NBA Rumors: Timberwolves aggressively offer Pau Gasol
By Hunter Cooke
The Chicago Bulls’ big man has a lucrative two-year deal offer from the Timberwolves on his plate.
Pau Gasol, the six-time All-Star Chicago Bulls center/forward, has had a lot of teams on his tail in this free agency. The San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Portland Trail Blazers were reportedly hot on the trail of the former Laker, many strongly considering him in lieu of Kevin Durant.
According to Marc J. Spears from ESPN, the Timberwolves have apparently made a very “aggressive” two-year offer to Gasol.
T-Wolves have made an aggressive two-year offer to Bulls free agent big man Pau Gasol to reunite him with coach... https://t.co/HRt6mNoBWv
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 3, 2016
The specifics of this deal are not available yet, but it’s safe to say that it won’t be for chump change. In this free agency market, where the Grizzlies signed Mike Conley to a max contract worth $153 million, pennies are not being pinched.
According to ESPN.com, both the Timberwolves and the Trail Blazers are offering two year deals in the $40 million range, with the Timberwolves having the advantage of Tom Thibodeu, Gasol’s former coach.
Gasol might be wise to wait until Kevin Durant signs his contract, as he might be able to negotiate for even more money after Durant pens his likely expensive commitment. Gasol is aging, but is still arguably at the top of his game with the Bulls. He’s reached 10,000 rebounds and points with the Bulls, and is still recording triple doubles in 2016. He’s nearing the end of his career, but he definitely isn’t done yet, which makes him a valid target in this free agent market.
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