of Kidd-Gilchrist over the know commodity that is Smith, a hoops theory I’m fully on board with, then they should move expeditiously. The draft is less than a day away. Let’s not forget last year they had their eyes set on Derrick Williamsyet were unable to pull off a trade with the T-Wolves.

Mar 31, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) dunks the ball ahead of the defense by Louisville Cardinals center Gorgui Dieng (10) during the second half in the semifinals of the 2012 NCAA men

However if there aren’t any takers interested in giving up a top 5 pick then settling for Smith isn’t such a bad thing…I guess. Now it’s not exactly a move that will take this team over the top but it adds an element that has been missing from L.A. for some time. Smith is a freakish athlete the likes of which the Lake Show hasn’t seen since Trevor Ariza and even he isn’t quite in Smith’s class. Of course Smith also has worse shot selection than a sniper with Parkinson’s and his value has been inflated no thanks to the Hawks and their undefined style of play.

It’s not at all uncommon for Atlanta Hawks faithful to moan anytime Smith gets a touch 25 feet away from the hoop.

Beyond Smith’s over-hyped production he’s entering the final year of a deal that will pay him $13-million during the next season. That leaves the Lakers stuck with an expiring deal on a player that will surely demand a raise.

Kidd-Gilchrist on the other hand is a phenomenal talent with nothing but massive upside and a rookie deal that won’t make the Buss family cringe at the thought of paying luxury taxes, at least not until he’s due a nice NBA payday.

Kidd-Gilchrist is an athletic wing with a frame that will definitely benefit from an NBA conditioning program. In many ways he’s similar to Smith as his offensive game is somewhat limited yet his defensive prowess and physical style of play may remind some of Metta World Peace.

But let me not get too excited about something that may never happen.

The Hawks have supposedly been hot on the trail of Gasol for sometime with the Lakers looking unlikely to budge. Unless L.A. can get into the Lamar Odom-Mo Williams sweepstakes then making a serious push to pursue Kidd-Gilchrist must be mandatory.

A rookie like Kidd-Gilchrist can contribute immediately but he won’t be the difference maker the Lakers need, not in the short-term at least.  His game is still raw after one very successful season of collegiate hoops. Still he did improve each week during his lone year in Lexington helping the Wildcats on their way to the NCAA title.

So, what’s it going to be Buss? Are you going to tell Mitch Kupchak to stick to the no major moves plan of attack or will you actually show up to the office and put in a honest day’s work? The Lakers loving world wants to know. Barbeque or mildew?