Marc Gasol: I Haven’t Ruled Out the Knicks in Free Agency
Roughly three weeks ago, reports surfaced that Memphis Grizzlies center and pending unrestricted free agent Marc Gasol had ruled out the New York Knicks as a potential destination. Today, a new report surfaced.
This time, the words came directly from the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year’s mouth.
According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, Gasol told reporters that he hasn’t ruled the Knicks out as a potential free agency destination—or any team, for that matter.
"“I haven’t ruled anything out because I haven’t thought about anything so it would be (premature),” Gasol told a small group of reporters after the Grizzlies’ morning practice at Madison Square Garden. “The reports and stuff like that, I don’t know where they come from because in my mind I haven’t thought about it. I have no (idea) how they can go there. I don’t know. … We’re in the final stretch of the regular season and we want to get in a good feeling for the playoffs so, trust me, I’m not worrying or thinking about those things yet.”"
It’s better than nothing.
To paraphrase Gasol, he hasn’t ruled the Knicks out because he hasn’t put enough thought into free agency to make that type of a decision. That’s certainly understandable for an All-NBA player who has an opportunity to compete for a championship this very season.
Gasol and the Grizzlies enter their March 23 clash with the Knicks at 49-21. They’re No. 2 in the Western Conference standings, which would give them at least two rounds of home court advantage in the 2015 NBA Playoffs.
As for the Knicks, Gasol acknowledged what New York is going through and likened it to a situation he’s been in before.
"“I know what (the Knicks) are trying to accomplish as a team, but like I said we’re trying to accomplish the same thing in Memphis and we’re trying to get to have a chance to go for a ring,” Gasol said. “I see this (Knicks) team being in the same spot we were six or seven years ago when we were winning 20 games and we were trying to create something for the future.”"
Adding Gasol to a roster that already features Carmelo Anthony would, at the very least, help New York escape the darkest days in franchise history.
Regardless of whether or not Gasol views the Knicks as an option, it’s important to note that he is an unrestricted free agent. He’s free to explore his options and can sign with whichever team he believes to be the best fit.
If it comes down to money, however, the incumbent Grizzlies can offer him the most of it via the rules of the CBA.
As Knicks fans piece together the collage of a dream offseason, landing Gasol is likely near the top of their collective wish list. His brother, Pau Gasol, played under current president of basketball operations Phil Jackson and alongside current head coach Derek Fisher with the Los Angeles Lakers.
That version of Fisher, Gasol and Jackson won a pair of NBA championships in 2008-09 and 2009-10. The Knicks’ version would hypothetically include Marc Gasol, who’s already a former Defensive Player of the Year and two-time All-Star.
More importantly, Gasol is a masterful post player who can work from the elbow and the low block. He’s an elite defender, a precise facilitator and a versatile scorer, which means he can fill any number of roles in New York’s Triangle Offense.
Clearly, Gasol’s comments far from guarantee his potential signing in New York. What it does, however, is offer a rare sense of hope in a dreadful season.
Perhaps it’s not a pipe dream that he’ll sign in New York, after all.
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