This week, the news Memphis Grizzlies fans have been waiting and hoping for since the first day of the NBA’s free agency period finally became a reality:
Marc Gasol is staying in Memphis.
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It was announced Tuesday that Gasol and Memphis had worked out a deal to ensure he would remain the heart and soul of the Grizzlies’ tenacious defense for the foreseeable future. It is a five-year max contract that will pay the All-Star center $113 million with a player option that will allow him to opt out and become a free agent after the fourth year.
The deal makes Gasol the highest paid member of the Grizzlies’ roster, with him earning almost double what Zach Randolph ($10 million) and Mike Conley ($9.7 million) make a season at $19.7 million.
For his part, Gasol says the money isn’t going to change him in the least, as reported by Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal:
"“For me, (the money) wasn’t important. To me, the last deal (worth $58 million) four years ago was more than enough. I’m going to try to help as many people as I can with it. I’m going to try to help change as many lives as I can.“I’ve never felt comfortable talking about money. My parents have always been in the medical profession. My family never had extra stuff but we never lacked either. We always had food on the table and everything we needed. …This is unreal. My family is excited. My wife (Cristina) is really on board. She’s really supportive. She’s really excited to continue to live in Memphis. Hopefully, five years from now we’ll continue this.”"
Most agree that there was never any real chance Gasol would have signed anywhere other than Memphis even though many teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks were all prepared to make him very attractive offers.
While he would have done well anywhere he chose to play, it cannot be stressed enough that for Gasol to remain with the Grizzlies is worth every cent of the $100+ million it is going to cost them.
Last season Gasol averaged 17.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game in 81 regular season games and 19.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game during the playoffs. He had his best season as a pro last year with new career highs in points per game, Player Efficiency Rating (21.7) and usage percentage (24.6). Gasol was also the only player during the 2014-15 season to accumulate at least 1,300 points, 600 rebounds and 300 assists.
Put simply, Gasol is the engine that runs the Memphis “grit-n-grind” system that has led the team to five consecutive postseason appearances and a trip to the Western Conference finals in 2013. It is not an exaggeration to say that if Gasol had signed elsewhere, the Grizzlies would have gone from perennial playoff team to possibly counting ping pong balls in the draft lottery.
Yes, Gasol is that important to the Memphis Grizzlies.
This is a rare case where an NBA team and player both got exactly what they wanted out of the deal. Gasol gets his max contract and the Grizzlies can continue to build a team that could very well make a trip to the NBA Finals next season.
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