The San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks are expected to make a strong push to sign Marc Gasol when the Memphis Grizzlies superstar becomes a free agent after the 2014-15 NBA season.
Gasol, who is averaging 18.2 points to go along with 8.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game this season, will become an unrestricted free agent and is expected to get strong offers from several teams in the offseason.
According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, the San Antonio Spurs are expected to be the first team to contact Gasol when he hits free agency on July 1.
The Spurs are reportedly planning to convince Gasol to move to San Antonio by telling him that he will become the one of the cornerstones of the proud franchise along with Kawhi Leonard when Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili decides to retire.
"The Spurs have a target list and it includes many of the same names other teams like - Gasol being the biggest of the bunch," Kyler wrote. "The Spurs plan to be at Gasol's doorstep at 12:01 on July 1, with the offer to be part of the future of the Spurs."
The Spurs reportedly declined to offer a new deal to Leonard last offseason to keep their cap flexibility in the summer of 2015 in the hope of luring another big-name player. Sources said that Leonard will likely delay signing a long-term deal until the Spurs secure a new deal with a marquee player this summer.
Meanwhile, the Knicks are also expected to be aggressive in luring Gasol, who has been on their radar since 11-time champion Phil Jackson became their team president.
The Knicks, who currently hold the worst record in the league at 12-47, are desperate to add another superstar to play alongside Carmelo Anthony. Sources said Jackson is convinced Gasol is the perfect big man for the triangle offense that they are running in New York.
However, Kyler believes the Knicks have a slim chance of signing Gasol, considering the fact that the Spaniard will likely sign with a championship contender or just stay in Memphis. Should the Knicks fail to sign Gasol, they will reportedly shift their attention to Greg Monroe of the Detroit Pistons or Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls.
The two-time NBA All-Star said last month that he will consider all options in the offseason, but hinted that he might eventually decide to stay in Memphis for another five years.
"The city of Memphis and the franchise means a lot to me," Gasol told USA Today. "It's not going to be easy for me to leave a place like that."
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