Is Pau Gasol a viable offseason target?

[Uriel]

Lost in the Spurs' destruction of the Lakers earlier was how well Pau Gasol played, putting up 18-11-4 in only 26 minutes. We'd probably have to give up re-signing Boris Diaw to get him, but a Duncan-Gasol-Splitter frontcourt would easily be one the best, if not the best, in the NBA.

[SpurAddict561]

He will be a Knick

[Anonymous Cowherd]

I would love Gasol at ours. Classy player, massive general an b-ball intelligence, great character.

No idea how realistic a target he is tho. I'm guessing not realistic at all.

[Spursfanfromafar]

He is indeed better than Boris but he will come at double or close to 2.5 times Boris' cost. Spurs can refurbish other areas with Boris. Can't happen with Gasol.

[exstatic]

He plays NO defense, and hasn't for two years. We ran a layup/dunk train on LA last night.

Not a fit. Boris is also younger and more versatile.

[lmbebo]

I think he may be a viable target, depending on the spurs offseason priorities, $$, etc.

[Old School 44]

I doubt he would sign with the Spurs, but I always thought Pau's game would fit perfectly with the team. I know others will laugh at this, but even Nash, for the right price, would be fun to have coming off the bench. I think both players would have a lot of fun playing for the Spurs.

[TheGoldStandard]

He's going to Memphis next season

[Boomersgold]

He's going to Memphis next season
Gasol brothers AND Zach Randolph down low? That'd be a deadly combo!

[Mugen]

MVPau would be a great addition but he'll be too expensive and have my doubts that a Gasol/Duncan frontcourt would work in today's NBA tbh.

[Clipper Nation]

MVPau is crossing the hallway at Staples, tbh, just have a gut feeling.... he'd be great on the Spurs, though....

[exstatic]

Gasol brothers AND Zach Randolph down low? That'd be a deadly combo!

Memphis can't afford that. They're small market like us. They could probably afford Pau IF they got rid of Randolph, AND worked a sign and trade with LA. Their salary is $69M with Randolph, and $52M without. They won't have any cap room.

[DeadlyDynasty]

He couldn't stop Brittany Griner

[SanDiegoSpursFan]

Are you guys serious? Have you seen him try and guard the pick and roll nowadays? It's worse than it was last year, and last year he was garbage at it.

[RD2191]

I doubt he would sign with the Spurs, but I always thought Pau's game would fit perfectly with the team. I know others will laugh at this, but even Nash, for the right price, would be fun to have coming off the bench. I think both players would have a lot of fun playing for the Spurs.

Rofl

[RD2191]

:lmao

[RD2191]

:lmao

:lmao

[Mikeanaro]

No please he sucks Im not saying Pau will be RJ 2.0 but he´s very close with a garbage contract too.

[SpurPadre]

NO. MORE. OLD. FUCKS.

[Kidd K]

I don't think he is unless he takes a significant paycut to come here. If he wants a ring, there are other places he could go too like the other LA team. After all, if he came here, I'm not sure what the Spurs would do with Splitter. . .start Gasol and play Tiago off the bench? Or would Gasol actually come off the bench? I kinda doubt it because Pau is the type to complain about minutes and his role if it isn't large enough.

[Dex]

Boris > Gasol at this point tbh

[xmas1997]

I forgot, who did we get Boris from?
He was waived by the Bobcats, right, after being traded there from the Suns?

[Bynumite]

Thinking Gasol cares about rings at this point. Dude just wants to stat pad and get paid.

[AFBlue]

Only if Splitter is traded or Duncan surprises everyone and retires imo tbqh fwiw.

[cjw]

I forgot, who did we get Boris from?
He was waived by the Bobcats, right, after being traded there from the Suns?

He played for some time in Charlotte and enjoyed that Carolina BBQ a little too much. Funny how you can go from being (mutually) cut by the worst team in the league to playing in crunch time in the NBA Finals. Same goes for Green I guess ... Cleveland was awful post-Lebron.

[jARS mEsH sEt]

He plays NO defense, and hasn't for two years. We ran a layup/dunk train on LA last night.

Not a fit. Boris is also younger and more versatile.

That wasn't on gasol. He had no help defense.

[exstatic]

That wasn't on gasol. He had no help defense.

He was bad last year when he was playing with Howard and Kobe. Plenty of help then. He's just slipped from competent to horrible in the last 2 years.

