NBA
Where next for Marc Gasol? four possible destinations Barça, Girona...
The Spain international, after being traded by the Lakers, is negotiating with the Grizzlies to rescind his contract which will leave him with various options.
Marc Gasol's time in the NBA is close to reaching its conclusion. Only a surprise could change his destiny now following his transfer from Los Angeles Lakers to Memphis Grizzlies. His spell in Tennessee will be brief, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski - the player and the team are negotiating to rescind his 2.7 million dollar contract. Where could Gasol be heading next? Ona a personal level, back to Spain to be with his family. On a sporting level, there are four possible destinations.
Return to Barcelona
Over the summer there was a great deal of talk about the possibility that both of the Gasol could be reunited at the club where they started out. It's difficult - Barcelona's economic situation is delicate to say the least and some of the team's star players like Nikola Mirotic are annoyed about the club's insistence that the players accept a salary cut. “I am sure that Juan Carlos Navarro will do everything he can to persuade Marc Gasol to return to Barcelona,” Cadena SER journalist Antoni Daimiel said back in April. “If Marc returns to Barcelona, it would help to ensure that Pau stays, it's not as crazy as it sounds”. Barça hold his rights in the Liga Endesa as well as the first right of refusal since 2008.
Girona
If there is one city which has a special place in Marc's heart, it's Girona. He played for the now-defunct Akasvayu from 2006 to 2008, there, he set a new MVP record winning the award in 11 matchdays and he was also voted player of the season. Even after he departed for the NBA, he never forget the club and city which made him the great player he is today. To thank them, in 2014 he formed Club Escola de Bàsquet Marc Gasol, a project which developed into the creation of a senior side, Bàsquet Girona in the EBA league, and who are now in their second consecutive in the LEB Oro division. “I hope to retire at Girona wherever they are,” Marc Gasol, exclaimed in May 2020. We'll see.
One last stint in the NBA
The chance to continue in the best basketball league in the world is still open. However, it's difficult to see it happening. Marc was already reticent about continuing when he signed for the Lakers due to his concerns about being away from his family, who were not to happy about upping sticks. “Making my family move wasn't ideal,” he said after joining Andre Drummond's Lakers.
Retiring
Gasol has nothing left to prove in basketball. He has spent 13 years playing in the United States, has won a tile (with the Raptors in 2019), played in three All-star games, won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award and was a member of the All-NBA team. Big Spain is regraded as one of the greatest centers of his generation, a legend for Memphis Grizzlies who will likely retire his jersey. His progression to the Hall of Fame and the national team was exceptional. He called time on his international career this summer after Spain's defeat the US at the Olympics. He made 191 international appearances and won nine medals - four gold, three silver and two bronze. A good enough reason to bow out now and concentrate on his family.