The Los Angeles Lakers completed this Sunday the transfer of center JaVale McGee and the rights of a second selection to the Cleveland Cavaliers and then reached an agreement with the Spanish All-Star Marc Gasol by offering him a contract for two seasons, as reported by several sources close to the current league champions.
The Lakers won the battle against the Dallas Mavericks in the fight to secure the services of the 35-year-old Gasol, who is an unrestricted free agent after his contract with the Toronto Raptors ended last season.
The arrival of Gasol will allow him to play for the first time with the team that in the university draw of 2007 he selected him with 48 of the second round, although he later transferred his rights to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Marc Gasol’s deal with the Lakers comes 24 hours after his teammate from last season, the Spanish Congolese power forward Serge Ibaka, agreeing to sign a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Lakers acquired with the transfer of McGee to the forwards Jordan Bell and Alfonzo McKinnie. Bell has a team option and could be left off the roster, while McKinnie has three years left on his contract, but they are all not guaranteed, which gives him some flexibility in the salary cap the current NBA champions.
The Los Angeles team also ensured the continuity of bodyguard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who was offered a contract for three seasons.
Marc Gasol, who will turn 36 in January, has earned a reputation for being one of the smartest centers in the NBA when on the field.
The Sant Boi player won the award of Best Defender of the Year 2013, in addition to having the league title with the Raptors, while in the 11 seasons he played with the Grizzlies he was always the franchise man.
But his arrival at the Raptors, although he participated in obtaining the league championship title, in 2019, his averages last season were already the worst as a professional with just 7.5 points and 6.3 rebounds.
Gasol’s arrival to the Lakers comes after the league champions have lost important players like escorts Danny Green and Avery Bradley, guard Rajon Rondo and McGee.
Your replacements will be German guard Dennis Schroder, traded by the Oklahoma City Thunder, guard Wesley Matthews, who signed as a free agent, as well as power forward Montrezl Harrell and Gasol.
The presence of Marc Gasol in the Lakers will make the name of his family remain united to the Los Angeles team, where Pau was and won two league titles in a row.
In addition, there is the possibility that both brothers can play together with the Lakers, if in the end the current league champions can sign Pau with a minimum wage contract, an option that the older Gasol has not rejected.
Meanwhile, Marc is expected to take on the minutes and work McGee did as the starting center in Los Angeles and provide a significant improvement to the team, considering how well matches his skill set with star forward LeBron James and power forward Anthony Davis.
Shooting from outside the perimeter was a problem last league for the Lakers, in part because McGee was not a specialist, while Gasol, with the Raptors., achieved 38.5 percent with triples.
Gasol is also a better defender than McGee, and despite the fact that his physical power is no longer the same as previous seasons, in part because does not have the same mobility, Davis’ presence may make up for that loss.
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