[chazley]

Gasol is a very poor fit for the Spurs.

Imagine if he went to the Thunder though *shudder*

[exstatic]

Gasol is a very poor fit for the Spurs.

Imagine if he went to the Thunder though *shudder*

They won't pay. They dumped HARDEN over money.

[EVAY]

Boris > Gasol at this point tbh

TRUE.

[spurraider21]

Thinking Gasol cares about rings at this point. Dude just wants to stat pad and get paid.
yeah because if gasol tried harder the lakers would totally be playoff contenders right now

[exstatic]

yeah because if gasol tried harder the lakers would totally be playoff contenders right now

It's not even about this year, or even last year. Gasol hasn't been right since the Lakers attempted to trade him for CP3. Both he and Odom seemed to go off the rails after that, although to differing degrees.

[spurraider21]

It's not even about this year, or even last year. Gasol hasn't been right since the Lakers attempted to trade him for CP3. Both he and Odom seemed to go off the rails after that, although to differing degrees.
the lakers were also attempting to phase Gasol out in favor of Bynum basically since the 2010-2011 season. prior to this year, he hadn't been the primary low post presence since 2010

[cd021]

No please he sucks Im not saying Pau will be RJ 2.0 but he´s very close with a garbage contract too.

He'd be an free agent. So we don't know how much he would cost.

[Mikeanaro]

He'd be an free agent. So we don't know how much he would cost.
He will ask some ridiculous number like his Laker contract but I don´t care if he gets 3 islands and 4 transatlantic ships as long as he stays away from the spurs.

[Proxy]

talking about his defense, or lack thereof... how much would be considered chronic, and how much could we attribute to playing on a shitty team and for being LA's scapegoat? How much of a defender was Boris while he was in Charlotte?

[scanry]

MVPau is crossing the hallway at Staples, tbh, just have a gut feeling.... he'd be great on the Spurs, though....

Pau needs a coach like Phil, Pop or even Doc at this juncture.

Miami will be a very good fit for Gasol.

[poeticism707]

Gasol is a very poor fit for the Spurs.

Imagine if he went to the Thunder though *shudder*


My first thought as well, Chaz.

Gasol with the Thunder would be a dagger for the Spurs.

[TD 21]

All things being relatively equal, there's no doubt in my mind that Gasol would pick the Spurs . . . but unless Duncan unexpectedly retires, the timing probably isn't right, both financially and fit wise.

Obviously, offensively he'd be a phenomenal fit, but defensively he couldn't work next to Duncan and his ego is too big to accept coming off the bench, even for a season. As a replacement for Duncan though, they couldn't do better, even though he's nowhere near the rim protector/rebounder. Add him to the others firmly entrenched in the rotation not named Duncan and Ginobili and they're not contenders post them, but still a damn good team.

[HarlemHeat37]

Gasol is a tough fit for any team at the moment, tbh..

He's going to continue moving out of the post as he ages, and he no longer plays any type of defense..a high-post C that can't defend is a very tough sell as a starter, especially at his age..

[jkid12456]

dont want old players, we need athletic, young bigs. got too many oldies

[Richie]

Boris is so far ahead of him defensively, it's almost irrelevant how they compare on the offensive end. Pau is simply a massive liability on that end.

If he would take the MLE I'd sign him in a heartbeat but he's not going to take that low of a salary. If it's a choice between Diaw and Gasol, I take the frenchman every time.

[cd021]

He will ask some ridiculous number like his Laker contract but I don´t care if he gets 3 islands and 4 transatlantic ships as long as he stays away from the spurs.

He has stated that being on a winning team takes precedent. Its doubtful that he'd return to the Lakers anyway. He has been on the block for months at a time and was actually traded for CP3 but it was blocked. He'd be 34 in July. If he is interested in joining a contender his asking price would probably be significantly lower. I think his salary next season would be no more than $13 million but probably closer to $10 million.

[dg7md]

He fits our mold perfectly and could contribute for a few solid years. I think it can be done.

[Mikeanaro]

He has stated that being on a winning team takes precedent. Its doubtful that he'd return to the Lakers anyway. He has been on the block for months at a time and was actually traded for CP3 but it was blocked. He'd be 34 in July. If he is interested in joining a contender his asking price would probably be significantly lower. I think his salary next season would be no more than $13 million but probably closer to $10 million.
You could be right, I don´t want Pau here but that´s me, anyway when I think about FO pockets flies and spider webs comes to my mind.

