Blazers Top Brass Confident Pau Gasol Will Play Pivotal Role In Portland NBA Campaign

There is no question that Pau Gasol has more than proven his worth in the NBA. Better yet, the Spaniard has accomplished almost anything an aspiring NBA cager would want in his career -- the most important of which is winning an NBA title. He is a two-time NBA champion and a six-time All-Star.

But at 39, there is no question that he is nearing that stage where retirement would be kicking in. Regardless, the third overall pick of the 2001 NBA Draft remains bullish and plans to stick around - at least for one more season. After agreeing to a one-year $2.56 deal with the Trail Blazers, the 7-footer is expected to come off the bench and guide the young big men for the coming season -- particularly Hassan Whiteside and Jusuf Nurkic.

However, it appears that Portland Trail Blazers president of basketball operations Neil Olshey sees something else. He views Gasol as not just a guy who wants to land another contract but someone who wants to win. Olshey detailed this in a video interview with NBC Sports.

Apparently, Gasol was someone they were trying to get as early as three years ago. The Spaniard ended up with the San Antonio Spurs at the time but the Blazers kept Gasol on their radar.

"Three years ago, we pursued Pau very aggressively. He made a decision to go elsewhere. We respected it but at least we were on his radar," said Olshey.

The Blazers surprised many last season when they made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals. But against a souped-up Golden State Warriors squad, they were swept in four games. One problem that head coach Terry Stotts had to deal with was the middle. Nurkic would have been a big help but the Bosnian center suffered a season-ending injury in March in the team's win over the Brooklyn Nets.

For the coming season, the Nets may have gotten the right bigs to complement Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Whiteside, an acquisition from the Miami Heat, should be a find addition to plug up the middle hole. It is a new lease on life for the 30-year-old player who is best known for his defensive prowess. And it appears he is looking forward to reviving his sagging NBA career as he looks forward to a fresh start, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

"This is a fresh start," he said. "I really think this team is on the verge of doing something really special. Perfect situation."