NBA: Pau Gasol to Lakers? Big man says retiring with Lakers ‘appealing’

What’s next for Pau Gasol?

The 39-year-old Spanish basketball star was recently interviewed by a website regarding the future plans for his career, and one of the topics discussed is retiring as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.

As basketball fans all know, Gasol made an indelible mark for the Lakers in the late 2000s and early 2010s, winning two championships along with the likes of Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom.

With his pro career winding down, Gasol mentioned that retiring as a Laker would be “appealing.”

Seriously considered? It’s not that I’ve had many opportunities,” Gasol told ClutchPoints. “It’s something that has been on my mind. Kind of like the potential of maybe finishing or playing my last year with the Lakers would be great. It’s appealing if you will, but the opportunity never really kind of presented itself in a serious official manner.

“I have a great relationship and love for Jeanie and the Lakers organization and the city of Los Angeles, which is always going to remain extremely meaningful to me no matter what, but we’ll see. But not really.”

After that chapter with the Lakers, Gasol went to the Chicago Bulls. He was also competitive and playing at a high level during those years, even making the all-star line-ups, most recently in 2016.

However, the 6-foot-11 frontliner was hampered by several injuries when he was with the San Antonio Spurs. He was bought out and was signed by the Milwaukee Bucks eventually, and was still recovering when the Bucks moved him to Portland.

The Trailblazers then waived him, leaving Gasol without a squad.

The possibility of Gasol returning to the Lakers would be a great boost in terms of locker room presence, as well as developing fellow forward Anthony Davis even further.

But in terms of actual playing time and performance, it remains to be seen if Gasol can still deliver at a serviceable level.

It would also be interesting if Gasol retires a Laker or a Memphis Grizzlies member, as that city is where he started his NBA journey.