[poeticism707]

Gasol is a tough fit for any team at the moment, tbh..

He's going to continue moving out of the post as he ages, and he no longer plays any type of defense..a high-post C that can't defend is a very tough sell as a starter, especially at his age..

All great points.

But can you imagine Gasol in OKC. next to Ibaka?

Scary.

Just scary for the Spurs.

[PÒÓCH]

Frankly I'd rather have Mark Gasol instead but these are all just pipe dreams.

[ezau]

:lmao

Give me a time and place, bitch

[SpurSwag]

I'd rather have Boris tbh. He fills a much more important need of guarding stretch 4's and even Lebron at times, obviously Pau is better but unless we made some other moves we'd be doomed to any remotely mobile big man.

With that being said, if we could keep boris, I would love Pau. He'd be a great fit in this system.

[Nathan89]

One advantage is the Thunder and Heat wouldn't play small ball vs a Duncan and Pau lineup.

We have three sgs that have limited ability to create for themselves. Parker is getting older and much of the offense relies on him. Duncan plays very little in the post. Adding a skilled offensive of big man would make it very difficult to stop an offense like the spurs that thrives on ball movement. I think it would make the team better next year and will be able to maintain a competitive team once Duncan retires.

[jimbo]

Are you guys serious? Have you seen him try and guard the pick and roll nowadays? It's worse than it was last year, and last year he was garbage at it.

This. The only reason Tiago works with Tim defensively is because Tiago is good at PnR defending. A Gasol/Duncan frontcourt would get shit on in today's NBA.

[Richie]

All great points.

But can you imagine Gasol in OKC. next to Ibaka?

Scary.

Just scary for the Spurs.

Nothing scary about that whatsoever. Put him in the pick and roll every possession down the court, we'd score every time

[wildchild]

Gasol would give us a proven go to scorer down the stretch, would excel in the two man game with Parker, he's a great passer bigman, has a nice low post offensive game, too but... he's old and a no-D guy.

He would have been a nice peice 3 years ago not now, why would think about Gasol when Greg Monroe is in his last year in Detroit...

[cd98]

Gasol is a good player that has had nothing to play for for two years. He's probably not worth the money it would take to acquire him, but if he went to a good team he could give them two more solid years.

I think he stays with the Lakers unless he finishes his career where it started in Memphis playing with his brother.

[DJB]

Boris > Gasol at this point tbh

You twat.

[Uriel]

Pau Gasol had 22 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 blocks against the Spurs today. The man can obviously still play. :wakeup

[Boomersgold]

Pau Gasol had 22 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 blocks against the Spurs today. The man can obviously still play. :wakeup
Gasol needs to get the hell out of Laker land.

He never gets the credit that he deserves. The fans up there obviously despise him, so why play for a team that doesn't appreciate your talents?

A Laker fan's mindset after every possible game scenario:
Lakers win (with Kobe and Gasol): Kobe carried the team.
Lakers lose (with Kobe and Gasol): Gasol's fault. He's soft as f*ck.
Lakers win without Kobe: Pure fluke. Won't happen again.
Lakers lose without Kobe: It's all Gasol's fault. Trade him.

[Dverde]

Only viable target if Duncan retires. Gasol ain't coming off the bench for us.

[Mel_13]

Pau can still play, but not a viable target for the Spurs.

He's not coming to San Antonio for the MLE. Creating enough cap space to attract him means letting Diaw leave and giving up the MLE. Pau is not worth Diaw + the player/players that could be signed with the MLE.

[dbestpro]

For some reason I see him in Dallas playing along side Dirk.

[PingPong]

Spurs has Air-es, doesnt need Gás-ol.

[Uriel]

Assuming Bonner walks, we're going to sign another big in the offseason, otherwise we'll be left with only 4 bigs. In that situation, Pop would be forced to give consistent minutes to Errors.

Would Pau Gasol be willing to sign in San Antonio for the full MLE to gain another shot at a championship?

[letmk]

Assuming Bonner walks, we're going to sign another big in the offseason, otherwise we'll be left with only 4 bigs. In that situation, Pop would be forced to give consistent minutes to Errors.

Would Pau Gasol be willing to sign in San Antonio for the full MLE to gain another shot at a championship?

As much as I like Gasol, he can play with Timmy together. Timmy cannot play with Splitter already in some circumstances, and the Spurs have to play Diaw with them separately. You can't just expect Diaw to team with all three separately.

