Pau Gasol ‘very likely’ to opt out of contract with Bulls
By Tom West
Pau Gasol has returned to All-Star status since joining the Chicago Bulls, but he’s admitted that it’s ‘very likely’ he’ll opt out of his contract after this season.
As Pau Gasol had one of the best seasons of his entire career at 34 years old with the Chicago Bulls in 2014-15, he bounced back as an All-Star power forward for the first time in three years. His post scoring, mid-range game, rebounding and rim protection have made him a highly valuable player for the Bulls, but his tenure with the team will likely be coming to an end after this season.
As has been reported by Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago, it’s “very likely” that Gasol will decide to test free agency in the summer of 2016 when the NBA salary cap soars to around $90 million:
"Gasol told CSNChicago.com Wednesday night after his 26-point, 19-rebound, four-block and three-assist performance against the Denver Nuggets that it’s “very likely” he’ll opt-out of his contract this summer and test the market.“As long as I keep playing like this,” Gasol said. “I know I’ll have some options.”"
It’s somewhat surprising to see Gasol admit this early in the season that it’s “very likely” he’ll opt out of his current contract by using his player option and survey his possibilities in free agency. He’s been a great fit with the Bulls, as the likes of Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson provide tough, interior defense while Gasol and Nikola Mirotic provide better floor spacing and offensive punch. Plus, with a 11-5 record and sitting at 3rd in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls are certainly off to another good start this season, and a chance to make a run in the playoffs is as possible as usual.
Yes, they’ll be stopped if they run into the Cleveland Cavaliers and teams like the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers could pose a major challenge, but the Bulls have potential to be a threat as always.
Where Pau Gasol will look in free agency is unclear. As he said himself, he’s playing well. His numbers have dipped somewhat since last season in five less minutes each night, but 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2 blocks per game shows that he’s certainly still making a big impact even at 35 years of age. To the casual fan, those block numbers do hide the fact that he’s become a slow, lumbering defender inside and often struggles defending away from the basket or stopping pick-and-rolls.
That being said, he’s still a good player and has enough to offer that he can earn himself a solid contract elsewhere (especially with the rise in cap) for a team who need some post scoring and additional frontcourt depth. Where that will be, though, is just another element of the crazy drama that will unfold when free agency hits next summer.