The Los Angeles Lakers seemingly made a splash at center last offseason when they signed Marc Gasol. There were high hopes that his skill set on both ends of the floor and championship pedigree would pay some dividends for the Purple and Gold.
Unfortunately, he was unable to find his rhythm while the team struggled and they ultimately sought out other options this time around.
The addition of Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan this offseason left Gasol as the odd-man-out of the center rotation. However, it appears his looming departure had become set in stone at the end of last season.
According to Dan Wokie of the L.A. Times, there were those within the organization that felt Gasol was ready to move on from L.A. at the end of the year:
The situation, by the end of the season, was toxic enough that multiple people with the Lakers felt like Gasol was undoubtedly on his way out following end-of-season meetings. It’s why there were those who didn’t believe it when Gasol said he planned on being back with the Lakers during a rough Olympics run with the Spanish national team. Now, it’s likely Gasol will join a team in Spain to continue his career.
There is no question that the situation with Gasol had clearly taken its toll between all the criticism and his inconsistent role on the roster. This was even more evident once he got replaced by Andre Drummond in the starting lineup.
To his credit, Gasol continued to do everything that was asked of him down the stretch and his comments during the Olympics indicate he was ready to do it again if necessary. The additions to the roster this offseason helped ensure that he would not have to do that again, however.
Even if it did not work out with the Lakers, Gasol was able to find an ideal alternative for himself at this point in his career. He is now set to play for Girona in Spain, where he can be closer to his family during the pandemic.
Lakers reportedly sign Oliver to Exhibit 10 contract
As the Lakers look to fill out the rest of their roster for the 2021-22 season, recent reports indicate that they have signed forward Cam Oliver to an Exhibit 10 contract.
That will allow him to come in and compete for a roster spot during training camp before likely joining the organization’s G League team.
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