Pau Gasol target of Chicago, OKC
— -- Chicago Bulls officials have scheduled a Thursday trip to Los Angeles to court Lakers free-agent center Pau Gasol, according to sources close to the process.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, meanwhile, have unexpectedly emerged as a leading contender for the services of Gasol despite the Thunder's financial limitations to try to sign him, according to ESPN sources. Sources said Thunder stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook made a face-to-face pitch to Gasol on Wednesday in Los Angeles.
Sources told ESPN.com on Wednesday that the Bulls regard Gasol as their top target this summer after Carmelo Anthony and plan to make that known in a face-to-face pitch to the Spaniard.
Sources added that Chicago's rising interest in Gasol was indeed a reflection of their concern that -- despite their recruiting efforts Tuesday when Anthony came to Chicago -- they fear they will be unable to pry the All-Star forward away from the New York Knicks.
Sources say that the Thunder, meanwhile, have engaged Gasol and Memphis Grizzlies sharpshooter Mike Miller this week among the free agents they've pursued since the market opened Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. ET, with one source saying Gasol is "opening up to the possibility" of joining forces with Durant and Westbrook even though Oklahoma City is limited to roughly $5 million in spending cash under the luxury-tax line at present.
Sources said that the San Antonio Spurs, fresh off their fifth championship in franchise history, will also get legit consideration from Gasol if he decides he's willing to play for a team with limited funds to spend on him. The Spurs, Thunder and Knicks are believed to be the only three such teams Gasol would consider joining.
Barring any further moves to shed salary, Oklahoma City would thus have to ask Gasol and Miller to agree to steep pay cuts to actually sign with the Thunder.
But Miller is known to be very friendly with both Gasol and Durant and posted an Instagram picture Tuesday night alongside the Thunder's face of the franchise after they hung out together in Los Angeles.
Yet it must be noted that there is considerable competition for Gasol's services even though much of the free-agent focus in Week 1 has been commanded by Anthony and the Miami Heat trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
In addition to the Los Angeles Lakers remaining very interested in re-signing Gasol, sources say Dallas, Golden State, Miami and New York have all been pursuing the Spaniard -- along with Chicago and Oklahoma City -- since free agency began.
The Lakers' meeting Tuesday with Gasol, according to one source, "went very well." Knicks president Phil Jackson and Heat president Pat Riley, sources said, are also among the big names to recruit Gasol via phone this week, while Chicago has long coveted the 7-footer. In addition, Thunder general manager Sam Presti spoke to Gasol by phone Wednesday, sources told ESPNLosAngeles.com.
How much Dallas and Miami have to spend on Gasol will be dictated by their dealings with other free agents. New York can only offer a salary of $3-plus million to Gasol in the first year of a new deal. Golden State, meanwhile, would likely have to acquire Gasol via sign-and-trade and fit him into a $9.7 million trade exception that expires July 11 to pull off a move for Kobe Bryant's longtime sidekick.
The Lakers -- who have been mostly focused this week on preparing for their in-person sitdown Thursday with Anthony -- would appear to be positioned best to make Gasol an offer at the salary levels he's accustomed to amid all this competition from contending teams.
Prior to his Tuesday meeting with Gasol, Kupchak detailed how the Spaniard could thrive alongside Randle next season during an appearance on "ESPNLA Now" on ESPNLA 710 on Monday.
"I don't think Pau and (Julius) Randle are similar," Kupchak told co-hosts Mark Willard and Mychal Thompson. "I think, in fact, they can complement each other. Julius is a really competitive and physical player and he loves contact and he'll put the ball down a little bit and get to the rim.
"He has to work on the nuances of the game at 19-years-old. Pau is probably the most skilled big man that this game has ever seen. I think Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) would be up there with him, in terms of understanding and passing the ball and seeing the floor. So, I think they can complement each other."
Information from ESPNLosAngeles.com's Dave McMenamin was used in this report.
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