Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol closes contract after a 2014-15 season in which he earned $15.8 million, was the starting center for the West in the All Star, and the fifth player of the NBA Best Quintet: 17.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. His only pending goal remains the main one of all: the fight for the championship. In his fifth consecutive year in the playoffs, Memphis Grizzlies lost in the second round against the Golden State Warriors, who were ultimately crowned champions. That constant and so far frustrated battle to reach the grand final (they lost the Western Conference finals in 2013: 4-0 against the Spurs) seemed almost the only possible reason for a breakup between Marc and the Grizzlies. But it appears that the continuity of the Spanish center in Tennessee is a safe bet.
Tomorrow Wednesday, the NBA market opens. Players can finalize agreements with teams that will start signing new contracts as of July 9. And according to ESPN, Marc Gasol will receive a delegation from the Grizzlies in Barcelona but will not hold private meetings with any other team that is interested in him. A revealing sign about his intentions. Marc really feels at home in Memphis: he already played there during his high school years, coinciding with the arrival of his brother Pau to the franchise which had just moved from Vancouver, where the younger Gasol has been for seven years and is a role model on and off the court. In addition, he has always stated that he and his family are happy there and the Grizzlies, it is worth remembering, can offer him one more year and a higher amount than other teams: the offer from his current team will be for five years and around $110 million.
The news is discouraging for the Knicks, Lakers, Bucks, or Spurs, some of the recognized suitors of Marc. In New York or Los Angeles, he would certainly not have the competitive possibilities that the Grizzlies offer him in the short term. In San Antonio, he could be part of the renewal of an exemplary franchise but it seems that Texas has assumed that the Spanish player is unattainable and they are working to form new twin towers LaMarcus Aldridge-Tim Duncan. That doesn't sound bad at all, of course.