Pau Gasol rumors: Oklahoma City Thunder a long shot to sign him

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been thought to be one of the top potential suitors to sign Pau Gasol in free agency, however, it appears their chances of bringing the veteran in are diminishing by the minute.

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Coveted by a handful of teams including the San Antontio Spurs and Miami Heat, Gasol is drawing heavy interest from around the league and Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles says the Oklahoma City Thunder now consider their chances to sign Pau Gasol as a ‘long shot’.

Many thought Pau Gasol would be a wonderful addition for the Thunder considering he’d be able to give them an offensively efficient big man off the bench who would pair nicely alongside Serge Ibaka. Gasol has been woeful on defense for the past few seasons and Ibaka would likely be able to cover up his deficiencies.

However, for whatever reason (be it money or Gasol’s interest to play elsewhere) it doesn’t appear the two sides will be a match moving forward.

The most likely issue preventing the two from finding middle ground on a contract is financial as Pau Gasol will likely command more than the mid-level exception which is the most the Thunder could offer the Spaniard. He could get that elsewhere and possibly even more if he’s to re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, though Gasol has previously stated there’s more to his next home than just his contract.

As of now, there’s been no indication of which team Pau Gasol has the most interest in, though once LeBron James decides to sign we’ll likely see dominoes like Gasol fall soon after.

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