Although Marc Gasol’s main focus is centered around being the leader of a Grizzlies team that’s currently 3rd in the Western Conference, the All-Star caliber center isn’t ignoring discussion of his future status as a free agent during the upcoming off-season. Prior to the Grizzlies matchup against the Lakers on January 2nd, Gasol spoke to LA Daily News’ reporter Mark Medina, where the topic of his impending free agency quickly arose.
“I haven’t weighed anything yet,” said Gasol, who will wait until talking with his agent, Arn Tellum, this offseason. “We’ll sit down and have a human eye-to-eye conversation. We’ll see what we’re looking for the next four or five years of my life with this team, different teams and my family. Whatever decision I make, it would be the best.”
Will the Lakers become one of those candidates?
“I won’t say no to anything right now,” Gasol said in an interview with Los Angeles News Group. “If it’s presented to me, I’ll think about it. If not, I won’t.”
While Gasol’s uncertainty surrounding a future stint with the Lakers was the main focus of that LA Daily News piece, it doesn’t currently appear to be the best option for the 29-year-old center. Although the Lakers will probably have the needed cap room to be able to acquire Gasol, it’s tough to envision him making his way to Los Angeles for a variety of different reasons.
Perhaps the biggest reason would be how difficult it would be for him to leave Memphis, and over $20 million in guaranteed money, to go to an uncertain situation with Los Angeles. As previously mentioned, the Grizzlies are currently a perennial contender in an extremely tough Western Conference, while the Lakers are scrambling to rebuild, while trying to find an identity once Kobe Bryant hangs up his sneakers.
Meanwhile in Memphis, Gasol is currently surrounded by a stable core of teammates that include Zach Randolph, Mike Conley and Courtney Lee, who will all remain under contract with Memphis during the 2015-16 season. Besides that trio, the team also possesses a core of solid young pieces like Jon Leuer, Jarnell Stokes, and Jordan Adams who all appear to be future fixtures inside the team’s rotations.
Besides the Grizzlies and Lakers, another possible suitor for Marc Gasol could be the New York Knicks. While the Knicks are currently going through perhaps their worst season in team history, New York will have an ample amount of cap room during the off-season as Amar’e Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani will finally be off the books. New York can also utilize the possibilities of playing alongside Carmelo Anthony as bait for potential free agents.
While the status of playing with the Knicks or Lakers is a lot more prestigious than being in Memphis, the Grizzlies are currently the most stable gig of this trio. That stability will probably remain as one of the more crucial factors with Gasol’s future free agency. Because why would you want to go somewhere, when you already have it pretty good where you’re at?