[Uriel]

As much as I like Gasol, he can play with Timmy together. Timmy cannot play with Splitter already in some circumstances, and the Spurs have to play Diaw with them separately. You can't just expect Diaw to team with all three separately.
Pau can space the floor with his shooting, though. He's already an elite midrange jump shooter, and this season, there was an emphasis on him extending his range out to the perimeter.

In any case, we may need to bring him in to counter the star power Miami will inevitably give off when they bring in Melo for next season.

[intlspurshk]

He has rings already. Now he should be looking for money and playing time. Both can't be offered by SPURS

[Uriel]

Pau Gasol has said that he'll consider 4 teams this summer—Spurs, Bulls, Grizzlies, and Lakers.


The Bulls would have to amnesty Boozer to have enough cap space to make a run at Gasol. And even then, they'd probably have to sign him at a discounted rate.


The Grizzlies' making a run at Pau Gasol is predicated on the contract situation of Zach Randolph. He would have to opt out of his current contract and test free agency. And even then, it's fairly certain that keeping him while be priority A1 for Memphis.


That leaves just the Lakers and the Spurs. The Lakers, who own his Bird Rights, of course have more money to throw at Gasol. But Gasol has said that, at this stage of his career, he's more interested in winning championships than earning money. And what better team to make a title run with than the reining NBA champion San Antonio Spurs?


It seems to me that Gasol could easily wind up on the Spurs this offseason. It's just a matter of whether the front office is interested in signing him.

[Mr. Body]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Gasol consider the Heat.

I don't think San Antonio is a great destination for Gasol, and mark the Bulls as the best fit. They badly, badly need any kind of offense, it allows Noah to play off him more, and if Rose comes back they have a good shot at the best team in the EC. The East is wide open, in any case, and a good team will slot in at least #2 in the conference without much sweat.

[ceperez]

He has rings already. Now he should be looking for money and playing time. Both can't be offered by SPURS

Well, he's made a lot of money already. So I don't know what he'll be looking for.

[Chinook]

I wouldn't want him unless Duncan retires. Nothing has changed.

[BatManu20]

Gasol will sign with his brother in Memphis. He's not going to be a Spur. It's not even realistic financially.

[Darkwaters]

I agree with Chinook. The only role he could play is as a Duncan replacement. But my hope is on Timmy coming back for a possible 3rd straight finals appearance.

[Agloco]

Meh, why can't he play alongside Duncan? I don't see why he would only fit if hes a replacement. Gasol is on record as wanting to come to a contender. His list was short, and as I recall, the Spurs were the only real contender on it. If he's really serious about it, he'll presumably take less money to get it done. He's also the piece that ensures we get past the Clips and OKC next year.

Duncan, Gasol, Splitter, Diaw.

Wow.

[ceperez]

Also note, the Spurs may gamble to go over the cap with Gasol at 10m per. It'll be Duncan and Manu's last year of course.

Spurs may do this only to ensure they have a decent center for the next 3-5 years.

[ceperez]

Meh, why can't he play alongside Duncan? I don't see why he would only fit if hes a replacement. Gasol is on record as wanting to come to a contender. His list was short, and as I recall, the Spurs were the only real contender on it. If he's really serious about it, he'll presumably take less money to get it done. He's also the piece that ensures we get past the Clips and OKC next year.

Duncan, Gasol, Splitter, Diaw.

Wow.

The more I think about it, the more it seems to make sense to sign Gasol.

What other center is viable in the Free Agency?

[spursparker9]

The more I think about it, the more it seems to make sense to sign Gasol.

What other center is viable in the Free Agency?

Birdman Birdman

[Darkwaters]

Also note, the Spurs may gamble to go over the cap with Gasol at 10m per. It'll be Duncan and Manu's last year of course.

Spurs may do this only to ensure they have a decent center for the next 3-5 years.

How do you propose we sign him for 10M a year? Unless Manu or Tim walks I don't think we have the cap space. Just the MLE. (especially when you factor in the resigning of the much more pressing Patty Mills and Boris Diaw)

[ceperez]

Well looks like Gasol has something to say about the Spurs:

http://www.lakersnation.com/lakers-news-pau-gasol-talks-about-possibly-signing-with-grizzlies/2014/06/01/

[SouthernFried]

I just saw the best basketball I've ever seen. Why mess with it at all?

