Could Pau Gasol reunite with the Los Angeles Lakers and his brother, Marc Gasol?
Pau Gasol is eyeing and NBA comeback, and of course the Los Angeles Lakers are at the top of his free-agency wish list.
In an exclusive interview with ESPN’s Zach Lowe, the six-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA selection opened up about his desire to return to the league and secure a spot on Spain’s Summer Olympics roster for the 2021 Tokyo games.
With his brother Marc Gasol joining the Lakers over the summer, it’s a no-brainer why a return to LA would be so incredible for Pau.
“There is meaning and history there,” he said. “I’m not going to lie. It would be very special, and now that my brother is there, even more special. But I’m not in a position now to be very demanding. I don’t have 10 offers on the table.”
Pau Gasol can’t be picky but would love a return to the Lakers
Gasol won two championships with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers back in 2009 and 2010. He was last seen in the NBA in 2018-19. He started that season with the San Antonio Spurs before being bought out and latching onto the Milwaukee Bucks.
He played three games with the Bucks before a left ankle injury in March ended his season. He signed with the Portland Trail Blazers over the summer but was waived in November before ever playing a game for the team.
That means Gasol hasn’t seen NBA action since March of 2019, and he’s had two surgeries to repair stress fractures in the navicular bone in his left foot since then. Lowe reports the Lakers’ interest in the 40-year-old veteran is currently unknown, and though a few teams have reached out about training camp spots, Gasol is still working on improving his conditioning.
It feels like a long shot Pau Gasol actually winds up with a spot on the defending champs’ roster, but perhaps Marc’s presence and LA’s history with Gasol will help in that regard.
“He had several teams that were interested,” Pau Gasol said of his brother. “What he valued most was the opportunity to win another championship. To play for the Lakers — it’s such a unique franchise. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, and it’s very special for us to be the first brothers to play for the Lakers.
“It would be incredible if it ends up happening where I can join the team at some point.”