After the Lakers ended their miserable season last Wednesday, the uncertainty surrounding Pau Gasol heading into free agency continues to grow with new rumors already surfacing.
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Recently, Pau Gasol spoke with Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports, mentioning that he would be willing to listen to the New York Knicks President Phil Jackson about the possibility to come and play for the Knicks.
“I’m happy for him and the position that he got. I’m always going to be a big fan and a friend. I would listen.”
With the possibility of joining the Knicks, Gasol did mention playing with Kobe Bryant as one of his main reasons he would stay with the Lakers during his exit interview.
It’s important to note that Jackson recently signed former Lakers forward Lamar Odom before the season ended. This can only allude as a sign of bringing back NBA veterans who have a keen understanding of the triangle offense. Adding Gasol in that mix would only make sense as Jackson is looking to bring back the triangle offense.
While Gasol would listen, he would have to take a significant paycut as the Knicks would only be able to offer him a salary starting at $3.2 million. As for the Lakers, general manager Mitch Kupchak mentioned in his exit interview that the two-time champion is a ‘priority’ for the team this summer. With ample cap room, it will be interesting to see if Gasol has to opportunity to finish his career as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Lakers Pau Gasol Says Kobe Bryant A Deciding Factor This Summer