The Wild, Wild Western Conference: Wheeling and Dealing Shakes Up the NBA

As the NBA trading deadline passes, most suggest the Los Angeles Lakers' acquisition of Paul Gasol kicked off the Western Conference trading frenzy. However, the real dealings started earlier in the year when the Utah Jazz acquired Kyle Korver from the Philadelphia 76ers. While Korver is not a starter, several teams coveted his outside shooting prowess and the Jazz eventually upped the ante by including a future 1^st Round draft pick to acquire the sharpshooter. Before the trade, the Jazz had been struggling; since the trade, Utah is as hot as any team in the NBA. Utah's post-acquisition winning streak coupled with Andrew Bynum's knee injury created the perfect storm for the Lakers to make the deal for Gasol, which immediately turned up the heat on other Western Conference General Managers.

Over the last month, Phoenix, Dallas, Los Angeles, Houston, San Antonio and New Orleans - six likely play-off teams - have made deals to strengthen their position in the mighty Western Conference.

Lakers

Los Angeles made the biggest splash when it acquired Pau Gasol without surrendering anything too noteworthy. While the Lakers were a contender before Gasol's acquisition, he provides insurance from Bynum's injury and adds another weapon when Bynum returns. The Lakers made the deal without sacrificing its tremendous depth. The Lakers' role players on the bench - Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Ronnie Turiaf, Vladimir Radmanovic and Trevor Ariza (another key acquisition during this season) - are more talented than any bench in the league. Assuming Bynum returns to his developing self after the injury, and the combination of Odom, Bynum and Gasol fit together on the front line, the Lakers have the most talented team in the NBA. Los Angeles also boasts championship experience in the backcourt (Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher) as well as the most talented player in the NBA (Bryant). On paper, the Lakers have few weaknesses and have the size and scoring to beat anyone. The Gasol trade cemented their status as championship favorites.

Spurs