Marc Gasol is not expected to leave the Memphis Grizzlies during free agency, but it appears he personally won’t even entertain offers from other NBA teams.
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, Gasol will host “a contingent of Grizzlies officials” on Wednesday, July 1, when free agency officially begins and will not schedule a visit with any other franchise.
Per Stein:
Gasol’s representatives, sources say, will undoubtedly field cursory calls from potential suitors once free agency begins after midnight ET on Tuesday night.
But all indications are that Gasol and the Grizzlies will quickly reach terms on a new deal that keeps one of the league’s top two-way centers with the only franchise he has ever known.
Gasol, who earned $15.8 million last season, could sign a five-year contract for more than $100 million. However, if he inks a short-term deal that allows an opt-out after the 2015-16 and/or 2016-17 campaigns, Gasol could sign a long-term contract with a much larger monetary ceiling due to the projected $40 million increase in salary cap by 2017.
Either way, Memphis has the cap room to offer Gasol a max-money deal. According to HoopsHype, the Grizzlies have nine guaranteed contracts totaling just $41.6 million, which is well under the $67 million salary cap.
The 30-year-old center tallied a career-best 17.1 points per game last year, adding 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.6 blocks.
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