Tag: marc gasol

Grizzlies waive Marc Gasol

The Memphis Grizzlies have waived center Marc Gasol.

Nothing is official, but this could be the end of Gasol’s NBA career. Per the Memphis Commercial Appeal on September 10, “Gasol has not publicly announced any decisions on his future. If Memphis does becomes his final NBA stop, it brings his career full circle after the Lakers traded his draft rights in 2008 in a deal involving older brother Pau.”

Gasol was acquired by the Grizzlies from the Los Angeles Lakers with a 2024 second round draft pick for the draft rights to center Wang Zhelin (57th overall in 2016) on Sept. 10.

Gasol (7-1, 255) holds regular season career averages of 14.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 32.2 minutes in 891 games (866 starts) over 13 seasons with the Grizzlies, Raptors and Lakers. During his 11 seasons in Memphis (2008-19), Gasol was a three-time NBA All-Star (2012, 2015, 2017), a two-time All-NBA selection (First Team in 2014-15, Second Team in 2012-13), and the 2012-13 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. The Barcelona, Spain, native led the Grizzlies to seven consecutive playoff appearances (2011-17), including a trip to the 2013 Western Conference Finals.

Lakers trade Marc Gasol to Grizzlies

The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired the draft rights to Wang Zhelin in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies for Marc Gasol, a future second round pick and cash considerations.

According to multiple reports, the Grizzlies plan to waive Gasol.

Per the Memphis Commercial Appeal, “Gasol has not publicly announced any decisions on his future. If Memphis does becomes his final NBA stop, it brings his career full circle after the Lakers traded his draft rights in 2008 in a deal involving older brother Pau.”

And per the Los Angeles Times, “the move saves the Lakers more than $10 million in luxury-tax penalties and creates a roster spot.”

Gasol (7-1, 255) has appeared in 891 regular season games (866 starts) and has averaged 14.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 32.2 minutes over his 13-year NBA career with the Grizzlies, Raptors and Lakers. A member of the Grizzlies’ Western Conference Finals team in 2013, Gasol helped guide the Grizzlies to seven consecutive playoff appearances during his 11 seasons in Memphis. The Barcelona, Spain, native became the first European-born player to earn the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award (2012-13), was named to the All-NBA First Team (2014-15) and was selected to a franchise-record three NBA All-Star Games (2012, 2015, 2017) while with the Grizzlies.

Wang was drafted by the Grizzlies with the 57th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Lakers center Marc Gasol out against the Suns tonight

The Lakers will be lacking in the big-man department tonight as they face the Suns. Via the OC Register:

The Lakers are starting to feel the squeeze of attrition in a pandemic-stricken season.

Veteran center Marc Gasol will be the latest Laker to miss time due to the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols: Gasol is listed out for Tuesday night’s game against the Phoenix Suns, the team reported to the NBA on Tuesday afternoon…

Gasol’s absence leaves the Lakers’ punishingly thin at center, which has been a sticky position this season, to begin with. With All-Star forward Anthony Davis out, the only remaining player above 6-foot-10 is Damian Jones, the center recently signed to a 10-day contract who is listed as questionable with a strained back.

Lakers sign Marc Gasol

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed center Marc Gasol, it was announced today by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka.

Gasol’s Lakers contract is a two-year deal for the veteran’s minimum salary of $2.56 million per year, per multiple reports.

Per the Los Angeles Times, “to make the space to sign Gasol to a two-year deal, the Lakers had to trade starting center JaVale McGee and a future second-round pick to Cleveland in a deal that netted them other considerations, in this case forwards Jordan Bell and Alfonzo McKinnie.”

Gasol played in 44 games (43 starts) for Toronto last season, averaging 7.5 points (.427 FG%, .385 3FG%), 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 26.4 minutes per game. In 839 games (824 starts) for the Grizzlies and Raptors, he has averaged 14.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 blocks in 33.0 minutes. Gasol has played and started in 94 career playoff games, notching 13.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 blocks in 35.2 minutes, while aiding the Raptors in their 2019 title campaign.

More from the Times: “At his best, Gasol, who will turn 36 on Jan. 29, is a floor-spacing center who can hit three-point shots from above the wings while making the right pass at the right moment. He’s a cerebral defender who can use his supreme IQ and experience to make up for diminished quickness and athleticism.”

Per the O.C. Register, “Gasol struggled in the bubble in the most recent postseason, but during Toronto’s 2019 postseason run, he averaged 9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.1 blocked shots and 3 assists per game while shooting 38 percent from 3-point range. Gasol has shot better than 36 percent from beyond the arc in his last two seasons at more than three attempts per game.”

