NBA Trade Rumors: If Available, the Toronto Raptors Should Attempt to Acquire Marc Gasol
Memphis Grizzlies' recent struggles could lead them to consider trading Gasol
The struggling Memphis Grizzlies now find themselves in the center of the NBA universe, at least for the moment, as rumors are hinting that one of their best players could be on the trading block.
Center Marc Gasol has been the rock upon which the Grizzlies have built their success upon in recent years.
Gasol is a highly capable defender who can contest shots at the rim and at least bother perimeter players when he gets switched on to them. On offense, he can act as a hub for an efficient attack, as he can whip passes around to open teammates or hit hard-to-contest shots himself.
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Though he may not be as dominant of a player as he was a few seasons back, he is still someone who can contribute a great deal to any team he is on.
That is why so many teams around the league are now keeping their eyes on the Grizzlies and Gasol.
If the team's woes continue, it would not be hard to imagine them writing this season off as a lost cause and heading to the trade market to see what they could potentially receive in exchange for their star center.
Already, there are rumblings that there are specific teams who are interested in acquiring Gasol.
In a recent article for Forbes, noted NBA insider Mitch Lawrence passed along some information shared by industry sources who revealed that the Toronto Raptors were "open to moving center Jonas Valanciunas and have young players the Griz might be interested in pursuing, including Jakob Poeltl and Lucas Nogueira."
It makes sense that the Raptors are reportedly interested in acquiring Gasol.
For years now, the Raptors have established themselves as a good but not great team, one that is a notch or two below the league's elite squads.
Currently, the Raptors are banking on their young guys improving significantly so that they can contend with the best teams in the league.
Now, if they can acquire Gasol, then suddenly, their ceiling as a team is raised. Sure, Gasol may not be as good as he was a little while back – his advanced numbers on Basketball-Reference suggest he may not be as efficient as before – but he is still an All-Star caliber player who can be a positive force on both ends of the floor.
The Raptors have lacked a do-it-all big man in recent years, forcing them to give minutes to players with clear limitations. Gasol is not like that and he can be a real game-changer for the Raptors.
If it is at all possible for the Raptors to acquire Gasol, then that is something the team really needs to consider doing, as he may be the missing piece to their contender puzzle.
