Pau Gasol Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Myers, McDonough, Goodwin

January 28th, 2016 at 11:02am CST by Chuck Myron

Reigning Executive of the Year Bob Myers and Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob are persistent talent-seekers, but Myers acknowledges the value of standing pat sometimes, as the team has benefited from having done this past offseason, observes Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. The continuity is a part of the relaxed culture of togetherness that coach Steve Kerr is building, as Kawakami examines.

“You have to kind of take your ego out of it sometimes and just say, ‘Look, leave it alone. Don’t screw it up,’ “ Myers said.

Golden State nonetheless continues to look around for potential ways to tweak the roster, perhaps with another shooter for the bench, though it’s only logical for the team to do so, Kawakami adds. See more from the Pacific Division:

The Suns would like to make at least one trade before the deadline and perhaps more, GM Ryan McDonough said Wednesday in his weekly appearance on the “Burns and Gambo” show on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM radio, as Adam Green of ArizonaSports.com transcribes. “So yeah, I think we’ll be active,” McDonough also said. “We’re not going to act like everything’s OK or like we don’t need to do anything to reposition our team going forward. But will we do a deal or how many deals will we do, I couldn’t tell you at this point.”
Injuries to Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight and Ronnie Price have prompted the Suns to turn to Archie Goodwin at the point, and Goodwin is embracing the role, believing that the chance to handle the ball is a better fit for his game, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic details. Goodwin becomes eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer.
Kobe Bryant took a swipe at former Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni in giving praise to Pau Gasol this week, as Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com relays. Gasol has said he’s “very likely” to turn down his player option and become a free agent this summer. “I think the city of L.A. didn’t really appreciate what [Gasol] did and what we had, and so as a consequence, everybody kind of fell in line with the Mike D’Antoni rhetoric of small ball and all this other [expletive],” Bryant said. “For a guy that has two championships to be treated that way, you don’t do that, man.”

And-Ones: Gasol, Mirotic, Bazemore

January 27th, 2016 at 10:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The latest indications coming out of Chicago are that the Bulls want to re-sign Pau Gasol this offseason rather than deal him prior to the trade deadline, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. The Bulls have reportedly gauged the trade market for Gasol in discussions that have more often centered on Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson. Gasol possesses a player option worth $7,769,520 for 2016/17 and has said that he’s leaning toward opting out of his contract this summer. However, he did add that he would like to remain in Chicago beyond this season.

Here’s the latest from around the NBA:

Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic was diagnosed with an acute appendicitis and underwent surgery earlier today, the team announced. The power forward is expected to be out until after the All-Star break.
Hawks shooting guard Kent Bazemore is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and the Nuggets are one potential destination, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post writes. Denver coach Michael Malone is familiar with Bazemore from their time spent together with the Warriors when Malone was an assistant, Dempsey notes. “I’m very proud of him,” Malone said of Bazemore. “He was a guy that when he was with us in Golden State, worked hard. Before practice, after practice, barely got a chance to play the year I was there but never dropped his head. He’s got a great work ethic and I think a great story for a lot of these young kids that want to come in the NBA — keep on working, get better.”
The Raptors have recalled Lucas Nogueira and Norman Powell from their D-League affiliate and have assigned Anthony Bennett and Bruno Caboclo to the Raptors 905, the team announced (Twitter links).
The Hawks have assigned center Edy Tavares to the D-League, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution relays (via Twitter). The big man will be assigned to the Austin Spurs since Atlanta does not possess its own affiliate. Tavares has been assigned to the Spurs‘ affiliate five times this season and the Cavs‘ once.

Pau Gasol Hires Creative Artists Agency

January 21st, 2016 at 10:54pm CST by Chuck Myron

Pau Gasol has signed the Creative Artists Agency to represent him, the agency announced via Twitter. The news confirms that the likely soon-to-be free agent has left the Wasserman Media Group and agent Jason Ranne. Gasol and brother Marc Gasol had been looking for new representation following the departure of former Wasserman super agent Arn Tellem. Each of the Gasols was conducting his own search, so they weren’t necessarily a package deal, according to USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt, who reported that the pair were in the market for agents. It’s unclear whom Marc will choose.

