One of the most popular names in the Raptors Republic comments has popped its head up in the rumor will.
Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY Sports warns not to be surprised if the Raptors try to lure Pau Gasol now that Bismack Biyombo is off to Orlando.
Now, there are some realities here to consider. The first is that Biyombo’s situation shouldn’t change anything on the Gasol front – the Raptors had a good idea that Biyombo would leave, and if they were interested in Gasol, those are conversations that could (and maybe were) have been happening since free agency opened at 12:01 on July 1. Biyombo’s departure also doesn’t change the Raptors’ cap situation any, as Biyombo’s cap hold was tiny and could have been renounced if Toronto needed the space.
As it stands, Toronto only has $5-6 million to work with (either in cap space or the mid-level exception, depending on how they want to play their hand). If Gasol is looking to join a contender, maybe he’s willing to take that haircut off his market value, though one would think the Raptors are closer to the three-to-five range on preferred destinations rather than No. 1 (which is still worlds ahead of where they would have been a year or two ago).
From a fit perspective, adding someone of Gasol’s offensive skill level at a below-market rate is tough to argue with. He’s no longer a defensive deterrent and would be a tough defensive pairing with Jonas Valanciunas, but the Raptors got by with Luis Scola starting alongside him, and they could always start Patrick Patterson and deploy Gasol as the offensive fulcrum of second units. Gasol will turn 36 next week, but last season for the Bulls he still averaged 16.5 points, 11 rebounds, 4.1 assists and two blocks while shooting 46.9 percent from the floor and 24-of-69 on threes (something the Raptors would ask him to take a lot more of, if Scola is any indication).
He can still offer a lot on the offensive end, more than anyone else who will seemingly be available with the Raptors’ available money. The market appears to be dictating that you’re only going to get flawed players in the Raptors’ range, and players who are largely one-way contributors may be the type you’re dealing with in this price range. There are no even remotely perfect options for the Raptors in their situation, and so it comes down to a decision as to which strengths are most desired and which weaknesses or fit issues are most tolerable. My guess is that people’s mileage on Gasol will vary a fair amount when it comes to the fit with Toronto.
Of course, Gasol may not be willing to come for the amount Toronto can presently offer, anyway. Zillgitt says the Raptors could try to lure him, but there’s been little reporting on what Gasol is looking for in free agency. He may want to find some middle ground between a ring-chasing discount and his market value, or he may be willing to sign for nothing to land with a Spurs or Warriors. We really don’t know. If the Raptors have to unload rotation pieces to clear space for Gasol, chasing him becomes a much more complicated endeavor. If they can somehow convince him to come into the room they have, though, then that’s a far more interesting proposition.
Thoughts on Gasol?
As a procedural note, DeMar DeRozan’s situation doesn’t impact the team’s chase of free agents. His cap hold is just $15.5 million, and the Raptors can either re-sign him quickly to stay above the cap and unlock the MLE, or delay his signing until later in the summer to maximize cap space. (And again, DeRozan’s situation had no impact on Biyombo, unless DeRozan was going to take less than $15.5 million annually.)
