Marc Gasol Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Serge Ibaka Signs With Clippers

November 21st, 2020 at 10:30pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 25: The Clippers have officially signed Ibaka, the team announced in a press release.

NOVEMBER 21: The Clippers will sign free agent big man Serge Ibaka, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that Ibaka will receive $19MM over two years on his new deal, signaling that Los Angeles will use its full mid-level exception to complete the signing. Charania adds (via Twitter) that the contract will feature a second-year player option.

The agreement represents a major coup for the Clippers, who lost center Montrezl Harrell to the rival Lakers early in free agency and saw power forward JaMychal Green leave for a deal in Denver. Ibaka, who can play either the four or five, will help replenish the team’s frontcourt depth, giving L.A. a big man who can knock down outside shots on offense and protect the rim on defense.

After starting his career in Oklahoma City and spending a brief stint in Orlando during the 2016/17 season, Ibaka has been in Toronto for the last three-and-half seasons, winning a title with the Raptors (with Kawhi Leonard) in 2019. This past season, he averaged 15.4 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 1.4 APG with an impressive .512/.385/.718 shooting line in 55 games (27.0 MPG).

By committing their full mid-level exception to Ibaka, the Clippers will hard-cap themselves for the 2020/21 league year and they don’t have a whole lot of wiggle room below the $138.93MM apron. However, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks observes (via Twitter), the club can create a little extra breathing room by waiving non-guaranteed contracts for Joakim Noah and Justin Patton. Bringing back Noah on a new one-year, minimum-salary deal would cost the team about $1MM less than his current deal.

The Clippers remain in the market for a play-making guard and another big man, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. However, the team will likely be limited to minimum-salary offers or perhaps a portion of the bi-annual exception.

The Raptors, one of the many teams that made an effort to sign Ibaka, were believed to be averse to offering multiyear money, since it would compromise their projected cap room for the summer of 2021. They reportedly offered the big man a one-year, $12MM deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Clippers Pursuing Serge Ibaka, Marc Gasol

November 21st, 2020 at 8:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers are in the running to sign Serge Ibaka or Marc Gasol away from the Raptors, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. Sources tell Stein that adding Gasol is considered more realistic because of the intense competition to land Ibaka, led by Toronto and the Nets.

The Lakers would also like to add another big man, Stein notes, but they’re financially limited after signing Montrezl Harrell and re-signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. It appears the Lakers would be limited to a veteran’s minimum offer.

The Clippers need reinforcements in the front court after losing Harrell and JaMychal Green on the first night of free agency. L.A. kept midseason pick-up Marcus Morris, giving him $64MM over four seasons.

The Raptors should have an edge in the competition for Ibaka, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. The Nets are limited to the taxpayer mid-level exception of $5.7MM, and although the Clippers have the full MLE of $9.3MM, Toronto is expected to make a larger offer, although only for one year to preserve cap room for next summer’s free agent market.

Ibaka, 31, averaged 15.4 points and 8.2 rebounds in 55 games last season. Gasol, 35, averaged 7.5 PPG and 6.3 RPG in 44 games.

Free Agent Rumors: Lakers, Gasol, KCP, Hawks, More

November 20th, 2020 at 8:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Having lost Dwight Howard in free agency, the Lakers may be eyeing another former Defensive Player of the Year. Marc Stein of The New York Times reports (via Twitter) that Marc Gasol has emerged as a free agent target for the Lakers. Gasol was drafted by L.A. way back in 2007 but was traded to Memphis in a package for his brother Pau Gasol and never appeared in a game for the Lakers.