The months ahead will be key for Pau, who turns 36 in July. He told Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago last month that he’s “very likely” to turn down his player option for next season, which is no surprise, since it’s worth only about $7.7MM. The Bulls big man remains nearly as productive as ever, and hitting free agency this summer will give him the chance to command major money, with the salary cap rising to a projected $89MM and relatively few impact players in the 2016 free agent class. He just narrowly missed a starting nod in this year’s All-Star Game, falling just 360 votes shy of the third and final frontcourt spot.

Chicago also gauged trade interest in Gasol at one point recently, according to Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher, though that was before Joakim Noah suffered a shoulder injury last week that’s knocked him out for four to six months. Agents don’t have quite as much influence on trades as they do on free agency, but they still have the power to steer their clients to favored destinations, especially when they’re on expiring contracts, as Gasol essentially is.

The Creative Artists Agency boasts a deep stable of clients, from established stars Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade to rookies Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell, the top two picks in the 2015 draft. CAA’s Leon Rose jointly represents Kevin Durant along with Roc Nation Sports. It’s not immediately clear which CAA representative will be the primary agent for Gasol. In any case, it’s ostensibly another tie between Gasol and the Knicks, where former Lakers coach Phil Jackson is team president, though New York’s once-cozy relationship with the agency hasn’t appeared quite as strong since Jackson took over.

Gasol has become the latest notable former Wasserman client to leave the agency, which has lost LaMarcus Aldridge, Jabari Parker, Danilo Gallinari and Joe Johnson, among others, since Tellem walked away to take a job in the Pistons organization.

Where do you think Gasol will play next season? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

Bulls Gauge Trade Interest In Pau Gasol

January 13th, 2016 at 10:57pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Bulls recently measured the trade market for Pau Gasol in discussions that have more often centered on Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson, league sources tell Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher (video link). Chicago wants a talented young player in return, whether it’s a defensive-minded wing player or a stretch four, and to open playing time for Bobby Portis, Bucher adds.

Chicago has reportedly been determined to find an upgrade at the wing and believes that it needs more outside shooting, and the team is willing to part with some of its ample frontcourt depth to acquire the right player, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported recently. The players most often linked to such a move have been Gibson and Noah, and the revelation that the team is potentially shopping Gasol is a new twist. The Bulls have been mentioned in connection with Timberwolves shooting guard Kevin Martin, who is reportedly available, as well as Jamal Crawford of the Clippers, though neither player fits the mold of the talented young player or defensive-minded wing that Bucher noted the team was seeking in his report.

Noah, who’s averaging a career-low 4.3 points per game while struggling with shoulder issues, is making $13.4MM this year in the final season of his deal, and Gibson has an $8.5MM salary for this season, with $8.95MM owed to him for 2016/17. Gibson supposedly has a higher value on the trade market, as a Western Conference GM recently relayed to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, but the team would likely prefer to deal Noah, given the decline in his play and expiring contract. It’s doubtful Chicago would be able to extract much in the way of value for Noah, though Bucher indicates that a decent market for him exists.

As for Gasol, he possesses a player option worth $7,769,520 for 2016/17 and has said that he’s leaning toward opting out of his contract this summer. He did add that he would like to remain in Chicago beyond this season. “Yes, of course,” Gasol said about staying with the Bulls after 2015/16. “But when the time comes we’ll evaluate it. I’ll see how the season went. Where are the team’s interests, where are my interests, what options do I have? But most important is for me and the team to focus on what we have this season to make the best out of it and give ourselves a chance to win the title.”

