NBA Trade Rumors: The Charlotte Hornets are reportedly closing in on acquiring Marc Gasol from the Grizzlies; can they pull it off?
Just year ago, there was talk about how the Charlotte Hornets might deal Kemba Walker at the NBA Trade Deadline. Roughly a year later, the Hornets are big buyers and could be close to landing a big-name.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Hornets are reportedly closing in on a potential deal for Marc Gasol, who has been shopped over the past few weeks by the Memphis Grizzlies.
It’s not known how close a deal is between the two sides, or who might be involved (other than Gasol), but the fact that it was tweeted out by Shams suggests that it could be close.
Memphis is in strong talks to move franchise star Marc Gasol to Charlotte, league sources tell @TheAthletic @WatchStadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 5, 2019
You would think that some big salary would be sent to Memphis, along with a few draft picks in order to compensate them. The Hornets are in salary hell, and moving some of their contracts wouldn’t be the worst move – even if it is just half a year of Gasol.
Best-case scenario for the Hornets would be having Gasol opt in after the season, and then bringing back Walker on the long-term contract. IT would give this duo more than just a few months together, and could potentially give this team some new life with this roster.
However, you can’t deny the fact that it is quite amazing that the Hornets went from possibly moving Walker to adding Marc Gasol in less than a year. Charlotte is currently sitting in the 7th spot of the Eastern Conference, and making this move likely keeps them in the top 7 leading up to the NBA Playoffs.
Gasol should fit right in with Kemba, as he’s one of the league’s most successive penetration point guards. The Kemba-Gasol pick-and-roll or pops would be a welcoming sight that this team simply hasn’t had in a very long time. Even if it is just a rental, this has to be viewed as a solid move on the part of the Hornets. Depending on what they get in return, the same would be said about the Grizzlies.