Spain - Marc Gasol's potential has Griz eager

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When Grizzlies general Chris Wallace did the math on that now-infamous Pau Gasol trade, he counted draft picks as much as salary-cap cash and came up with four first-round selections.

The Grizzlies received two first-round picks (2008 and 2010) from the Los Angeles Lakers, who also parted with last year's first-rounder, Javaris Crittenton, on Feb. 1. And then there is Marc Gasol, Pau's younger brother, who was hardly a throw-in as part of what is believed to be the NBA's first brother-for-brother deal.

The basketball world is watching Marc with great interest these days, and if Wallace has his way, observers will see the 23-year-old in a Grizzlies uniform next season.

Wallace, who is in the midst of a European scouting mission, recently went one-on-one with Gasol. It was a meet-and-greet, and the first of many sales pitches the Griz will lob at the highly coveted Gasol.

"He would fit," Wallace said, describing the 7-1, 265-pounder as much improved and an offensive dynamo. "He would be a very good addition to the team. All good additions are important right now. We'd like to get him in here, and I think he's ready to come over. He's really made a tremendous improvement, one of the most startling you'll see. He's a key reason why we made this deal. He was a second-round pick last year. There's no question he'd go in the first round this year.

"He's worked diligently on his game and he's having a terrific year. He's definitely a top candidate for MVP honors in the ACB league. He's been player of the week like seven or eight times already."

The ACB league, which plays under FIBA rules, is the premier professional basketball league outside of the NBA.

"It's probably better than the highest level of college basketball in the United States," Wallace said. "He's playing against strong competition so he's a legit NBA player. He's very confident right now. His career is on an upswing. He wants to play in the NBA. There's no doubt about that. At the same time, he'll be a free agent in Europe, and he's highly sought after by the top teams in Spain."

Gasol is averaging 16.2 points on 66-percent shooting to go with 7.8 rebounds for Akasvayu Girona. Comparisons to Toronto center Rasho Nesterovic and former Philadelphia 76er Todd MacCulloch still trail Gasol.

Wallace and many others will tell you that he's better.

"He's the top center right now in Europe -- by far," Pau Gasol said. "He's big-time."

NBA scouts are impressed that Gasol can score in the paint with hooks and short jump shots because of his soft hands. He's nowhere near the athlete that Pau is, but with a thicker frame Marc impresses with his strength on the boards and ability to establish deep post position on offense.

"He's got a tremendous feel for the game," Wallace said. "He's a facilitator. He finds the open man. He always has an answer. He is a very good passing big man.

"The player you saw last year before the draft is not the guy you see today. There was concern about the weight. He was heavy (last year). He's transformed his body since the time he's lived in Memphis. You won't recognize him."

The good news for Wallace is that Memphis owns Gasol's NBA rights. And as a second-round pick for the Lakers in 2007, the Grizzlies aren't bound to a salary scale that first-rounders adhere to.

In theory, they can work out a contract paying any amount. But the bad news is that Gasol is playing so well that he could command a major contract to remain overseas -- something that would buck the Grizzlies' need to be fiscally responsible.

"It's too early to forecast," Wallace said. "I met with him and his family. I watched him play a game. I'll see another one (today). I can't say what's going to happen."

Wallace, however, emphasized that there are no ill feelings within the Gasol family regarding Memphis. Marc is his own man, he said, and the Gasol family still resides in Memphis. The family's youngest son is an eighth-grader at Lausanne, where Marc played high school basketball.

"We had wide-ranging talks," Wallace said. "This is a very unique situation. You have a European player that's actually lived in your city, and whose brother was the face of your franchise. Marc likes Memphis. The family loves Memphis.

"Marc's main concern is playing time. He'd have every opportunity to compete here. It's not a stacked deck. For a young player coming into the NBA, this is a good situation in that regard."