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Bulls' Gasol: 'It's hard to finish the season like this'

Rocky W. Widner / Getty Images Sport / Getty

With three regular-season games left, Pau Gasol may well be looking at his final contests as a member of the Chicago Bulls.

The team's microscopic playoff hopes were dealt another crushing blow with Thursday's loss to the Miami Heat, and afterwards the 15-year NBA veteran didn't sound upbeat about returning to the Bulls as a free agent this summer.

"I will evaluate what I need to when the time comes," Gasol said, according to ESPN's Nick Friedell. "But the way the team has responded to adversity and the way we finished up the season has not been so far great, and it's been disappointing. So at the end of the day, when the time comes, I will evaluate things."

Gasol said last month he plans to opt out of his contract this summer, but at the time stated his preference to remain in Chicago. The Bulls have continued to sputter since, and will in all likelihood miss the postseason for the first time since 2007-08.

"It's hard to finish the season like this," Gasol said. "It's not finished, but we're in a very, as we know, extremely difficult position, so everything will be thought of and considered."

The Bulls could be eliminated from playoff contention as early as Friday.

Gasol took a discount to play on a contender when he signed with the Bulls on a three-year, $22-million deal, including the option, in 2014. The Spaniard, who turns 36 in July, has still proven to be a more than capable, if not elite, NBA big. In two seasons in Chicago, Gasol has averaged 17.6 points, 11.4 rebounds, and two blocks in more than 33 minutes.

The Bulls didn't mesh this season under first-year coach Fred Hoiberg, and the injury curse - a holdover from the Tom Thibodeau era - continued to rear its head.

"Probably several reasons, several factors affected our performance," Gasol said. "You could say transitioning from one coaching staff to another affected (things). You could say injuries had an effect. You could say guys didn't want it bad enough. I don't know. Things that are critical I think and important, but to what percentage, I don't know."

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