Pau Gasol wants to stay a Laker

Pau Gasol was traded to the Lakers in 2008, and he was one of the main reasons they won 2 straight titles. He has been a polarizing figure in LA, some saying he’s too soft, others giving him credit for his skills. Well, this summer Pau will be a free agent, and he will have to take a pay cut to stay in LA. Subject of a lot of trade rumors over the years, and even being traded to Houston in the vetoed Chris Paul trade,  Gasol has consistently stated he wants to remain a Laker. It seems he hasn’t changed his tune, via the LA Times:

"“It’s nice to be here in the last year of my contract,” Gasol said. “I’d love to continue to play with the Lakers [next year]. We’ve been through so much together. Mostly amazing moments and some hard moments too.“It’s like a relationship. If you’re still together, it shows improved strength and consistency and how solid the relationship is. Hopefully we’ll see if we can extend it.”"

The Lakers are thinking big picture when it comes to free agency in the next few years, but if Gasol was willing to play for less, he could retire in purple and gold. He will certainly be a big part of this season, and the staff thinks he could have a bounce back year:

"“If he’s healthy, he’s going to be an All-Star player,” Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak said. “He’ll be the focal point of our play in the paint. He’s not going to have to share really that much space.“A lot of what we did last year was an adjustment and deferring, trying to figure out how Dwight would fit in, trying to figure out how to get the best out of him. So Pau made a lot of sacrifices last year.”"

Either way, one day Gasol will see his jersey hanging in the rafters of Staples Center.