There was never any doubt that Marc Gasol will be returning to the Memphis Grizzlies, though the question then was when the two will come to an agreement. Finally, that time has come.
After some anxious moments, Gasol finally came to terms with his mother ballclub, agreeing to a five-year deal worth $110 million. The deal secures the veteran center for at least the next four years, since the fifth year of the contract comes with a player option.
Gasol never had any intention of moving to another team, not even bothering to entertain and listen to possible offers from the likes of the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks.
Apparently, Gasol found no reason to leave Memphis, having spent his entire NBA career there.
Ironically, the seasoned center was selected 48th overall by the Lakers, the same team that had expressed an interest in recruiting him this year, during the 2007 NBA Draft. But he was later on be shipped to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for his elder brother Pau.
Gasol has individual accomplishments to show for his NBA career to date, including being named the 2013 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and being included twice in the NBA All Star game.
With this development, the Grizzlies will continue to bank on their vaunted frontline made up of Gasol and Zach Randolph heading into the 2015-16 NBA wars.
Other key holdovers include Mike Conley as well as key acquisition Matt Barnes, a veteran whom the team acquired from the Charlotte Hornets.
Gasol was a key player last year for the Grizzlies and one of the reasons why the team was able to reach 55 wins despite falling short in the NBA playoffs.
After dispatching the Portland Trailblazers in the first round (4-1), Memphis fell to the eventual NBA champion Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals (4-2). The Grizzlies are looking to duplicate their feat and hopefully fare better in the coming season.
