Pau Gasol Prioritized Chance To Win Title In Picking Bulls

Post #1 » by **RealGM Wiretap** » Sat Jul 19, 2014 5:40 pm

Pau Gasol nearly became a member of the Chicago Bulls in the 2001 NBA Drat and also in 2007 when the Memphis Grizzlies were shopping him in trade talks.

At the age of 34, Gasol finally joined the Bulls on a three-year, $22 million deal. Gasol had more lucrative financial offers from other clubs.

"I prioritized being on a championship-caliber team," Gasol said. "If I didn't believe we had that potential, I wouldn't have come here. I think we have all the pieces. Now it's a matter of getting to work. It's about actions and not talking."

Via K.C. Johnson/Chicago Tribune

Raps in 4 · Post #2 » by **Raps in 4** » Sat Jul 19, 2014 7:13 pm

Didn't he reject the Spurs for a bigger contract from Chicago?

FAH1223 · Post #3 » by **FAH1223** » Sat Jul 19, 2014 8:01 pm

Raps in 4 wrote:Didn't he reject the Spurs for a bigger contract from Chicago?

Spurs could only offer the MLE where he'd start at $5.3 million.

So he took the money. But the Spurs have a set big man rotation and minutes would have been a lot limited for him. I think he gets the best of all worlds with more money, playing with Noah and Gibson in the rotation, and contending in the East which is wide open.

I'm interested to see if his defensive effort returns. Under D'Antoni he clearly quit playing defense. But he played defense for Mike Brown and Phil Jackson so we'll see if he does for Thibs...otherwise Gasol will find himself not playing in the 4th quarters ala Boozer.

Winsome Gerbil · Post #4 » by **Winsome Gerbil** » Sat Jul 19, 2014 10:03 pm

Bull hookie, if he had prioritized winning a title he'd be in OKC or San Antonio right now.

He prioritized getting paid, in a major city, while still at least having some outside shot at a title.

totalrekall · Post #5 » by **totalrekall** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 5:13 am

Pau Gasol is an idiot. picking between Spurs and Bulls and you pick Bulls to win a championship? either he really believes what he said and is an idiot or he knows its bull and said it anyway. so he's an idiot either way. kind of lame bc I always thought he was intelligent and thoughtful. once you say something like this I lose respect for you and just think you're a stupid ****

totalrekall · Post #6 » by **totalrekall** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 5:18 am

totalrekall wrote:Pau Gasol is an idiot. picking between Spurs and Bulls and you pick Bulls to win a championship? either he really believes what he said and is an idiot or he knows its bull5hit and said it anyway. so he's an idiot either way. kind of lame bc I always thought he was intelligent and thoughtful. once you say something like this I lose respect for you and just think you're a stupid a55hole

realgm is a **** (Please Use More Appropriate Word) website for censoring posts. how **** childish. how about some freedom of **** speech. message boards are pointless if people arent allowed to say what they want. might as well shut it down like the dumb **** at espn

D21 · Post #7 » by **D21** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 11:16 am

FAH1223 wrote:
Raps in 4 wrote:Didn't he reject the Spurs for a bigger contract from Chicago?

Spurs could only offer the MLE where he'd start at $5.3 million.

ATL was supposed to offer him up to 11M/year, but maybe too late.

Brovva Blaqq · Post #8 » by **Brovva Blaqq** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 12:40 pm

Should have signed in Cleveland - I wonder if they made an offer though.

Boardwalker · Post #9 » by **Boardwalker** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 3:41 pm

He made the right choice.

With Rose coming back, Gasol/Mirotic/McDermott/Brooks in the fold, and being in the Eastern conference, the Bulls actually do have the best chance of at least getting to the finals. People can vomit their dismissals of Rose all they want, but there is a reason he was the only MVP in the last 6 years besides James and Durant--he was that good.

T-Will20 · Post #10 » by **T-Will20** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 3:52 pm

If that, he would sign with Thunder, but he needed to take less money. Douchebag choose cash.

WindyCityBorn · Post #11 » by **WindyCityBorn** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 4:26 pm

T-Will20 wrote:If that, he would sign with Thunder, but he needed to take less money. Douchebag choose cash.

Thunder will be crushed by the Spurs again. No depth.

pylb · Post #12 » by **pylb** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 5:12 pm

Love that he signed with us, but still don't know why he didn't choose the Spurs instead.

I guess the extra ~6M made the difference ? Maybe the Spurs weren't willing to offer 3 years.

Cicero · Post #13 » by **Cicero** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 5:47 pm

lol, he prioritized his title chances so he picked the BULLS? Don't you mean he prioritizes the chance to get owned in the finals by whoever comes out of the west? :lol:

HeartBreaking · Post #14 » by **HeartBreaking** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 5:49 pm

totalrekall wrote:Pau Gasol is an idiot. picking between Spurs and Bulls and you pick Bulls to win a championship? either he really believes what he said and is an idiot or he knows its bull and said it anyway. so he's an idiot either way. kind of lame bc I always thought he was intelligent and thoughtful. once you say something like this I lose respect for you and just think you're a stupid ****

spurs aren't guaransheed for the finals tho, the east is weak

HeartBreaking · Post #15 » by **HeartBreaking** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 6:05 pm

pau gasol is hardly an upgrade over booza

Ballerhogger · Post #16 » by **Ballerhogger** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 7:20 pm

WindyCityBorn wrote:
T-Will20 wrote:If that, he would sign with Thunder, but he needed to take less money. Douchebag choose cash.

Thunder will be crushed by the Spurs again. No depth.

Unless Serge improves his game . Your right.

Ballerhogger · Post #17 » by **Ballerhogger** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 7:21 pm

HeartBreaking wrote:pau gasol is hardly an upgrade over booza

Offensively he is . I guess its a small upgrade.

Ballerhogger · Post #18 » by **Ballerhogger** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 7:22 pm

Brovva Blaqq wrote:Should have signed in Cleveland - I wonder if they made an offer though.

Not with them trying get love

DEEP3CL · Post #19 » by **DEEP3CL** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 8:26 pm

He didn't choose the Spurs because he wasn't going to start and was told that. And it wasn't about the money because if it was at this point in his career, he could've just stayed in LA....who made two more than decent offers. His only two destinations for starting was Chicago and Oklahoma. He picked the Bulls, he wanted to go there back in 2007 but the Bulls wouldn't come off Deng at the time. Pau had the Bulls on his mind for a long time.

Gang of Four · Post #20 » by **Gang of Four** » Mon Jul 21, 2014 2:17 am

Boardwalker wrote:He made the right choice.

With Rose coming back, Gasol/Mirotic/McDermott/Brooks in the fold, and being in the Eastern conference, the Bulls actually do have the best chance of at least getting to the finals. People can vomit their dismissals of Rose all they want, but there is a reason he was the only MVP in the last 6 years besides James and Durant--he was that good.

"was" is the key word here.