The Bulls would have only Early Bird rights on Gasol if he does decide to opt out, meaning they’d have to use cap room if they wish to ink him to a starting salary on his next deal that’s more than 175% of his nearly $7.449MM salary for this season, a figure that would come to $13,035,330. The Bulls have more than $64.75MM in guaranteed salary against a projected $89MM cap, though some believe it could rise as high as $95MM next season. It’s not clear if the team is pessimistic that it will be able to retain Gasol, or if it understands that he is the player who would generate the best potential return in a trade.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Bulls Notes: Butler, Hoiberg, Hinrich

December 23rd, 2015 at 6:45pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jimmy Butler‘s recent criticism of Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg‘s laid back demeanor has rankled Derrick Rose‘s camp, but the swingman has the full support of veteran big man Pau Gasol, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times writes. “I don’t mind those comments,’’ Gasol said, when asked about Butler declaring himself the team’s leader this season. “I think those comments are positive. Those comments and attitudes don’t raise my eyebrows. I think it’s good certain guys want to take ownership and say, ‘Hey let’s go.’”

“There was some positives and some negatives to that situation,’’ Gasol said of Butler’s public statements regarding the team. “It’s a good thing to say, at some point, enough is enough, something’s got to happen, something’s got to change, and you’ve got to say something and stir the pot a little bit. But some things also need to stay directed indoors and not be exposed outside.’’

Here’s more from out of the Windy City:

The Bulls are committed to Hoiberg, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports said on “The Vertical” podcast (audio link via Twitter at one-hour, one-minute mark), and Wojnarowski suggests that if Hoiberg doesn’t pan out, it jeopardizes the jobs of executive VP of basketball operations John Paxson and GM Gar Forman.
Point guard Kirk Hinrich has been a calming influence for the Bulls and one of the few constants for the franchise the last few seasons, Jake Fischer of SI.com writes in his profile of the player. “He’s been a warrior for the franchise,” small forward Doug McDermott said of Hinrich. “He’s been a really good player and put it all out on the floor. He deserves a lot of credit.”
While he remains an elite passer at the center position, Joakim Noah‘s broken shot mechanics and resulting lack of confidence in his offensive game have made him a liability on the court, Tom Ziller of SB Nation writes.

And-Ones: Gasol, D-League, Terry, Cousins

December 4th, 2015 at 10:21pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Bulls big man Pau Gasol, who possesses a player option worth $7,769,520 for 2016/17, has said that he’s leaning toward opting out, but he did note that he would like to remain in Chicago beyond this season, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com relays. Responding to whether or not he’d like to stay with the Bulls, Gasol said, “Yes, of course. But when the time comes we’ll evaluate it. I’ll see how the season went. Where are the team’s interests, where are my interests, what options do I have? But most important is for me and the team to focus on what we have this season to make the best out of it and give ourselves a chance to win the title.”

Gasol was also asked if he missed anything about former head coach Tom Thibodeau and told Friedell, “I appreciated a lot of things that Thibs brought to the table. I think his intensity. Sometimes it could be a little bit overwhelming. I think [I miss most] his intensity and his passion and dedication for the game.” The veteran also noted that he appreciates the freedom and versatility of coach Fred Hoiberg‘s system, the ESPN scribe adds.

Here’s more from around the league:

Jason Terry, who re-signed with the Rockets this past offseason, said he planned to join the Mavericks along with DeAndre Jordan, but Terry’s plans changed when Jordan decided to return to the Clippers, Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News relays. “For me it was like a package deal,” Terry said. “If he [Jordan] came, I definitely was coming. Because that automatically made us a contender.” Terry also noted that he was shocked when Jordan reversed course and backed out of his verbal agreement with Dallas, Townsend adds. “When that happened, I kind of pushed the reset button,” Terry said. “Because I didn’t want to start over. I don’t want to be in a rebuilding phase. I don’t know if Dallas, at the time, knew if they were rebuilding or were they retooling. They were trying to see what was out there.“
The Spurs have sent Boban Marjanovic and Ray McCallum to their D-League Affiliate in Austin, the team announced. This is the first D-League assignment of the season for both players.
The Rockets have assigned swingman K.J. McDaniels to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This is the second D-League trip of the season for McDaniels, as our assignments and recalls tracker illustrates.
Kings coach George Karl believes that despite the rumored difficulties between he and center DeMarcus Cousins, the big man wants to remain in Sacramento, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com tweets.
James Ennis has been assigned by the Grizzlies to their D-League affiliate in Iowa, the team announced.
The Clippers have assigned Branden Dawson to the D-League, and since the team does not have its own affiliate, Dawson will report to the Pistons’ squad in Grand Rapids, Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times tweets.

