Free-agent center Pau Gasol has reached agreement on a two-year, $30 million-plus deal with the San Antonio Spurs, league sources told The Vertical.
Gasol will have the option to re-enter free agency after this upcoming season or sign a longer contract with the Spurs, league sources said.
To free room for Gasol, the Spurs are working on a move to trade forward Boris Diaw, sources told The Vertical.
Gasol, 35, chose the Spurs over a group of suitors that also included the Toronto Raptors and Portland Trail Blazers. The Raptors and Blazers both made strong impressions on Gasol, but the combination of the Spurs’ talent, history and his relationship with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was tough to overcome, sources said. Gasol nearly signed with the Spurs in the summer of 2014 before committing to the Chicago Bulls.
Gasol’s decision will help solidify the frontline of the Spurs, who are expected to lose Tim Duncan to retirement. Team officials and close associates of Duncan believe he is leaning strongly toward retiring and that he could make an announcement in the near future, sources told The Vertical.
The pursuit of Gasol was intense among those teams, with offers in the $20 million-plus-per-season range, sources said.
Gasol plans to play for Spain in the Summer Olympics in Rio, his third Olympiad.
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SOURCE: Yahoo! Sports
Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertica
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