NBA Rumors: Lakers think Pau Gasol can help them land Carmelo Anthony
Los Angeles Lakers’ big man Pau Gasol is set to become an unrestricted free agent when the clock strikes midnight on Tuesday morning and free agency officially begins.
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Gasol is expected to have plenty of suitors, but the Lakers would like to hold on to him as well. They obviously like how productive Gasol still was despite injuries and problems with head coach Mike D’Antoni.
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles, the Lakers not only want to retain Gasol because of skill but they believe he can help the team land New York Knicks’ forward Carmelo Anthony in free agency.
"Has Pau Gasol already played his last game for the Los Angeles Lakers? Not if the Lakers’ brass has its way.Although the Lakers’ ideal free agency scenario involves convincing both LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony to come play for them this summer, according to a source with knowledge of the team’s thinking, they are not ruling out the return of the four-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion Gasol by any means."
Gasol’s former coach and current Knicks’ president Phil Jackson is currently thinking the same thing, hoping to sign Gasol and re-sign Anthony in the process.
Gasol averaged 17.4 points, 9.7 rebounds 3.4 assists and 1.5 blocks per game last season. He shot 48.0% from the field, 28.6% from beyond the arc and 73.6% from the free throw line. Anthony put up 27.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game and shot 45.2% from the field, 40.2% from beyond the arc and 84.8% from the free throw line last season.