This “too late to cry wolf” rollercoaster is to the point now where even Grizzlies fans won't mind hearing it, but the time to move on from the three-time All-Star center Marc Gasol has came and went. The 33-year old Barcelonan big man is riding out the remainder of his 5 year/$ 113,211,750 contract that won't see the light at the end of the tunnel until he's 34, not leaving him with many playing fields as an unrestricted free agent. There will be much more cap space for title-contending organizations or teams simply willing to press the big red button that says, “Blow up the roster, overpay an aging vet, and name him the face of the franchise”.
Yet many teams will be hesitant to offer max or even mid-level exception money to a Tim Duncan-like big who's on the older side of the spectrum. On top of that, the Grizzlies passed on many offers they would openly welcome right about now back when Gasol was a hot commodity on the trade market. Even so, there are still reasonable trades out there that financially make sense for both the Grizzlies and whatever other party is involved.
Toronto Raptors:
Toronto gets: Marc Gasol: Marc Gasol to Canada makes sense. With the addition of Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors wouldn't be imposed to make a move for a more qualified veteran big man in Gasol. Valanciunas had a fairly decent season albeit being crushed by the Cavs in the second round of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Gasol would give Leonard the Duncan-like presence that he's familiar with from his days in San Antonio, while also giving the frontcourt a much needed uptick in scoring.
Gasol also gives new coach Nick Nurse more spacing to assign smoother gameplay with his three point shooting, which is an absolute soar from what Valunciunas currently gives as he only attempted 74 3-pointers last season. Given the two years remaining on All-Star guard Kyle Lowry's contract as well, the Raptors could remain a presence and foe in the East for years to come.
Memphis gets: C.J. Miles, Jonas Valanciunas, 2020 1st pick: At 26 years old, Valunciunas has a decent amount of years ahead of him to still push the development curve into a solidified force in the frontcourt on both ends. His numbers across the boards haven't been consistent, a sign to what could be fixed with perhaps a new environment and system. C.J. Miles has become a very reliable force off the bench his past few seasons between the Indiana Pacers and Raptors. Add on the fact that he still holds one of the most salary-friendly contracts in the NBA, it makes him virtually able to slide onto any roster where backup point guards are always in need of service incase of injuries. Toronto's 2020 1st pick won't look to be much, given that Leonard signs for the long haul this upcoming summer, but it could be an intriguing piece in the future; after all, two years from now in NBA time is a lifetime.
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