JULY 14, 10:34am: The Spurs have officially signed Gasol, the team confirmed today in a press release.
JULY 4, 1:48pm: While some contract details still have to be finalized, the Spurs and Gasol are in agreement, reports David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter links). Gasol’s new two-year deal will be worth $30MM, with a player option for the second year, tweets ESPN’s Marc Stein.
1:39pm: The Spurs are finalizing an agreement to bring aboard free agent big man Pau Gasol, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. While the Raptors, Trail Blazers, and Timberwolves had been among the teams in the hunt for Gasol, San Antonio was viewed as the frontrunner for the Spaniard after missing out on Kevin Durant.
Gasol, who signed with the Bulls in 2014, declined a third-year player option that would have paid him $7,769,520 in 2016/17 if he had opted into the final year of his previous contract. The former third overall pick continued to be productive during his time in Chicago, averaging 16.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game last season, and earning All-Star nods in each of the last two years.
The Spurs have long been viewed as a potential fit for Gasol, one that even Pau’s brother has advocated for. Back in April, Marc Gasol advised his brother to sign with San Antonio. With Tim Duncan leaning strongly toward retirement, San Antonio reportedly pursued Pau heavily, making him a top priority when it became clear Durant wouldn’t become a Spur.
While San Antonio was aggressive in its pursuit of Gasol, the Spurs weren’t necessarily a slam-dunk choice. According to Wojnarowski, Pau may have received offers in the $20MM-per-year range from other suitors, including the Blazers.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Lamarcus moving to center
Great pick up for that team. I love what Gasol brings to any team he plays for. I think Duncan is retiring for sure and this is a good replacement and actually an improvement from last year
You love him not playing defense, jogging up and down the court, doing almost all his scoring on backups and whining about everything? Because that’s what he brings these days…
Pau with play center but we need depth
Not sure how I like this. Dont see what kind of role he plays if Duncan comes back , and if he doesnt, thats a massive downgrade defensively. Its a good thing for the Spurs that LaMarcus Aldridge improved exponentially on the defensive end, but I’m curious how this will fit together. I would have liked to see Pau go somewhere he would be used more. There were teams out there that could have used him in the context of trying to win, and I think they would have been better fits, while also allowing him to make the money he probably should. Honestly, I felt that David West was the better fit….I could see West ending up with Golden State to replace Mo Buckets