NBA Rumors: Marc, Pau Gasol Could Become First Brothers To Win Championship With Lakers

Dwight Howard has done it again! After initially announcing on social media he was returning to the Los Angeles Lakers, he deleted that tweet and ended up signing with the Philadelphia 76ers. It remains to be seen how Lakers fans will react to the move, but the purple and gold has other options, maybe even better ones.

Howard agreed to a slightly better contract with the Sixers, a one-year deal worth $2.6 million, ESPN reported, citing unnamed sources. The move may come as a surprise for most since it hardly varies from how much he made with the Lakers last season.

The only plausible explanation is that Howard could get more playing time under first-year head coach Doc Rivers. With Philly lacking in experience, the 6-foot-11 big man could get more playing time – something he worked for when he was still with the Lakers. Regardless, that gave him his first NBA title.

Another Gasol possibly headed to Hollywood

Regardless, the Lakers are not expected to lose sleep over Howard opting to head to Philadelphia. It may turn out to be a good move since it allows them to take in someone better.

Marc Gasol is now on the Lakers’ radar, Marc Stein of The New York Times reported, citing unnamed sources.

Gasol is the brother of former Laker Pau Gasol. Though he is already 35, there is no doubt that the younger Gasol remains a pillar on the defensive end. He can also be a threat down low, taking off some pressure on Anthony Davis getting inside points.

With his NBA playing years winding down, seeing another Gasol join the Lakers and possibly winning another NBA title makes a lot of sense. If that happens, it would also see a rare occurrence that two brothers have won an NBA title with the same franchise.

Regardless of whether he will be used extensively or not, Gasol will be someone who could fill in Howard’s role perfectly in the Lakers’ quest to make it back-to-back NBA title reigns.

Curiously, it was the Lakers who drafted Gasol back in 2007. However, he never played a single minute and ended up being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in a deal that ironically included his brother, Pau.

Finally, if Gasol does join the Lakers and become part of another NBA championship, it would result in the brothers becoming a rare pair that has won the NBA title with the same franchise but in different eras.

Pau already won two NBA titles when he was with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010. Marc got his first NBA title with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.