If you need to bring in anyone...bring someone you can work with for the future.

[Chinook]

Meh, why can't he play alongside Duncan? I don't see why he would only fit if hes a replacement. Gasol is on record as wanting to come to a contender. His list was short, and as I recall, the Spurs were the only real contender on it. If he's really serious about it, he'll presumably take less money to get it done. He's also the piece that ensures we get past the Clips and OKC next year.

Duncan, Gasol, Splitter, Diaw.

Wow.

Duncan's mobility is awful, and Pau's is even worse. The Spurs would become a pretty poor defensive team with those two next to each other.

[Seventyniner]

Meh, why can't he play alongside Duncan?

Pick and roll defense. Both of them have poor lateral mobility and are bad defenders away from the basket. The Gasol/Duncan pairing could only work against teams that play very big and don't use much PnR for their bigs like Memphis. There aren't enough teams like that out there, and that pairing would be a disaster against the two biggest threats to the Spurs (Thunder and Heat).

Edit: ninja'd by Chinook :nope

[Chinook]

Pick and roll defense. Both of them have poor lateral mobility and are bad defenders away from the basket. The Gasol/Duncan pairing could only work against teams that play very big and don't use much PnR for their bigs like Memphis. There aren't enough teams like that out there, and that pairing would be a disaster against the two biggest threats to the Spurs (Thunder and Heat).

Edit: ninja'd by Chinook :nope

:lol

I think teams like Dallas and Portland become bigger threats to the Spurs as well, and the Houston match-up would be even worse.

[Agloco]

Duncan's mobility is awful, and Pau's is even worse. The Spurs would become a pretty poor defensive team with those two next to each other.


Pick and roll defense. Both of them have poor lateral mobility and are bad defenders away from the basket. The Gasol/Duncan pairing could only work against teams that play very big and don't use much PnR for their bigs like Memphis. There aren't enough teams like that out there, and that pairing would be a disaster against the two biggest threats to the Spurs (Thunder and Heat).

Edit: ninja'd by Chinook :nope


:lol

I think teams like Dallas and Portland become bigger threats to the Spurs as well, and the Houston match-up would be even worse.

Any worse than Duncan and Splitter together? I'm not getting how Gasol is essentially being argued as a downgrade to Splitter.

Gasol gives you a "real" big that can pass and hit a midrange jumper consistently. We don't have that right now. I think it's important against teams like OKC

[Chinook]

Any worse than Duncan and Splitter together? I'm not getting how Gasol is essentially being argued as a downgrade to Splitter.

Gasol gives you a "real" big that can pass and hit a midrange jumper consistently. We don't have that right now. I think it's important against teams like OKC

Splitter is the Spurs' best defensive big. You replace a good defender with a poor one, your defense gets worse. It's not all that complicated.

[TheGoldStandard]

If this were to happen and that's a huge if, Gasol would come off the bench. Diaw comes in for Splitter and Gasol comes in for Tim and they spread the floor, that means they would have shooters and passers at all positions if they are able to bring back Mills. Diaw comes out and you pop Splitter back in, Splitter and Gasol works fine because Splitter can man the paint and Gasol can play around the key. Pau has that international knowledge, team ball and wouldn't rock the boat, wouldn't have to deal with some guy trying to throw him under the bus every loss.

Gasol is leaps and bounds better than Ayres and Baynes.

[Spur|n|Austin]

No need for Gasol here, not with the exact same roster as 2014.

[spursparker9]

If we can get Gasol, man we will have 4 of the best passing big men. (Boris, Timmy, Tiago and Pau)

[anakha]

Splitter is the Spurs' best defensive big. You replace a good defender with a poor one, your defense gets worse. It's not all that complicated.

This, plus the fact that Splitter is above Duncan or Gasol as a PnR defender at this point in their respective careers.

[Mnky]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/lakersnow/la-sp-sn-pau-gasol-20140507-story.html

“The Spurs players maybe don’t rack up statistics, but the team and the coach they have, to me, seems like a very good option,” he said. “In the end, I’m more interested in a team than an individual player and how I would adjust and be worked into a system.” - Pau Gasol

He's looking for a contender. Memphis has the edge because of his brother, and the Bulls have a good chance if Rose is set to be healthy and they have his Spanish friend. Spurs are on his radar though, it's about whether he's on the spurs radar.

Spurs just put a butt whooping to the NBA defending champs. They're going to be receiving more interest than usual.

