After signing a one-year, $2.6 million deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, veteran big man Pau Gasol called the Rip City squad “one of the best teams in the league.”
Via Twitter, the Spaniard shared his excitement in joining Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and the rest of the crew in Oregon for his 19th season.
I'm very excited to announce that next season (my 19th in the @NBA) I'll play for the @trailblazers. ✍🏼😀
Ready and happy to join one of the best teams in the league! pic.twitter.com/NcE6UJbsZ4
— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) July 24, 2019
Gasol, 39, will join the Blazers' frontcourt which includes Hassan Whiteside, Zach Collins and Jusuf Nurkic. He'll bring along with him a hefty resume which includes two championship rings, tons of international experience, and just an overall wealth of basketball knowledge.
Article Continues BelowThe Blazers will be the Spaniard's sixth team overall. He started his career with the Memphis Grizzlies — the team which drafted him third overall in 2000. With the Lakers, he paired up with the great Kobe Bryant and formed a dominant team which led to three NBA Finals appearances and two titles.
After which, he played for the Chicago Bulls for two years, followed by the San Antonio Spurs for three seasons, then a short stint with the Milwaukee Bucks last year.
Now, Gasol will continue the tail end of his legendary career with the Blazers. Injuries have bothered him for the past few years, but he is still expected to contribute in every way he can to lift Portland to legitimate contender status.