Before Pau Gasol opted out of his contract with the Chicago Bulls and made it clear that he wasn't looking to re-sign a new deal to return, his brother Marc cited the San Antonio Spurs as a possible destination for the two-time champion. Pau spoke positively of the Spurs organization as well.
Now, it appears that his intrigue with San Antonio is being reciprocated.
From Adrian Wojnarowski during The Vertical podcast:
“I'm told that Pau Gasol is a real priority for them. They tried to get him before he signed with Chicago. The Bulls were able to offer him a little bit more than the mid-level that year, I think the Spurs had a mid-level for him. They can maneuver in San Antonio and probably be able to offer him market value.”
Marc made his comments back in April, and it's looking to be a smart prediction. The player option Pau declined was worth $7.7 million; with all of the new cap space opening up thanks to the NBA's lucrative TV deal, finding the funds to sign Gasol shouldn't be much of a problem for the Spurs.
Pau turns 36 on July 6th, but he still performed well enough to earn an All-Star spot last season, averaging 16.5 points, 11 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. If Tim Duncan ends up retiring, Gasol would be an excellent replacement for his role.
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