[DAF86]

:lol Folks saying no to adding Gasol are crazy. It wouldn't only make us better for next season (not that much better though since it can't get much better) but it would also allow us to extend our contender status beyond Duncan's retirement. A core of Parker, Green, Kawhi, Pau and Splitter with Pop's system would be a great team for the next 5 years.

[jkid12456]

no
No
nO

and

NO!!!!!!!!

[jkid12456]

gasol is washed up why the fk would we want him when hes gonna retire in the next 2 years. you gus have some old fetish thats for sure.

[DAF86]

gasol is washed up why the fk would we want him when hes gonna retire in the next 2 years. you gus have some old fetish thats for sure.

17.4 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.5 bpg. Age 33. lol "washed up".

[BatManu20]

He'll be a Grizzly imo. He doesn't fit with Timmy still here and we can't afford him anyways.

[Mnky]

17.4 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.5 bpg. Age 33. lol "washed up".

:toast

[Richie]

People focusing too much on one side of the ball. Pau destroys the defence of any team he plays for at this stage.

[will_spurs]

As usual, it depends on the price. Pau isn't washed up (although he's certainly at the end of his career). The thing is, he's somewhat redundant with Duncan--which isn't necessarily a bad thing as it could help limit Duncan's minutes next year and Pau is a great insurance in case something goes wrong. I imagine he's going to be too expensive, though.

[Uriel]

If Pau is willing to take a discount and can be had for the MLE (a la Ray Allen with Miami), it would be a tremendous offseason pickup for the reigning NBA champions.

[Mnky]

He would make the players around him better on offense, and his defense was good enough to win a couple titles. Get out of here with that.

The team is better with him. No question. Does the team need him...Well, What team doesn't want to get better?

[Emperor]

His defense is sorta lacking, but with his championship and international experience, passing, already known interest in coming, and pretty darn good stats for his age. I'd say Gasol would be a tremendous fit for the Spurs. He has alot of respect for the Spurs and how they run things. If he's willing to accept the midlevel then they should bring him. Would definitely mean we'd have the best frontcourt in the NBA by far.

[100%duncan]

Who and why the fuck would you say no to Gasol? Smh.

[DAF86]

People focusing too much on one side of the ball. Pau destroys the defence of any team he plays for at this stage.

He looks worst than he actually is on a horrible team with horrible defensive schemes and giving minimal effort. He would be OK on the Spurs.

[Vito Corleone]

If I had to pick another Big, I would want one that is a mad rebounder and shot blocker. Any offense from that person would be a plus but not a necessity. I want Serge Ibaka. :)

[DAF86]

If I had to pick another Big, I would want one that is a mad rebounder and shot blocker. Any offense from that person would be a plus but not a necessity. I want Serge Ibaka. :)

9.7 and 1.5 on 31 minutes doesn't look too bad to me, tbh.

[will_spurs]

He looks worst than he actually is on a horrible team with horrible defensive schemes and giving minimal effort. He would be OK on the Spurs.

Let's not forget he was playing for Mike "there's no D in" d'Antoni.

[-21-]

I would love to have Gasol although I don't see how he would fit on the team. On the bench with a Gasol/Diaw frontline? I don't know if he'd get a lot of playing time as we already have Tim/Tiago/Boris and play small a lot. He does have a good jumper and can spot up on the baseline. Anyway if he's willing to take a paycut and sacrifice a bigger role for another championship, I would sign him. Also, we can add Spain to the Foreign Legion.

[Kineto]

I don't believe Pau could sign just for the MLE. He will come here if spurs have minimum cap space and could offer him somthing in the 8-10M/y range.
So it means that he will comme only if Duncan stop, or if spurs don't sign Diaw and Mills.

[SanDiegoSpursFan]

Now that I'm reading some of this, I actually don't dislike Gasol if he takes a smaller role. The mediocrity of the Lakers + Dantoni could explain why his defense looked like garbage, though I still do think he's pretty slow. I highly doubt the Spurs get him though.

[Thompson]

How is Gasol's relationship with Kobe? I remember it being a bit rocky at one point. I'd imagine Kobe would hate Gasol leaving even more if it was to help Duncan get one more ring than him.

[Kineto]

If the spurs want to keep diaw + mills, they have no cap space and nothing more than the MLE to propose.