As we wait to see if the two sides attempt to work toward a deal, let’s round up a few more free agency rumors…

Ramona Shelburne of ESPN tweets that it sounds like the Lakers‘ initial talks with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope haven’t been particularly fruitful. However, Shelburne cautions that it’s still early.
Having reached a deal to sign Danilo Gallinari, the Hawks remain in communication with point guard Rajon Rondo and swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic, sources tell Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.
The Jazz accomplished their main goals in free agency early, securing commitments from Jordan Clarkson and Derrick Favors. Now, they’ll shift their focus to working on contract extensions for Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Pau Gasol Talks Recovery, Plans, Barcelona Rumors

October 8th, 2020 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

Pau Gasol was sidelined for the entire 2019/20 season due to a left foot injury, but has stated repeatedly that he hopes to play professionally for one more season and represent Spain in the Tokyo Olympics before calling it a career. In an interview with Efe (link via Marca.com), Gasol restated that desire and said he expects to determine soon, as he ramps up his workouts, whether or not it will be possible.

“This pandemic, with all the bad it has brought us, is giving me a little more time to recover from my foot injury,” Gasol said, per Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. “The progression is being positive. In the next month or month and a half, my level of demand on the court will be very high, and then I will find out if I can compete again.”

Gasol suffered a stress fracture in his left foot during the fall of 2018. He was able to return to the court later that season, appearing in 18 more games for the Spurs and three for the Bucks, but ongoing issues with the foot have prevented him from playing at all during the last year.

Speaking to Spanish media in June, Gasol said he hoped to play one more season in the NBA or Europe, citing two of his former teams – the Lakers and FC Barcelona – as potentially attractive spots to finish his playing career.

A subsequent report suggested that a return to Barcelona appeared to be in the cards for Gasol, but that story was quickly shot down, and the 40-year-old reiterated this week that there’s nothing to it. Gasol told Efe that he was surprised by how the rumor – and another report suggesting that his brother Marc Gasol was signing with Barcelona – spread without any confirmation from the player or team.

“I do not know if they have come from the same source… but if in the end things do not come out of the player or the club, they are only rumors,” Gasol said, referring to the stories as “fake news.”

The Tokyo Olympics, which were pushed back from 2020 to 2021, are currently scheduled to begin on July 23, with Spain among the eight countries that have qualified so far for the men’s basketball tournament.

Gasol was part of the Spanish squads that earned silver medals in 2008 and 2012 and a bronze in 2016, so if he’s able to play in Tokyo and Spain finishes in the top three, he would claim his fourth Olympic medal.

Barcelona Coach: No Talks With Marc Gasol

September 30th, 2020 at 5:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite rumblings that a reunion with his old team in Spain could be in the cards for veteran center Marc Gasol, Barcelona head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius told Spanish outlet Gigantes Del Basket that the team hasn’t spoken to Gasol, as Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando relays.

Spanish podcast host Sergi Carmona (Twitter link) reported earlier today that Gasol had reached an agreement with Barcelona, but Ernest Macia of Catalunya Radio (Twitter links) hears there’s nothing currently happening between the two sides, and Jasikevicius’ comments also suggest no deal is done. Carmona has locked his Twitter account since publishing his initial report.

While we have no confirmation that any agreement between Barcelona and Gasol is imminent, there’s reason to believe it could be a possibility at some point this offseason. Previous reports have indicated that the 35-year-old big man may consider a return to Europe as a free agent this year. And Barcelona would be a familiar setting — Gasol spent three seasons with the club from 2003-06 before eventually making the move to the NBA.

For what it’s worth, Marc’s brother Pau Gasol was also said to have a deal in place with Barcelona back in July, but that report was shot down by the team and there have been no updates on Pau since then.

If Marc does elect to head back overseas, it would help simplify the Raptors’ decision-making process in this offseason. The team may not be able to re-sign all of its key free agents, including Gasol, Fred VanVleet, and Serge Ibaka. A Gasol exit would allow the team to focus its efforts on retaining Ibaka in the frontcourt in addition trying to re-sign VanVleet.

Raptors Notes: Anunoby, Powell, Free Agents

September 22nd, 2020 at 4:55pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Raptors‘ veteran free agents – Fred VanVleet, Marc Gasol, and Serge Ibaka – will receive much of the attention this offseason, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star points out that the front office has key decisions to make on a couple other players who were part of the team’s top seven in 2019/20.

