Pau Gasol is scheduled to talk to several teams in the coming days, but the Los Angeles Lakers made sure to make the veteran center aware of their interest in re-signing him this summer.
The Lakers were reportedly the first team to call Gasol shortly before the free agency period began on Tuesday, and intensified their pursuit after arranging a personal meeting on Tuesday afternoon.
According to ESPN, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak had a meeting with Gasol at a building in Los Angeles for a "few hours" wherein the All-Star center was reportedly informed about the team's plan this offseason.
Previous reports indicated that the Lakers will let Gasol go this offseason, especially after the team selected former Kentucky star Julius Randle in the 2014 NBA Draft.
But when asked about the reports, Kupchak insisted that Gasol and Randle are two different players and the two can co-exist, while also adding that the Spaniard center could be the ideal mentor to Randle.
"I don't think Pau and Randle are similar," Kupchak said. "I think, in fact, they can complement each other. Julius is a really competitive and physical player, and he loves contact and he'll put the ball down a little bit and get to the rim. He has to work on the nuances of the game at 19 years old. Pau is probably the most skilled big man that this game has ever seen."
ESPN also reported that the Lakers will likely sign Gasol in hopes of convincing Carmelo Anthony to move to Los Angeles.
Aside from the Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks, Chicago Bulls, and the Golden State Warriors also reportedly called Gasol about their interest in getting him. The Mavericks and the Bulls, though, are expected to prioritize luring Anthony first before making a serious run at Gasol.
The Miami Heat also reportedly made a pitch to Gasol, but they will likely be out of the running as the 33-year-old center is reportedly asking for at last $10 million annual salary.
"The cost for Gasol could still be prohibitive for the Heat, but there's little doubt he could be an intriguing part to a supporting cast in Miami. So far, Gasol is still pushing for a $10 million-$12 million annual salary," Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported.
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