When the Lakers signed former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol in free agency last year, Los Angeles was buzzing about the big-time addition. Now, the 36-year-old center seems like more of a roster afterthought.
While Gasol was widely expected to return to LA for the second year of his two year contract in 2021-22, it appears that may not be the sure-thing it once was.
NBA insider Marc Stein reports that Gasol is “not a lock” to rejoin the Lakers this coming season.
“I’m hearing that Marc Gasol is not a lock to return to the Lakers, even after Gasol said following Spain’s quarterfinal loss to the United States in the Olympics that he intends to play out the final year of the two-year deal he signed with Los Angeles,” Stein wrote on Friday. “It’s not yet clear if that means Gasol is poised to be set free to play elsewhere in the NBA or if he would ultimately opt to finish his career in his home country like brother Pau.”
Originally expected to have a significant impact on the Lakers roster in 2020-21, Gasol averaged just 5.0 point and 4.1 rebounds through 19.1 minutes per game.
Under his current contract, the three-time All Star is set to make $2.69 million in 2021-22.
Gasol has been somewhat forgotten amidst the slew of offseason transactions from the Lakers, including the additions of Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook and Dwight Howard. With these additions, the LA squad may have exhausted its need for an aging veteran presence.
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