Pau Gasol's ability to score in the post as well as stretch out defenses with perimeter shooting figure to make him an ideal cog for an Oklahoma City offense that already features the top scorer in the NBA, Kevin Durant, and arguably the most explosive guard in basketball, Russell Westbrook. Despite the fit, Gasol landing in OKC is a "long shot" according to reports.
The Thunder have been pitching themselves hard to Gasol; general manager Sam Presti met with him, as did both Durant and Westbrook before head coach Scott Brooks' meeting with him on Monday. The main issue seems to be money-the most Oklahoma City could offer Gasol this year while remaining under the luxury tax line is about $5 million. Last season Gasol pulled in a little over $19 million.
Gasol's rumored to be in the process of being courted by multiple other teams, including the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks and Miami Heat. He was also a potential target for the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks, who are probably out of the running now that they've signed Boris Diaw and Tyson Chandler, respectively.
Competition for Pau, though, remains stacked. You've got Thunder/Spurs/Bulls still chasing PLUS Knicks or Lakers depending on who gets Melo
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 8, 2014
Money-wise, the Bulls make sense as a landing spot if they amnesty Carlos Boozer and the $16.8 million he is owed this season. Another major factor could be the free agents above Gasol in stature-namely Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James.
The indecision of both stars, particularly James, has held up a number of teams who have cleared plenty of cap space and are eager to either snap up one of the two or move on. The Houston Rockets tried to force some movement by offering a maximu four-year, $96 million contract to Chris Bosh who reportedly said he will be waiting on James' decision before he acts.
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