Soon-to-be free agent Marc Gasol re-signing the Memphis Grizzlies this summer has always seemed like a given. He recently confirmed his heart is still in Memphis, despite a number of big-name teams - the New York Knicks, the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs - reportedly interested in him.
Every indication from Gasol has been he plans to stay in Memphis, and that apparently hasn't changed one bit in the wake of the Grizzlies' second-round loss to the Golden State Warriors.
"The reality for me at the moment is Memphis," he said this week, according to EuroHoops.net. "I got there when I was 16 and I'm 30 years old. It's important for me, personally and in sports terms. I'm in front of an important decision for the upcoming 4 or 5 years. I'll take it quietly, without drama."
He also said the bigger markets aren't a draw for him like they were for his brother, Chicago Bulls forward Pau Gasol.
"There are many things to evaluate: personal goals, the ring... The city isn't so important like it was in Pau's case. My brother had other needs. People with sons knows how this works. I don't have time to go to the opera, or to the theater," Marc said. "New York is nice but it was very cold during the All Star Game. San Antonio, L.A, Atlanta... there's good things everywhere. I have a simple life: at home, the arena, the supermarket. Memphis is quiet. In Fort Yukon, Alaska, I would also be happy".
He's on track to receive a five-year max contract from Memphis. If Marc were to test free agency, he'd be able to pick whichever team he played for and the money would follow.
