Grizzlies could explore trading veteran star Marc Gasol

Following an encouraging start out of the gate to the 2018-19 season, the Memphis Grizzlies have continued to flounder south below the .500 mark.

This has created much chatter around the long-term future of star center Marc Gasol with the franchise. According to Marc Stein of The New York Times, the Grizzlies could look to move on from him prior to the trade deadline next month.

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One whisper making the rounds: Marc Gasol can become a free agent at season's and, amid a growing belief around the league that he will indeed exercise that option, Memphis could be moved to explore trading Gasol now rather than face the threat of losing him without compensation

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 15, 2019

Gasol is currently in the fourth year of a five-year, $113.2 million deal that has a roughly $25.6 million player option for the 2019-20 season. This presents the likely possibility that he will opt out of that final year to hit the open market to fetch a new multi-year deal possibly elsewhere.

If the Grizzlies continue to trend south, it will only further push their effort in finding a feasible trade in order to avoid the possibility that Gasol leaves them next summer, he is still producing at a high level while proving to be an effective factor on both ends of the court as he has been the anchor of the league’s best defenses.

Read: Eagles GM Doesn’t Regret Making the Trade for WR Golden Tate

Gasol is still one of the league’s top centers as he’s averaging 15.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per contest. The 33-year-old has shown that he has plenty of gas in the tank to continue to be a major contributor on the floor.

Ultimately, the plan of action that the Grizzlies will take with this situation will be determined by how things unfold for them on the court over the next couple of weeks.