Gasol will make the call on whether to move on
When the Bulls struck out with Carmelo Anthony two years ago, they quickly lined up a quality consolation prize by signing Pau Gasol to a three-year deal.
It soon became evident the Bulls had a built-in advantage in this free-agent pursuit. Gasol is a culture fan. Among his choices, Chicago ranked second only to New York in that department and the Bulls appeared to have a much better chance at contending for an NBA title than the Knicks.
Gasol's Instagram account has chronicled most every step. One night, he'd be at the Lyric Opera, then the symphony, then live theater, then a concert. He often went backstage and posed for pictures with the performers.
On Tuesday, in fact, Gasol posed for a photo with Riccardo Muti, music director of the Chicago Symphony, and highly recommended its production of "Falstaff."
So it's worth mentioning, Gasol controls his future this summer. He's under contract for next season at $7.8 million and it's his choice whether or not to opt out.
With the Bulls struggling and the NBA's salary cap expected to rise by roughly $20 million per team, it seems almost certain Gasol will opt out and shop around for a new deal.
Will he have any interest in staying with the Bulls, especially considering his active social life in the city? That's a tough one to predict. Gasol never addressed that situation specifically before the season ended, although he did agree he expects to become a free agent.
The Bulls are expected to put a higher priority on re-signing Joakim Noah this summer, but what if Noah bolts for a new team? Should the Bulls then try to keep Gasol or would they be better off with a more mobile, defensive-minded player.
Gasol put up impressive numbers during both seasons with the Bulls and played in the All-Star Game twice. During the 2014-15 season, playing under coach Tom Thibodeau, Gasol averaged 18.5 points, his highest total in four years, along with a career-high in rebounds.
This season, with Fred Hoiberg as head coach, Gasol's numbers dropped a little, but he's still going strong at age 35. The problem was his defense. As he gets older and slows down, opponents picked on Gasol relentlessly, always trying to get him involved in pick-and-rolls. Teammates were often frustrated by his refusal to step away from the basket on screens.
Whether the Bulls could resolve this issue is open to debate. They reached the second round of the playoffs and came within one made basket of taking a 3-1 series lead against Cleveland with Gasol playing major minutes in 2015. This season, they led the league in defensive field-goal percentage on Jan. 9, before going in the tank.
The feeling here is Gasol could still be a valuable player for the Bulls. Not many big men of any age can put up his offensive numbers. There should be some qualifiers, though.
Gasol wants to be treated with respect, which means starting and finishing games. If he does return, the Bulls should probably challenge him to keep an open mind. They should lighten his workload, which should help prolong his career, and push the idea that there will be some nights when Gasol doesn't match up well - see any of the four losses to Atlanta and Al Horford for examples - and belongs on the bench in the fourth quarter.
If Gasol is willing to transition to a more of a role player, he might still have a future with the Bulls. If he'd rather spend the final years of his NBA career on a more competitive team, and is willing to give up some of the culture in his life, he'll probably move on.
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