Report: Pau Gasol spoke with Heat and Lakers
Unrestricted free agent Pau Gasol is being wooed by a litany of teams this offseason. First up, the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers:
Free agent Pau Gasol had a phone conversation with Miami president Pat Riley today, league source tells Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 2, 2014
The meeting today between Kupchak and Gasol took place at an L.A. office building and lasted "a few hours," according to a source.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 2, 2014
At the age of 34, Gasol isn't as dominant as he once was, but remains a productive player, of interest to multiple contenders. As a member of the Lakers last season, Gasol averaged 17.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while playing out of position at center.
Part of Gasol's appeal is his price, as it's assumed the veteran will take a discount for a chance at contention. However, a report from Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski indicates that the price for Gasol's services is said to be upwards of $10 million. With rumors of guard Dwyane Wade and forward Chris Bosh taking massive pay cuts in Miami, the Heat could conceivably offer Gasol up to $12 million to bolster their frontcourt next season.