Pau Gasol ‘Very Likely’ To Opt Out In 2016

December 3rd, 2015 at 2:50pm CST by Chuck Myron

Pau Gasol said he’s “very likely” to opt out of his contract this coming summer, as he told Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com late Wednesday, and the Bulls plan to make a hard push to re-sign him, Goodwill heard from a source within the team’s front office. Gasol’s player option would give him slightly less than $7.7MM next season, well beneath the standard for a starting center.

“As long as I keep playing like this,” Gasol said to Goodwill. “I know I’ll have some options.”

Gasol looked rejuvenated last season after signing with the Bulls in the summer of 2014, but his scoring is down from last season’s 18.5 points per game to 14.4 this season, which would be a career low. Still, the 35-year-old told Goodwill that he feels fine physically and attributed his slow start this year to the downtime he took in the offseason with the intention of preserving himself for the rigors of 82 games and the playoffs.

Marc Gasol, who re-signed with the Grizzlies on a five-year deal this past summer, has said he’ll try to convince his brother to join him in Memphis but conceded that it will be tough to pry him from Chicago. The Gasol brothers are looking for new agents after Arn Tellem, their former agent, left the Wasserman Media Group for a job with the Pistons organization earlier this year.

The Bulls would have only Early Bird rights on Gasol if he indeed opts out, meaning they’d have to use cap room if they’re to give him a starting salary on his next deal that’s more than 175% of his nearly $7.449MM salary for this season, a figure that would come to $13,035,330. The Bulls have more than $64.75MM in guaranteed salary against a projected $89MM cap, though many league executives and agents told Sean Deveney before the start of the season that they believe the cap will end up around $95MM. That guaranteed salary number for Chicago doesn’t include a cap hold for fellow center Joakim Noah, whose contract expires at season’s end.

The dynamic involving Noah, who’s also averaging a career low in points per game, is a tricky one for the Bulls, as Hoops Rumors readers discussed in Wednesday’s Community Shootaround. New coach Fred Hoiberg broke up the starting big man tandem of Gasol and Noah prior to the season when he moved Noah to a bench role, and Nikola Mirotic, Taj Gibson and 2015 first-round pick Bobby Portis are other big men crowding Chicago’s frontcourt mix.

Gasol chose the Bulls over more lucrative offers to re-sign with the Lakers in 2014, and the Thunder, Spurs, Knicks and Hawks were reportedly among the contenders for him that summer. Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News speculates that the Spurs would make a strong fit if Tim Duncan retires, since LaMarcus Aldridge is reluctant to play center (Twitter links).

Where do you think Gasol will be playing next season? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

And-Ones: Gasol, Bryant, Jennings

December 2nd, 2015 at 10:32pm CST by Will Joseph

There is a distinct possibility that Pau Gasol will opt out of his contract after this season with the Bulls because he’d likely get at least two years of guaranteed money by doing so, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes in response to a reader’s question. Gasol has not been featured as prominently in Fred Hoiberg‘s offense as he was under Tom Thibodeau, but since he’s still playing effectively, that should not factor much in Gasol’s decision, Johnson adds. Gasol will be a name to watch, according to Johnson, when the trade deadline nears if the Bulls believe they will lose him for nothing, however.

Here’s more from around the league:

Kobe Bryant shot down the idea that he would consider coaching after he retires as a player, Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times tweets. “Coaching, me? That’s about the funniest thing I’ve ever heard,” Bryant said, per Bresnahan. A transition to coaching seemed unlikely, anyway, given Bryant’s ultra-competitive demeanor. Bryant has said he plans to delve further into storytelling through different forms of media after this season.
Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings, who is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in January, is still three or four weeks away from seeing the court and thus his return is not imminent, coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters, including Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today Sports (Twitter link).
The two-year contract worth $11MM that the Mavs signed point guard Deron Williams to over the summer is looking like a bargain one month into the season, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com details. While Williams said he would like to be more consistent, he has shown flashes of dominance, MacMahon writes. Williams is averaging 14.8 points and 5.8 assists per game.

