Pau Gasol survived so many trade rumors over the years, including the one that really wasn’t fabricated (David Stern, December 2011).
Now he has all the leverage, becoming a free agent in July and enduring questions about his final days ever with the Lakers, yet again.
“I’ll be in charge of my future and my destiny,” Gasol said Thursday, later adding, “This could be my last day [with the Lakers], maybe.”
He was one of many players who met individually with General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Coach Mike D’Antoni, the latter filling a role as Gasol’s season-long fencing partner.
The tug of war between D’Antoni’s small-ball offense and Gasol’s desire to be in the post bubbled over a number of times during the Lakers’ worst season in the Los Angeles era.
The back-and-forth ended when Gasol was hit with vertigo that sidelined him for 12 games. His last appearance in a Lakers uniform could very well have been April 1 against the Portland Trail Blazers. He had nine points and four rebounds in 28 nondescript minutes.
So … now what?
If the Lakers kept D’Antoni for the final guaranteed year of his contract, it would affect Gasol, even if he didn’t fully say it.
“I do believe that the coach … has an important role in the performance of the team,” Gasol said. “It would be a factor, but I don’t know how big it would be.”
Gasol acknowledged having “misunderstandings” with D’Antoni the last two years but pledged to listen closely if the Lakers call in July with a contract offer.
“I see myself playing several more years at a high level,” Gasol said, eventually settling on five years as a solid goal.
Gasol, who turns 34 in July, will not come close to matching his $19.3-million salary this season. He knows that. He would have to take a pay cut to play for almost every team with championship aspirations. Too many winning teams are over the salary cap.
The Lakers, though, have money to spend. Lots of it. The catch: They’re reluctant to sign players past one-year deals because they want to pursue Kevin Love next year and Kevin Durant in 2016.
So maybe Gasol comes back after all. Especially if he agrees to a lucrative one-year deal.
Can’t quite say goodbye to him yet.
Young at heart
The season ended, but Nick Young’s one-man show kept rolling.
The always entertaining Lakers reserve excitedly told reporters about his new “contract” a few minutes after his season-ending meeting with Kupchak.
“He said he was going to sign me for $100 million or something like that,” Young said.
Young was joking, of course.