OG Anunoby will be eligible for a rookie scale contract extension this offseason, and while he earned an offer with his strong play in his third professional season, Smith anticipates the Raptors will wait until the forward reaches restricted free agency in 2021 in order to maintain cap flexibility.

Meanwhile, swingman Norman Powell is coming off the best season of his career and is entering a potential contract year (he has a player option for 2021/22), prompting Smith to suggest that the Raptors should think about gauging his value on the trade market.

As Smith writes, Powell is one of the team’s more intriguing chips and could be used to acquire a big man who would be a longer-term piece than Gasol or Ibaka. However, the Toronto Star scribe ultimately expects Powell to be back with the Raptors next season.

Here’s more out of Toronto:

Blake Murphy of The Athletic makes predictions for which Raptors are most and least likely to stick with the team through the offseason, speculating that Fred VanVleet (73.8%) is a better bet to return than Serge Ibaka (48.8%) or Marc Gasol (42.3%).
Elsewhere at The Athletic, Eric Koreen digs into whether re-signing VanVleet is essential for the Raptors’ future success. In Koreen’s view, it seems far more likely that the team will pay to retain the former undrafted free agent, rather than letting him walk and hoping its player development group can strike gold again on a long-term replacement.
In case you missed it, Nick Nurse‘s new contract extension with Toronto is reportedly worth about $8MM per year. That item and many others can be found on our Raptors team page.

Atlantic Notes: Gasol, Lowry, Durant, Paul

September 21st, 2020 at 7:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors might offer Marc Gasol a one-year deal, but he’ll likely have more pursuers, according to The Toronto Star’s Doug Smith. Although Gasol didn’t have a notable impact in the postseason, the Raptors can re-sign the veteran center to a short-team deal and preserve cap space for next summer. However, he might get a multi-year offer elsewhere or play overseas.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry will become an unrestricted free agent after next season and it’s quite possible he could finish his career elsewhere, Smith writes in a separate story. It’s unlikely the Raptors will offer him an extension beforehand, since they’re hoping to keep their options open in 2021 free agency. Lowry, who will make $30.5MM next season, has shown he has plenty left in the tank. But his long run with the team could eventually end if Fred VanVleet is re-signed this summer.
Kevin Durant has been working out and playing full court with Nets teammates in Los Angeles, Net Income of NetsDaily relays. Durant, who sat out this season rehabbing his ruptured Achilles, says he feels “like myself” but still has a long way to go to reach his previous level. “I’m in a stage now where we’re just hooping every day,” Durant said on Joe Budden’s podcast. “I feel good waiting for next season to get back.”
How could Chris Paul land in Philadelphia? A number of Athletic writers explore various trade possibilities with either Paul or fellow Thunder guard Dennis Schroder – or even both – winding up with the Sixers.

Raptors Notes: Ujiri, Webster, VanVleet, Ibaka, Gasol

September 17th, 2020 at 1:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The “strong rumble” in the Walt Disney World bubble was that the Raptors were nearing new long-term extensions for president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri, general manager Bobby Webster, and head coach Nick Nurse, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).

Toronto announced a multiyear extension for Nurse earlier this week, but Ujiri told reporters today that he hasn’t engaged in contract discussions with Raptors ownership yet. As Tim Bontemps of ESPN relays (via Twitter), Ujiri said he wanted to prioritize new deals for his leadership team, including Nurse and Webster. He said an extension for Webster is “close,” per Blake Murphy of The Athletic (Twitter link).

As for his own contract, Ujiri offered the following assessment, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link): “I think it will come. When it comes we’ll deal with it face on. But as for now I’m focused on other things. When that time comes I will deal with it.”

