NBA Rumors: Marc Gasol Leaves Pau's Fate To Pelinka, Lakers Management

Marc Gasol is looking forward to continuing his NBA journey with the same team that selected him in the 2007 NBA Draft. Of course, the Spaniard never got to suit up for the Los Angeles Lakers since he was immediately sent to the Memphis Grizzlies in a deal that was headlined by his brother, Pau.

Gasol signed a two-year deal with the Lakers in what could be his NBA swan song. But before that, chatter is now growing louder over the possibility of him and his brother playing at least one season together with the purple and gold. Unfortunately, this is something that the 2013 NBA Defensive Player of the Year knows is out of his hands.

The only thing Gasol can reveal is that he knows how much his brother loves Los Angeles. It is home for the two-time NBA champion and nothing could be sweeter than calling it a career with the Lakers.

But that is a call that only general manager Rob Pelinka and Lakers management can decide on, the 35-year-old center said when he spoke to Allie Clifton of Spectrum SportsNet.

“I’m not a very social media guy, but I know Pau loves L.A. and loves the Lakers. Obviously he feels like it’s home, so I’m sure that he would love to come back, but that’s question for Rob and ownership,” Gasol said.

With plenty of free agents looking for new homes right now, most are monitoring if there is a chance that the Lakers would oblige and give the 40-year-old a proper send-off by signing him for a year. It is a practice that has been done by some teams, including Pau’s close friend, Kobe Bryant.

Pau played for the Lakers from 2008 to 2014, alongside the late Bryant. Among their teammates then were Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, Luke Walton and Metta World Peace (Ron Artest).

Based on a recent reaction to Ed Pincus of Hoop Central’s social media post, there is no doubt that the six-time NBA All-Star is interested in playing for the Lakers if they would have him.

The Lakers still have enough money under the hard cap to take in veterans under a minimum contract. On paper, they already have a formidable roster for the 2020-21 season. They tried to add more money by requesting the league to exclude the $10 million owed to Luol Deng over the next two seasons.

The 35-year-old suffered a career-ending injury, but the NBA thumbed down the application. It did not affect the Lakers' budget that much, although it would have meant freeing up an additional $10 million on their end.