While the Los Angeles Lakers hope free agent Pau Gasol re-signs, the Oklahoma City Thunder reportedly continue to emerge as the Lakers' stiffest competition for the veteran 7-footer. Gasol, though, appears content to wait and see where free agents LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony sign before making his free agency decision.
Oklahoma City purportedly already had their stars, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, pitch Gasol to sign with the Thunder. Now Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks to meet with the All-Star, evidence of the Thunders' resolve to land Gasol in free agency.
"As part of Thunders' continuing pursuit of Pau Gasol, I'm told OKC coach Scotty Brooks met today with Gasol to add his pitch to the pile," ESPN's Marc Stein tweeted on Monday.
Behind James and Anthony, Gasol is the most sought after free agent. The veteran reportedly has myriad suitors, including the Lakers, the Thunder, the San Antonio Spurs, the Miami Heat, the Dallas Mavericks and the Chicago Bulls.
Gasol appears to be waiting to see where James and Anthony sign, however. Many of the aforementioned teams are eying James or Anthony as their top targets, and where Gasol ultimately signs likely depends on where James and Anthony go and what kind of contracts they sign.
Stein and ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported last week Oklahoma City was the surprising frontrunner to land Gasol, regardless of where James and Anthony sign.
"The Oklahoma City Thunder, with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook acting as lead recruiters, have unexpectedly emerged as a leading contender for the services of Los Angeles Lakers free-agent center Pau Gasol, according to sources close to the process," Stein and Shelburne wrote on Wednesday.
Although Gasol's meeting with the Lakers reportedly went well, one source told ESPN Gasol is "opening up to the possibility" of leaving Los Angeles and playing in Oklahoma City.