BUT, if some players agree to make it possible, there could be a way to maximise cap space.
- duncan have to opt out and sign a new deal 5+5, with a promess that he will be cut next year by using the stretch provision. He will have is money, and it will cost only $1,7M in salary cap in 2015/2016
- diaw have to accept a 5M/y salary (he probably worth 6/6,5M, but a 3 years contract instead of 2 years may seal the deal)
- Mills have to accept the room exception (5M/2y) he probably can have more somewhere else, but i don't see a team give him more than à Gary Neal contract, and he probably would love to stay here.

If the 3 player are ok, then the scenario is this :
- Duncan opt out and renegociate his contract to $10M/2yrs, Boris sign a 3 years $16M contract starting at $5M next years, and Baynes take the Qualifying offer.
- Spurs renonce they're right to Mills, Bonner and Daye.
- Find a 1st round pick who accept to be stash one year (or trade our first for a 2015 pick, or for a high second roud pick)

At this point, salary cap is :
Parker 12.5M
Splitter 9.3M
Manu 7.5M
Duncan 5M
Diaw 5M
Green 4M
KL 2.9M
Belinelli 2.9M
Joseph 2M
Ayers 1.8M
Baynes 1.1M

Total : $54.0M
with an estimate cap space at $63.2M, it give them $9.2M to propose to Gasol (and a little more if Lakers agree to a Sign&Trade).

As soon as Gasol is signed, Spurs can propose room exception to Mills ($5M / 2 yrs), bring back Bonner for the vet. min., and maybe bring back Daye for the min.

If Mills want more money, then spurs have still their room exception to find a decent PG to share the backup PG spot with Joseph.

[will_spurs]

How is Gasol's relationship with Kobe? I remember it being a bit rocky at one point. I'd imagine Kobe would hate Gasol leaving even more if it was to help Duncan get one more ring than him.

There was a story about Gasol's cheerleader gf dumping him because of some stuff Kobe's wife told her about Gasol cheating on her. It was of course denied in the media, and served mostly to explain why Pau had such a listless performance in the playoffs a few years ago. Of course only those involved know the truth.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

Gasol is still an awesome player and will help his new team, hopefully it'll be Chicago and not OKC, but he'd be a really poor fit in SA.

[Spursfanfromafar]

THe only way Gasol is in the team is if by any chance Diaw leaves the Spurs on a lucrative contract elsewhere. Chances for that are remote.

[Chinook]

If the spurs want to keep diaw + mills, they have no cap space and nothing more than the MLE to propose.

BUT, if some players agree to make it possible, there could be a way to maximise cap space.
- duncan have to opt out and sign a new deal 5+5, with a promess that he will be cut next year by using the stretch provision. He will have is money, and it will cost only $1,7M in salary cap in 2015/2016
- diaw have to accept a 5M/y salary (he probably worth 6/6,5M, but a 3 years contract instead of 2 years may seal the deal)
- Mills have to accept the room exception (5M/2y) he probably can have more somewhere else, but i don't see a team give him more than à Gary Neal contract, and he probably would love to stay here.

If the 3 player are ok, then the scenario is this :
- Duncan opt out and renegociate his contract to $10M/2yrs, Boris sign a 3 years $16M contract starting at $5M next years, and Baynes take the Qualifying offer.
- Spurs renonce they're right to Mills, Bonner and Daye.
- Find a 1st round pick who accept to be stash one year (or trade our first for a 2015 pick, or for a high second roud pick)

At this point, salary cap is :
Parker 12.5M
Splitter 9.3M
Manu 7.5M
Duncan 5M
Diaw 5M
Green 4M
KL 2.9M
Belinelli 2.9M
Joseph 2M
Ayers 1.8M
Baynes 1.1M

Total : $54.0M
with an estimate cap space at $63.2M, it give them $9.2M to propose to Gasol (and a little more if Lakers agree to a Sign&Trade).

As soon as Gasol is signed, Spurs can propose room exception to Mills ($5M / 2 yrs), bring back Bonner for the vet. min., and maybe bring back Daye for the min.

If Mills want more money, then spurs have still their room exception to find a decent PG to share the backup PG spot with Joseph.

There's no reason to keep Baynes under those circumstances, and finding a way to dump Ayres or Joseph would be a possibility as well.

[kobyz]

With Duncan and Splitter there is no much need for Gasol, why you offer him as a target? The target we should look for should be at the wing positions...

[Baam]

With Duncan and Splitter there is no much need for Gasol, why you offer him as a target? The target we should look for should be at the wing positions...