A three-time NBA All-Star, Gasol has earned two All-NBA selections and in 2013 became the first European-born player to be named NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He is one of six players in league history to record more than 6,000 career rebounds, 1,100 blocks and 350 three pointers. As a member of the Spanish National Team, Gasol has helped the country earn nine medals, including gold medals at the FIBA World Cup in 2006 and in 2019, and Olympic silver medals in 2008 and 2012.

Raptors face big free agency decisions this offseason

Although they fell short of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, the Raptors are clearly one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Whether that will remain true next season largely depends on what happens in free agency this offseason. Here’s the Toronto Star on the squad and what team president Masai Ujiri has to say:

There are three key free agents — Fred VanVleet, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka — and dealing with them will be the first task. A long-term contract for VanVleet and one-year deals with either of the other two should preserve salary-cap room for 2021 and address critical present needs, but the only hint Ujiri would give is that he considers everyone a priority.

“It’s all communication and how we relate to our players,” Ujiri said. “We are very confident with our culture and, yes, Fred is a priority, our bigs are a priority — Serge had an incredible run, Marc Gasol brings so much to our organization — and we have our young players coming up with Chris Boucher. Rondae (Hollis-Jefferson), too, is a free agent and he found a niche with our organization.

“That’s what our jobs are. We have to face them square on, and we will deal with them as we come, as we have in the past.

“We have to really attack this head on, and we know where their game is. We know how much they can improve. We try to project that as much as we can. We know where they have come from too, because we have gone through all these struggles with all these guys and we mutually appreciate that.” …

The NBA has set up a virtual scouting combine that includes some in-person workouts with trainers through October, but how much value that would have in debatable. And whether the Raptors would even keep their pick — No. 29 — is also uncertain. Using it in a trade package might make sense but, again, the unknown financial situation makes that difficult.

Forward Pascal Siakam isn’t going anywhere, and neither is guard Kyle Lowry. But Lowry, while still in possession of serious game, is 34 years old, so by 2021, VanVleet, should he stick around, will possibly have even more responsibility than before. Making this offseason all the more critical.

Some key Raptors players are free agents this summer, including Fred VanVleet

Raptors guard Fred VanVleet was considered a respectable backup guard last regular season. And then emerged in the playoffs, rose his profile, and never looked back. He’s a very key member of the team, and with the future in mind is even more important considering that fellow starting guard Kyle Lowry, as good as he still plays, will turn 35 years old in March of 2021 and may start to slow down.

But VanVleet is a free agent this offseason. Here’s the Toronto Star examining how the Raps can potentially navigate the situation:

Keeping the 26-year-old guard, an integral part of a championship team and seemingly a foundational piece of the roster right now, has to be job No. 1 for Raptors president Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster when it comes to retooling a roster that had a wonderful regular season and then fell in a seven-game, second-round Bubble Series against the Boston Celtics.

No one is running from or hiding the fact that the team will have no centres under contract when the off-season hits, because that is an issue, but the first domino needs to be VanVleet.

It’ll be costly, but it can be done. The Raptors could work some financial magic and pay VanVleet somewhere around $20 million (U.S.) a year — he made about $9.3 million this season — and still retain a maximum salary slot for 2021, when the free-agent market will be rife with high-profile stars.

The Raptors had an excellent shot at the Eastern Conference Finals this season, falling just one win short in the second round against the Celtics.

And they also soon might have a hole at the center spot, with both Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka hitting free agency.

It would be smart to keep Ibaka. But the most important player for the Raps in the group is VanVleet.

Raptors hit with injuries to Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol and Norman Powell

The Toronto Raptors just got hit with a series of injuries:

Marc Gasol sustained a strained left hamstring in the first quarter of play Wednesday, Dec. 18 at Detroit. He was reevaluated on Thursday and it was determined he will be out indefinitely.

With 6:47 to play in the fourth quarter, Pascal Siakam sustained a stretched groin after an awkward landing. He was evaluated Thursday and will be listed as out indefinitely.

Norman Powell left the same game with 3:17 to play in the fourth quarter after a collision with another player. After testing in Toronto on Thursday, it was determined he had sustained a subluxation of the left shoulder. He will also be out indefinitely.

Per the Toronto Star, “every time it has appeared Toronto was about to get healthy this season, another player or two has gone down. First it was Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka. Then it was VanVleet. This latest setback could be the most difficult one to overcome yet as it takes away the Raptors’ leading scorer in Siakam, the recently surging Powell and Gasol, who has been a lockdown defender in the post.”

All three players will be reevaluated in the coming weeks.

The fascinating matchup of Joel Embiid vs. Marc Gasol

On Sunday, the Sixers, playing at home in Philly, handled the Raptors, 110-104.

In the win, Tobias Harris scored 26 points, Matisse Thybulle added 20 off the bench, and Ben Simmons put up 16 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Sixers center Joel Embiid had a rough day, finishing with 10 points, eight rebounds, and six assists — but seven turnovers.

