A few weeks ago, when LeBron James was asked on a podcast about the possibility of Pau Gasol reuniting with the LA Lakers, who signed his younger brother Marc Gasol in free agency this offseason, his response was short and vague. LeBron said, “We’ll see.”
During a recent interview with ESPN’s Zach Lowe, Gasol made it clear that he wants to return to the NBA and would love the chance to do so with the Los Angeles Lakers. He also said he is hoping to play for Spain in the Olympics in the summer, assuming they materialize.
Gasol said, “There is meaning and history there.” “I’m not going to lie. It would be very special, and now that my brother (Marc) is there, even more special. But I’m not in a position now to be very demanding. I don’t have 10 offers on the table.”
The 40-year-old has not played in the NBA since March 2019, when he played 15 minutes and scored three points for the Milwaukee Bucks in a loss against the San Antonio Spurs.
Since then, he had been sidelined with a foot injury that has required numerous surgeries and lengthy rehab. Now he is healthy and wants to make a comeback attempt. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic has made it difficult for him to progress to 5-on-5 games, and the best he has managed is playing 2-on-2 with workout partners that he has been able to bring in and pay to have tested for coronavirus, he said to Lowe.
It is going to take some work to convince a team to use a roster spot on a guy who has not played in almost two years, let alone add him to the rotation. The pandemic also does not help Gasol as teams are going to be more reliant on depth than ever before.
