NBA Rumors: Marc Gasol Ends Free Agency By Joining Los Angeles Lakers

Marc Gasol is now headed to the Los Angeles Lakers for his 13th season in the league

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the 35-year-old has now agreed to a deal with the reigning NBA champions.

Further details about Gasol’s move to LA are yet to be disclosed as negotiations are still in progress, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

With Dwight Howard now out of the picture, Gasol is expected to play a key role in the Lakers’ defensive core. Throughout his NBA career, he has been known for his defensive tenacity, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2013.

Offensively, the former NBA champ could still contribute. However, his recent numbers suggest that he wouldn’t be much of a threat.

Prior to being linked to the Lakers, Gasol was coming off a terrible run with the Toronto Raptors. The Spanish sensation had the worst NBA season of his career in 2019-20, especially in terms of individual stats.

From nine points per game a year before, Gasol even dropped to 7.5 points per game last season, shooting a career-low 42.7 percent from the floor.

Gasol’s rebounding has also declined but has been quite steady at around six rebounds per game.

Trouble with injury was also an obstacle for Gasol. It can be recalled that a hamstring injury in December sidelined the veteran big man for a month. He managed to make a return when the NBA finally ended its four-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, Gasol was never the lethal player he used to be.

Apparently, the pandemic also contributed in Gasol’s drastic drop in numbers.

"It was tough for him," Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. "He operates a lot better with the ease of his family being around, and the knowledge they are doing fine. He didn't have that comfort, and they were a long way away."

Pau Gasol, Marc’s older brother, has won back-to-back NBA titles with the Lakers. The younger Gasol, on the other hand, has won one in the Raptors jersey.

With the younger Gasol now joining LeBron James and Anthony Davis, another NBA title isn’t too far from becoming a reality.

Should it happen, it would see a rare occurrence that two brothers have won an NBA championship with the same franchise.