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Report: Hawks trying to get Pau Gasol from Lakers in trade for Josh Smith

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Josh Smith would give the Lakers some much-needed athleticism. (Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)

Josh Smith

Earlier on Wednesday, we told you about the reports that the Los Angeles Lakers were trying to move into the top 10 of Thursday's NBA draft, and were dangling forward Pau Gasol as trade bait. Mike Bresnahan of the L.A. Times reports that the Lakers "covet" Kentucky small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, which means that L.A. would have to get into the top five to ensure landing him.

If the Lakers' trade demands (a top-10 pick and a veteran?) aren't met, perhaps they'd be open to taking just the veteran: Bresnahan reports that the Atlanta Hawks have been "aggressively" trying to peddle forward Josh Smith to L.A. for Gasol. Atlanta first expressed interest in the Spaniard after the Lakers were eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals.