With a lot of cap space for next off-season, the Los Angeles Lakers used this past summer to sign players to just one -year contracts, affording them the luxury of potentially pursuing max-contract players for the 2014-15 season.
The likes of Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and even Kobe Bryant will be free agents as general manager Mitch Kupchak has a chance to bring the next superstar to LA. However, the Lakers will have another key free agent: forward/center Pau Gasol. Gasol is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end and has been coy about his thoughts about it.
Emotional and sensitive to countless trade rumors the past few seasons, Gasol, like Bryant, is expected to take a pay-cut as the 33-year-old is due to make $19.2 million this season.
Talking to Marc. J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, Gasol reiterated his desire to remain with the franchise that he’s won two NBA championships with as the Lakers will have tough decisions to make next off-season.
Here’s the interview with Gasol:
