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NBA free agency: 5 teams for Pau Gasol

By John Buhler

Jan 22, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol (16) reacts against the Boston Celtics during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 22, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol (16) reacts against the Boston Celtics during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 31, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol (16) dribbles the ball as Houston Rockets forward Donatas Motiejunas (20) defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 31, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol (16) dribbles the ball as Houston Rockets forward Donatas Motiejunas (20) defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

West. Southwest. Houston Rockets. 1. player. 169.

Though it might not seem like an ideal destination for an aging star to play for a team that was basically a chemistry experiment gone horribly wrong in 2015-16 with a middling .500 season and first round playoff exit, the Houston Rockets need a player like Gasol entering 2016-17 and he might be the veteran presence this dysfunctional team needs.

Houston is far too talented to go .500 again in 2016-17 and having former center Dwight Howard opt out on his own accord will be addition by subtraction for the Rockets. The team already has a go-to All-NBA scorer in James Harden and a pair of two innovative coaches on their respective ends of the floor: head coach Mike D’Antoni to run the ‘seven-seconds-or-less’ offense and defensive coordinator Jeff Bzdelik to keep this sure-to-be up-tempo offense in check on the other end.

Though Gasol will plod up and down the floor in his late 30s for the 2016-17 Rockets, he’s been a great locker room addition to all three teams he’s played for. He took Memphis out of the cellar and into the playoff mix as its star player. Gasol was the right-hand man to two of Kobe Bryant’s NBA Championships with the Lakers. Gasol was an All-Star his first with the Bulls when the organization was really teetering on dysfunction.

In short, Gasol is good enough to be the second or third-best player on the Rockets, will put out fires in a heated locker room, and will probably be a better co-pilot with Harden this winter. If Gasol could reach hyper-driven Bryant, he can find a way to connect with the often-aloof Harden in Houston this season.

For more NBA free agency news, please check out our NBA free agency category page.

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