Marc Gasol Reportedly Had 1 Big Problem With Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers parted ways with veteran big man Marc Gasol last week, sending him back to his old team, the Memphis Grizzlies.
Memphis reportedly plans on waiving the veteran big man, who could look to sign with another contender before the 2021-22 season.
Following the trade, we’ve learned more about Gasol’s time with the Lakers.
According to a report, Gasol never got over one issue he had with the Western Conference franchise. It’s tough to blame him for feeling that way, too.
Report: Marc Gasol never got over Lakers demoting him for Andre Drummond https://t.co/3Bmw5uiCPv
— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) September 13, 2021
Bill Oram of The Athletic had the details.
“This can only be looked at as a consequence of the Andre Drummond signing. Promising him Gasol’s starting job and essentially demoting Gasol to third string created a rift that could not be resolved, despite Marc saying all the right things publicly in the immediate aftermath…” he tweeted.
This can only be looked at as a consequence of the Andre Drummond signing. Promising him Gasol's starting job and essentially demoting Gasol to third string created a rift that could not be resolved, despite Marc saying all the right things publicly in the immediate aftermath…
— Bill Oram (@billoram) September 10, 2021
… and this summer in Tokyo. So, not only did signing Drummond make the Lakers worse on the court last season, it also poisoned the relationship with a player who could have been useful for the team they've built this season.
— Bill Oram (@billoram) September 10, 2021
The Lakers were 24-11 with Gasol as the starter before Drummond's arrival. Not saying he was perfect last year, or that he would have had the same impact this season, but it's not ideal to have to use a draft pick to shed the salary of a guy you signed last season…
— Bill Oram (@billoram) September 10, 2021
Again, it’s tough to blame Gasol for feeling that way. He handled everything with class, but bringing Drummond in was a bad move.
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