Marc Gasol was originally drafted by the Lakers, but had his draft rights traded to the Grizzlies as part of the deal that sent Pau Gasol to L.A.. Marc Gasol, at least until this season, never played at a level to make people think Memphis' trade was a great thing, filled with conspiracies that Jerry West was somehow behind the trade, despite not being affiliated with the Lakers or Grizzlies for many months at that point. But in the 2010-11 season and especially the 2011 playoffs, Marc Gasol performed far better than his older brother and helped lead his team to a stunning upset against the San Antonio Spurs. Coupled with the draft picks Memphis received in exchange for Pau and the cash value to hire free agents, the Grizzlies walked away with a very good deal in the long run. But now, Gasol's future in Memphis is uncertain as he is now a restricted free agent.
Although teams do have to pay more money than Memphis to grab him, the Grizzlies aren't exactly a huge money-making operation right now. If Gasol stays in Memphis with Zach Randolph and returning star Shane Battier, the Grizzlies could possibly become a powerhouse in the Western Conference. But there are going to be very tempting offers from teams with deep pockets, most notably the New York Knicks who desperately need a center that Amar'e Stoudemire cannot fill with his less than stellar reputation as a power forward who doesn't average a double-double.
Tyson Chandler was once viewed as finished after a serious toe injury that his own doctor admitted would never be fully repaired. The New Orleans Hornets thought this, which is why they shipped him off to Charlotte, who then traded him to Dallas. Surprisingly enough, Chandler was a huge key in the Mavericks winning the NBA championship, but the Mavericks have a giant elephant in the room: Tyson Chandler is an unrestricted free agent and can go where he pleases. He's in incredibly high demand, not just because of how surprisingly awesome he still is, but because he can choose to work anywhere he wants for as much or as little money as he pleases. Chandler could even choose to play for the team that drafted him, the Clippers, a team that has a lot of future potential, but missing an effective center. Marc Cuban has very deep pockets, but can he really win Tyson Chandler over and convince him to stay in Dallas?
Nene has been the starting center for the Denver Nuggets for much of the Carmelo Anthony era. With Anthony gone and a rapidly declining team led by the controversial Kenyon Martin, Nene doesn't have a lot of reasons to stay in Denver. Nene possesses something even more dangerous that being an unrestricted free agent: he has an early termination option. If a new agreement on his contract cannot be met, Nene will more than likely terminate his contract and seek employment elsewhere. With the new CBA as the elephant in the room, it seems highly unlikely that Denver will ever be able to keep him. As much as Tyson Chandler will be in demand, there's still a good chance he will remain a Maverick. There's little to no chance Nene will remain a Nugget.
No comments:
Post a Comment