Truthbomb...

If you wanna sign Gasol then you trade Splitter, these 3 wouldn't make for good pairings... But then again Gasol doesn't really want to be a backup so he's off the table imo...

[spursparker9]

Truthbomb...

If you wanna sign Gasol then you trade Splitter, these 3 can't wouldn't make for good pairings... But then again Gasol doesn't really want to be a backup so he's off the table imo...

I would start Gasol and Timmy. Splitter and Diaw will come off the bench.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

I would start Gasol and Timmy. Splitter and Diaw will come off the bench.

The Spurs would have lost in the first round with this lineup, tbh.

[Dverde]

I think Gasol will help the Spurs keep Diaw. I imagine most GMs value Gasol more and try to sign him first. Removing a competitor for Diaw. I think Gasol would have been a great option if Duncan retires. I think he is coming back for one more year. I imagine Gasol wouldn't have us too high on the list anyway.

[Seventyniner]

I'm not sure that Duncan would be okay with Gasol making more than him. Gasol would have to be willing to come off the bench too.

[dg7md]

Gasol would be a perfect fit here for a plethora of reasons: He can have a great chance at a ring at the twilight of his career, and the international connection of our team.

[Cowboys_Wear_Spurs]

Any worse than Duncan and Splitter together? I'm not getting how Gasol is essentially being argued as a downgrade to Splitter.

Gasol gives you a "real" big that can pass and hit a midrange jumper consistently. We don't have that right now. I think it's important against teams like OKC

Splitter is one of the best passing big man in the league. Jumpshot, non existence.

Splitter D, Gasol D. I will take Splitter any day of the week.

Spurs have Diaw as there Gasol now. He had a lot of great post ups this playoff run.

Spurs don't need Gasol. He is basically the same player as Duncan w/ a better J but worse defense.

[letmk]

:lol Folks saying no to adding Gasol are crazy. It wouldn't only make us better for next season (not that much better though since it can't get much better) but it would also allow us to extend our contender status beyond Duncan's retirement. A core of Parker, Green, Kawhi, Pau and Splitter with Pop's system would be a great team for the next 5 years.

After careful thought, I'd welcome Gasol at a reasonable price. But for the future? He is only 4-years younger than Tim, and based on their respective body conditions, I'm not even sure who retires first --- of course, it also depends on Tim's desire to continue playing.

[dunkman]

I think the Spurs will sign him for a multi-year MLE contract.

[kuato]

I prefer the other Gasol

[Uriel]

With the Heat potentially adding Melo / Kyle Lowry this offseason, their star power will only continue to become more pronounced this offseason. It's imperative that we match that by signing Gasol.

[watertorture]

because we win with star power?

[Uriel]

:lol at all the people in this thread saying back in March they didn't want Gasol. Now that it's the offseason, there's a 30-page thread where everyone's just begging him to sign with us.

[Mel_13]

:lol at all the people in this thread saying back in March they didn't want Gasol. Now that it's the offseason, there's a 30-page thread where everyone's just begging him to sign with us.


Lost in the Spurs' destruction of the Lakers earlier was how well Pau Gasol played, putting up 18-11-4 in only 26 minutes. We'd probably have to give up re-signing Boris Diaw to get him, but a Duncan-Gasol-Splitter frontcourt would easily be one the best, if not the best, in the NBA.

You suggested giving up Diaw to pursue Pau.

[TheCerebral1]

I would take Gasol on this team. Why not. Mixing and matching him in with our line up would be a nightmare for opposing teams defense. If he legitimately comes here, it would be tough to match our front court.

[Uriel]

Pau can still play, but not a viable target for the Spurs.

He's not coming to San Antonio for the MLE. Creating enough cap space to attract him means letting Diaw leave and giving up the MLE. Pau is not worth Diaw + the player/players that could be signed with the MLE.
You admitted it was necessary.

[Mel_13]

You admitted it was necessary.

Exactly. I said giving up Diaw to get Pau was not worth it, you suggested that it was worth it.

That's lolworthy.

[Cowboys_Wear_Spurs]

You admitted it was necessary.

At the time, nobody believed he could be had for the MLE, until he himself said he would be willing to take that if it met landing him on a contender and a situation he was comfortable with.

[xmas1997]

I seriously doubt he comes here, and certainly would not get my hopes up for him, but I would not be unhappy if by some miracle he does.