Portland Trail Blazers president of basketball operations Neil Olshey says the fact Pau Gasol chose to sign with the Blazers means Portland is “on the right track” in terms of winning an NBA championship.
Gasol signed a one-year, $2.56 million deal with the Blazers. Olshey says the two-time champion approached the Blazers first and that the organization is thrilled to have Gasol on board.
Pau Gasol split time last season with the San Antonio Spurs and Milwaukee Bucks, averaging 3.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 30 games while shooting 44.7 percent from the field, 46.2 percent from beyond the arc and 70.0 percent from the free-throw line.
The Blazers will likely use Gasol as a backup to Hassan Whiteside and Jusuf Nurkic, the latter of whom is scheduled to return from injury around the All-Star break. Portland acquired Whiteside from the Miami Heat this summer.
Gasol has career averages of 17.0 points and 9.2 rebounds. At this stage of his career, Pau can give you some solid minutes off the bench. He's always been a high IQ player and a solid locker room guy. Gasol almost signed with the Blazers in the summer of 2016 before joining the Spurs. Neil Olshey thinks Gasol will thrive in the pick-and-roll/pop game with guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.