Memphis (USA), Sep 10 (EFE) .- The Memphis Grizzlies confirmed this Friday the transfer of Spanish center Mar Gasol by Los Angeles Lakers, where he played last season.
However, they did not reveal what the future of Gasol will be, 13 years as an NBA professional, 11 of them with the Grizzlies franchise.
According to various media sources Gasol and the Grizzlies could negotiate his departure from the team so that later he can have the freedom to decide his professional future.
In addition to sending Gasol to the Grizzlies, the Lakers also gave the 2024 second-round rights and cash for the acquisition of 27-year-old Chinese center Wang Zhelin, who was selected by the Memphis team with number 57 of the second round of the 2016 college sweepstakes.
The departure of Gasol from the Lakers, where he has only remained one season, was announced after the Los Angeles team achieved the signings of pivots Dwight Howard this summer and this week DeAndre Jordan, in agreement with the Detroit Pistons, who received him by trade from the Brooklyn Nets.
Gasol, 36, still had one more season on his contract with the Lakers with a minimum salary of 2.7 million dollars, which with the increase in the luxury tax, allows the Los Angeles team to save 10 million dollars.
The Spanish international, Defensive Player of the Year with the Grizzlies, three-time All-Star selection and NBA champion with the Toronto Raptors, decided last season as a free agent to reject multi-year contract offers and more than 10 million dollars. average dollars for wanting to play with the Lakers in search of a second league title, which in the end did not come.
He also did not have his best performance on the field because he had to share minutes with center Montrezl Harrell, who also left the Lakers when entering the transfer of star point guard Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards.
While the Grizzlies are also working on the transfer of Spanish power forward Juancho Hernangómez, whom they acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves and could now send the Boston Celtics.
If the agreement with the Celtics is closed, the Grizzlies would have completed the seventh transfer so far this summer in order to lower the cost of the squad while they get more selection rights in the university draw and leave the squad of 20 players closed. to the next season.