Eastern Notes: Bulls, Hezonja, Knicks

November 22nd, 2015 at 6:30pm CST by Will Joseph

Joakim Noah, a 2016 free agent, hasn’t started a game, has career lows in nearly every statistic and is not in position to contribute more because the Bulls have changed into more of a 3-point shooting team, Sam Smith of NBA.com notes. While Pau Gasol, who has a player option on the final season of a three-year, $22.3MM contract that brought him to Chicago in 2014, has not struggled as much as Noah has, his production is much lower than it has been in recent years, Smith adds. Both players, of course, are getting up there in age (Noah is 30 and Gasol is 35), but feel healthy, Smith writes, and that adds to the frustration of not being able to help the team more.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Magic rookie swingman Mario Hezonja has shown flashes of the potential that made the Magic select him fifth overall in the draft, but his rookie mistakes on defense have led to a cut in his minutes, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel details. To his credit, Hezonja has been willing to learn from his mistakes and has fit in well with the Magic’s young locker room, Robbins adds. “Oftentimes, he’s just not ready,” Magic coach Scott Skiles said. “He’s not aware and he’s not ready. He knows it.”
The Bulls assigned Cameron Bairstow to the Austin Spurs of the D-League, Chicago announced in a press release. Bairstow is headed to Austin as part of the flexible assignment rule since Chicago is without a one-to-one partnership with a D-League team.
Carmelo Anthony is not surprised by Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis‘ hot start, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Porzingis has six double-doubles in his first 14 NBA games, as Berman points out. “Man, he’s 7’3″,’’ Anthony said. “There was only concern because people didn’t know and nobody ever saw him before. People were all so upset the Knicks drafted him. When you’re 7’3″, you just put your hands up and block a shot. For him to have seven blocks, it didn’t surprise me. [But] nobody expected [24] and 14, seven blocks. Nobody expected that, but I’ll take it.’’

And Ones: Gasol, Nuggets, Drummond, Hawks

November 14th, 2015 at 10:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls‘ Pau Gasol could miss out on a major payday if he doesn’t opt out of his current deal next summer, according to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Gasol has a player option on the final season of a three-year, $22.3MM contract that brought him to Chicago in 2014. He is owed a little less than $7.77MM for 2016/17, when increased TV revenues are expected to greatly raise the salary cap. Two unidentified executives from rival teams told Johnson that even at age 36, Gasol could land two more years of guaranteed money if he becomes an unrestricted free agent. “I’ll wait to make that decision,” Gasol said. “All I’m focused on now is trying to play the best I can so that if I do opt out and explore, I have options. If I have the best season possible and work on my body and stay healthy and help this team accomplish its goals, I’ll go from there.”

There’s more from around the world of basketball:

The league has taken steps to reduce the unique home-court advantage the Nuggets possess because of Denver’s location and altitude, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Denver is at least a two-hour flight from nearly all NBA cities, which gives the home team a decided advantage against an opponent playing back-to-back games, especially when the thin mountain air is factored in. “I didn’t like it when I had to come here,” said Michael Malone, who is in his first season as Nuggets coach. “But I love it now.” Dempsey reports that the NBA has tried to cut into that edge by making Denver the first stop for teams traveling from the east and building an off day into the schedule for teams coming from the west.
The Pistons‘ Andre Drummond tops a list of six players exceeding expectations compiled by Jonathan Concool of Basketball Insiders. Drummond was averaging 20.3 points and 20.3 rebounds per game heading into Saturday’s action. Rounding out the list are the Blazers‘ C.J. McCollum, the Pistons’ Marcus Morris, the Bucks‘ Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Magic’s Evan Fournier and the Lakers‘ Jordan Clarkson.
The Hawks will recall Edy Tavares and Lamar Patterson from the D-League Sunday, tweets Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Both are expected to be in Atlanta in time for the game with the Jazz.