Veteran big man Pau Gasol suggested earlier this month that he hopes to get healthy in time to represent Spain in the 2020 Olympics, and that he hasn’t given up on the possibility of an NBA comeback. Gasol, who will turn 40 in July, recently reiterated that point to Spain’s Agencia Efe, as relayed by Eurohoops.
“I understand that sooner or later, whether this summer, next season or another, my retirement is inevitable,” Gasol said. “I hope that the foot recovers so that it can allow me to play a little more. We will see how much more. Enjoy one last season.”
Gasol’s foot issues limited him to 30 games in 2018/19 and sidelined him altogether in 2019/20 before he was waived by Portland. At this point, a return to the NBA seems unlikely, but it would be great to see Gasol get healthy and get a farewell season in 2020/21.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype takes an early look at this summer’s player option decisions, projecting which players are locks to opt in or out, and which decisions will end up being a little trickier. Gozlan singles out Mike Conley, Andre Drummond, and DeMar DeRozan as complicated cases, since they won’t match their 2020/21 option salaries if they opt out, but they could earn more total money on new multiyear deals.
- Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link) takes a look at some draft-related storylines to watch over the next month in the NCAA, including the final games of Anthony Edwards‘ college career, Isaac Okoro‘s draft stock, and the logjam of first-round point guard prospects.
- Speaking of Edwards, the Georgia guard remains atop Sam Vecenie’s 2020 draft big board at The Athletic. LaMelo Ball, Deni Avdija, James Wiseman, and Killian Hayes round out Vecenie’s top five.
If Gasol gets healthy, he should play one last season in Europe (perhaps with Barcelona, his first professional team). It would be a pity for him to retire like this, but truth is he has no longer place in the NBA (as a player).
Yeah would be nice to see him finish it where he started. Plus he would actually play decent in that league.
If healthy he would probably be decent in the nba as a 2nd or 3red stringer
He would be an excellent coaching candidate.
Conley is a lock to opt in, he hasn’t been good at all this year. Doubt any team would give him more than 20 mil or longer than 2 years
He will be ready. 2020 Olympics will get pushed to 2021.
What are you saying, that a virus is sweeping over Asia? Too bad Asians are not better at science or else they’d have a cure by now. Wait, they are better? And more motivated and organized and focussed on this for decades?
Don’t worry, over here, dufus Trump says it is under control. Somehow our focus on useless cancer research will carry over to viruses.
Anyway. An Olympics postponement may wind up educational.
To hit a 10% kill rate you have to be over 80, have serious preexisting health problems, and live in an industrial wasteland city with beyond-joke governance and facilities. (Have any Chinese friends, ask them what type of place Wuhan is.) Bubonic plague 2.0 yup.
Sounds true but also unintentionally alarming. Whatever.