ESP - Bulls in the running for Gasol
CHICAGO (NBA) - The news that Spanish All-Star Pau Gasol could be on his way out of Memphis has caught the attention of the Chicago Bulls. Earlier this week, Gasol refused to deny reports that he has requested a trade from the Grizzlies. The 7ft center missed the first three months of the season after breaking his foot at the FIBA World Championship in Japan, and returned to find a Memphis team floundering at the foot of the Southwest division
CHICAGO (NBA) -The news that Spanish superstar Pau Gasol could be on his way out of Memphis has once again caught the attention of the Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls were linked with Gasol in December and earlier this week, the MVP of last summer's FIBA World Championship refused to deny reports that he has requested a trade.
The 2.15 NBA All-Star missed the first three months of the season after breaking his foot last year in Japan while playing for Spain, and returned to find a Memphis team floundering at the foot of the Southwest division.
Bulls general manager John Paxson confirmed in the Chicago Tribune the team would love to have the Spaniard.
"[His versatility] and his size and his ability to score in the post...we need a guy like that," Paxson said.
"We need somebody with length who can score around the basket and take some pressure off Ben [Wallace]. We do ask Ben to defend a lot of different people and clean up the boards.
"I know our main weakness - we need a [power forward] who can score. It's obvious. I'd like to address that."
The question is whether Chicago can strike a deal with Memphis. Paxson is reluctant to trade away any of his core group of Team USA guard Kirk Hinrich, Great Britain star Luol Deng, Argentinian Andres Nocioni and sweet-shooting Ben Gordon.
"I'm not going to mortgage the organisation," Paxson added.
"I have a responsibility to ownership to not give up too much to get that. I'm going to explore whatever we can explore.
"If not, we're going to have to survive the way we're built right now.
"I have to be careful in terms of how we go about this thing and protecting our future. If there's a deal to be done that makes us better, I'm not going to be conservative.
"But I'm also not going to throw some guys out there haphazardly to get us a player at a spot we need. Ultimately, what would happen then is we'd be back in a similar position at another spot. Then we'd need a small forward or a guard because we've given up too much."
The Bulls have won 24 games and lost 10 and are currently third in the Eastern Conference Central division.
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