While the rest of the NBA waits out the retirement of Tim Duncan, the San Antonio Spurs already could be working on a contingency plan.
The New York Daily News reports that the New York Knicks' top priority after this season will be free agent Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies. But they're not alone.
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The reigning NBA champion Spurs also have an interest in the Grizzlies power forward.
"Phil Jackson has made a career out of taking pot shots at the San Antonio Spurs so even if the Knicks president doesn't respect Greg Popovich's club, he should fear them," the Daily News reported.
"The Knicks' main free-agent target, Marc Gasol, is also being targeted as a possible replacement to Tim Duncan assuming Ol' Man Riverwalk retires this summer. The Knicks will be players for the Memphis center mainly because of the first three rules of real estate - location, location, location - and because Gasol is familiar with both Jackson and Derek Fisher since older brother Pau spent the best years of his career with the Lakers."
And CBSSports.com reported the ammunition the Spurs have in the Gasol sweepstakes.
"San Antonio, however, presents everything a smart basketball player wants," CBSSports.com wrote. "A team-first attitude (which Gasol has and loves), a plethora of gifted passers and shooters (again, check), international flavor (Gasol spent his adolescence in Memphis but is still Spanish, you know?) and Gregg Popovich (the best coach he could ever play for). It's a small market, it has an established hierarchy of talent, it is always in contention, the ownership, management, and coaching staff is stable (and you can bet Popovich will re-think retirement if he gets to coach Gasol into his late 30's along with Kawhi Leonard)."
CBSSports.com points out, however, that the Spurs never have made a big-name free-agent splash and Memphis has been his home where he is comfortable. Besides, no guarantee exists that Duncan will retire after this season
The lure of championships always is the draw--whether for Gasol or for Duncan.
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