Ujiri and Webster have one year remaining on their current contracts.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Re-signing unrestricted free agent Fred VanVleet will be a “big-time priority” for the Raptors this offseason, Ujiri said today (Twitter link via Murphy). He added that the club has a good sense of where its free agents still have room to grow or develop.
Ujiri also called free agent big men Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol priorities for the Raptors, though he acknowledged the challenges inherent in balancing the club’s short-term interests and long-term flexibility (Twitter link via Lewenberg). Toronto is expected to try to maximize its cap flexibility for the summer of 2021 as best it can.
Eric Koreen of The Athletic ranks the players on the Raptors’ roster by trade value, starting with Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby.
In case you missed it, we explained on Wednesday how Siakam’s All-NBA Second Team berth will affect the forward’s earnings going forward. Because Siakam’s extension will begin at 28% of the 2020/21 cap instead of 25%, the Raptors now project to have about $3.5MM less cap space during the summer of 2021, assuming the cap for ’20/21 stays the same as in ’19/20.

Marc Gasol May Consider Return To Europe

September 16th, 2020 at 9:01pm CST by Jovan Alford

Raptors center Marc Gasol may consider finishing his professional basketball career in Europe, according to Xavi Saiso Garcia of radio Ser Catalunya.

Saiso Garcia adds that if the 35-year-old decides to play overseas, it would be for family reasons. Before joining the Grizzlies in 2008/09, Gasol spent five seasons overseas with FC Barcelona Lassa and Sant Josep Girona.

The 7’1″ big man will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason after spending the last two seasons in Toronto. This season with the Raptors, Gasol averaged 7.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 3.3 APG in 26.4 MPG.

If the 13-year NBA veteran decided to play in Europe, it would not be the first time that we saw a player of his stature do so. Last offseason, Nikola Mirotic, who was an unrestricted free agent, signed a deal with EuroLeague club Barcelona. The veteran forward reportedly would’ve received offers ranging between $45-50MM in NBA free agency.

Raptors Notes: VanVleet, Gasol, Ibaka, Anunoby

September 12th, 2020 at 5:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Now that the offseason has arrived for the Raptors, their attention will turn to re-signing Fred VanVleet, who will be one of the top names on the free agent market, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. After making a name for himself by hitting big shots in last year’s playoffs, VanVleet became a full -time starter and turned in his best NBA season, averaging career highs with 17.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game.

At 26, the fourth-year guard will be part of the Raptors’ foundation if he stays in Toronto, and he said he had plenty of time to consider his situation while the league was on hiatus.

“Being at home for that long, it gives you a lot of time to reflect on things,” VanVleet said. “I’m sure — like all of us, everybody’s jobs were in jeopardy — I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with the league. I wasn’t sure about next year with the cap and what the numbers would look like, so it put a lot of things in perspective. It changed the way you would view everything and makes you appreciate things a lot more. … I’m not looking ahead, or I was never looking ahead all year. I was focused on trying to win a championship with this team. And we got the opportunity to come back here in the bubble and give ourselves a chance, and that’s all you can ask for.”

There’s more on the Raptors:

Toronto faces difficult decisions on free agents Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN. Injuries limited Gasol to 44 games this year and he averaged a career-low 7.5 PPG. Gasol will turn 36 in January, but Marks expects him to have a future in the league, probably making $6-8MM less than his $25.5MM salary this season. Ibaka averaged a career-best 15.4 PPG and Marks believes he will get offers at the $9.3MM midlevel exception from playoff teams without cap space. He mentions the Mavericks and Trail Blazers as possibilities, but guesses that Toronto may offer a one-year deal at $18MM to keep Ibaka and preserve cap space for the summer of 2021.
Another important decision involves OG Anunoby, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension, Marks adds in the same story. Anunoby has a free-agent cap hold for 2021 of $11.7MM, and any extension above that number will eat into the team’s cap space next year. He will become a restricted free agent next summer if he’s not extended, and Marks points out that his value could be much higher by then.
Pascal Siakam never rediscovered his shot once the shutdown ended, which was a big factor in the series loss to Boston, notes Andrew Lopez of ESPN. Siakam said he accepts “a lot of the blame” for the defeat, but Kyle Lowry had a prediction for his teammate. “I think this is only going to make him a better basketball player, a better man, a better everything,” Lowry said. “I would not be surprised to see him come back even more hungry and destroying people.”