In the loss, Kyle Lowry scored 26, while starting center Marc Gasol had a miserable statline of 0 for 6 shooting, 0 points and four rebounds in 30 minutes.

But the Embiid vs Gasol matchup is fascinating. Here’s the Toronto Sun reporting, prior to today’s game:

In six regular-season games between the two bigs, only one of them since Gasol became a Raptor, Embiid has shot just 29% against Gasol’s defence. In the past three regular-season meetings, not including last night’s game, Embiid is a combined 8-for-39 against Gasol including that 0-for-11 in the only previous meeting this year when Embiid didn’t even get one from the free throw line where he was 0-for-3 for the first, and probably last, scoreless game of his NBA career.

The Sixers and Raptors are right next to each other in the East standings, and their records could be close all season. This will be worth paying attention to, right through the postseason.

 

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Marc Gasol has season-ending foot surgery

Marc Gasol has season-ending foot surgery

Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol underwent successful surgery on Saturday, Feb. 20 to repair a non-displaced Type II fracture of the navicular bone in his right foot.

Although Marc will not return to the court this season, he is expected to make a full recovery.

The surgery was performed by foot and ankle specialists Dr. Robert Anderson of OrthoCarolina and Dr. Drew Murphy of Campbell Clinic.

“Marc remains a cornerstone of our franchise and we are pleased to hear that the surgery went according to plan,” Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace said. “Marc’s determination and competitive spirit will serve him, his family and the team well as he begins the healing and rehab process from which we expect him to make a full recovery. We are confident we will have Marc back anchoring our team next season and beyond.”

Gasol left in the first quarter of the game on Feb. 8 vs. Portland with the injury.

Grizzlies re-sign Marc Gasol

Grizzlies re-sign Marc Gasol

Memphis Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace announced today that the team has re-signed center Marc Gasol to a multi-year contract. According to the Associated Press, it is “a five-year maximum contract worth more than $100 million.”

“Re-signing Marc Gasol was the No. 1 priority for our organization this offseason,” General Manager Chris Wallace said. “For many years, Marc has been a pillar of our franchise and in a Memphis community that has watched him become one of the best basketball players in the world, so this is a great day for our team, our city and our fans across the Mid-South and worldwide.”

Last season, Gasol (7-1, 255) averaged a career-high 17.4 points on 49.4 percent shooting, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.62 blocks in 33.2 minutes in 81 games (all starts), guiding Memphis to 55 wins and a fifth consecutive appearance in the NBA Playoffs. He averaged 19.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.73 blocks in 11 postseason games in leading Memphis to the Western Conference Semifinals for the third time in franchise history.

The 30-year-old scored 30-or-more points five times, including a career-high 33 points in the regular season finale on April 15 vs. Indiana, after doing so just once in his first six NBA seasons. Gasol continued to display his all-around versatility and was the only player in the league with at least 1,300 points, 600 rebounds and 300 assists.

During his career year, Gasol was named a starter in the 2015 NBA All-Star Game and was selected to the 2015 All-NBA First Team, becoming the first player in franchise history to be honored as either an All-Star starter or a member of the All-NBA First Team. He became one of just three second round draft picks since the NBA-ABA merger to make an All-NBA First Team (Dennis Johnson in 1981; Mark Price in 1993).

Gasol has accumulated many “firsts” over his first seven years with the Grizzlies organization. Gasol was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year and selected to the All-NBA Second Team in 2013. He is the only player in club history to be recognized on either the All-NBA First Team or Second Team or to be named to multiple All-NBA Teams. Among his accolades, he is a two-time All-Star (2012, 2015) and one of just two Grizzlies (Zach Randolph in 2010 and 2013) to appear in multiple All-Star Games. In addition, he has been named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2013) and NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2009) as well as Western Conference Player of the Week in January 2012.

Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 48th overall pick in the second round in the 2007 NBA Draft, Gasol owns career averages of 14.1 points on 50.9 percent shooting, 7.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.55 blocks in 33.7 minutes in 517 games (510 starts) over seven seasons with the Grizzlies. Memphis acquired his draft rights from Los Angeles in a package for his older brother Pau Gasol on Feb. 1, 2008. The Barcelona native played high school ball in Memphis for Lausanne while Pau played for the Grizzlies and was named the MVP of the Spanish ACB league as a member of Akasvayu Girona before signing with Memphis prior to the 2008-09 season.

In the Grizzlies’ career record books, Gasol ranks first in defensive rebounds (3,003); second in games played (517), games started (510), minutes played (17,399), field goal percentage (.509) and blocks (802); third in free throws made (1,787) and attempted (2,359), offensive rebounds (1,066) and total rebounds (4,069); fourth in assists (1,552); and fifth in points (7,285) and steals (477). He set the single-season franchise record for field goal percentage by shooting 58.1 percent in 2009-10.