After a month of speculation and rumors, the Los Angeles Lakers announced they traded Marc Gasol to the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday afternoon.
The writing was on the wall for Gasol after the Lakers signed DeAndre Jordan in free agency as the team looked to replicate the success it had with its center rotation during the 2019-20 season. Gasol underwhelmed during the 2020-21 campaign and it was clear that the best decision for the two sides was to eventually part ways.
Gasol was under contract for one more year but instead of simply waiving him, Los Angeles was able to offload his salary to Memphis for the cost of a second-round pick and cash.