Marc Gasol, one of the most skilled big men in the NBA today, is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and multiple teams are already expressing their interest in signing the Memphis Grizzlies center in the 2015 NBA free agency. The biggest threat to the Grizzlies for Gasol next summer? The New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers.
After trading Tyson Chandler to the Dallas Mavericks, the Knicks are obviously in need of a defensive anchor in the middle and the 2013 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol will provide them just that and more - Gasol could prove an ideal fit in Phil Jackson's triangle offense. ESPN reported two weeks ago that the Grizzlies denied the Knicks trade offer of Iman Shumpert and Amare Stoudemire for Gasol.
The trade offer may have failed but the Knicks have another chance at acquiring Gasol next summer via free agency. Amare Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani's huge contracts will come off the books next summer leaving New York with plenty of money to throw on Gasol per ESPN New York.
The Los Angeles Lakers, on the other hand, are in the same situation as New York - capped out and with little trade assets to acquire Gasol this offseason. Next summer though, when Steve Nash, Jeremy Lin, and Carlos Boozer's contracts come off the books, the Lakers will have at least $20 million to spend on a big free agent name per Mike Garcia of Lake Show Life. Look for them to make a run on Marc next summer after loosing his brother Pau this offseason.
Mar Gasol will surely be one of the biggest draws next summer in the 2015 NBA free agency and the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers, with plenty of cap room, will be positioned to make a run at him although it is more likely that he will stay with the Grizzlies in the end as Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors suggests:
Marc Gasol hasn't garnered a lot of attention even though he can be a free agent next summer, but if the Grizzlies have a slow start, I can imagine the rumors starting up about him. Still, he has longstanding connections to Memphis, so I don't think he wants to leave, and the Grizzlies seem to want to keep him and their core of their team around.
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