Marc Gasol's time with the Los Angeles Lakers came to an end Friday after the team traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies to save some cap space and open up a roster spot.
While it's a rather disappointing end to what started as a promising partnership, it seems Gasol has no one else to blame for it. Apparently, the All-Star big man didn't give any indication that he wanted to stay with the Purple and Gold.
According to Bill Oram of The Athletic, the Lakers remained high on Gasol and what he could bring to the team–with a team source even saying “he could really help us.” However, as Kyle Goon of OC Register noted, Gasol didn't seem to be invested in playing for the team in the 2021-22 season
It was also the reason why Rob Pelinka and Co. turned their focus on acquiring DeAndre Jordan after the veteran center parted ways with the Brooklyn Nets.
Following the DeAndre Jordan acquisition, writing was on the wall for Marc. One characterization I heard last week was the Lakers were waiting for a sign that Gasol was invested and excited to play another season with them. They were linked to Jordan soon after.
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) September 10, 2021
Marc Gasol is said to be working with the Grizzlies on waiver so he can be released and stay in Spain. It remains to be seen what his next step is, but his decision seems to indicate he won't be returning to the NBA for the 2021-22 season.
For what it's worth, there were already questions about Gasol's future with the Lakers after it was rumored the team was exploring other options for the center position. And sure enough, after the DeAndre Jordan signing, it became evident that the Spaniard was on his way out.
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