Sprung: Sorry, Knicks, But Marc Gasol Sounds Like He’s Staying

Marc Gasol did not sound like a player who is leaving the Memphis Grizzlies for the New York Knicks – or any other team, for that matter – when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in July.

Gasol’s history in the city of Memphis and what he has spent a large portion of his life building with the Grizzlies will almost certainly prove too much to leave behind this offseason. The Grizzlies clinched the playoffs for the fifth straight season and 50 wins for the third consecutive year on Monday night with a 103-82 drubbing of the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, holding the home team to 34 second-half points.

“I don’t know what factors are going to play in my decision, but the factors there is today is that you can’t change the past,” Gasol said. “You can’t change where I’ve been for the majority of my life as an adult. I got to Memphis when I was 16. My family’s been tied to the franchise since the franchise has been in Memphis. You can’t change that.”

Gasol repeatedly maintained that he hasn’t put thought into the decision, citing the continuous rigors of the regular season. While that may sound somewhat disingenuous, it sure seems like his deep Memphis roots have made an extremely large impact on him.

“We’ll see how it goes going forward, we’ll see what factors play into my decision,” Gasol said. “I haven’t put them down, written them down, I haven’t thought about them because there’s no time. It’s just not a process you can go through during the season.”

While Gasol insisted that he has not thought about his free agency, longtime teammate Tony Allen said he doesn’t want to think about it.

“You just brought it back to my attention and it’s kinda hurting my stomach,” he said.

It’s easy to understand why Allen feels that way. Point guard Mike Conley Jr. and coach Dave Joerger arrived in 2007 and Gasol a year later. Zach Randolph was acquired in 2009 and Tony Allen in 2010. The core is completing its fifth season together, which makes the win totals and playoff appearances much more meaningful for those involved.

“It’s pretty cool for those guys to establish themselves year in and year out, they’re a very, very good team,” said Joerger, a longtime assistant who notched his 100th win as coach Monday. “They know each other, they trust each other and they push each other and are able to hold each other accountable, and that’s a pretty big thing.”

Memphis has surrounded its core with strong role players, including recent trade acquisition Jeff Green and offseason signee Vince Carter. Defense remains the foundational bedrock, and the team is second in the league in both defensive rating and scoring defense. If those positions hold, it would be the fourth straight year Memphis finished in the top seven in both categories despite the coaching change from Lionel Hollins to Joerger during that stretch.

“It’s a huge testament to our team, to our core group that’s been here all through the years,” Conley told SheridanHoops. “The individual improvement of a lot of guys, our coaching staff, the commitment to our team from our management and bringing in a lot of guys for our second unit the way that they’ve done over the years. It’s been a total team effort, and we’re continually getting better.”

Gasol was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. Allen, a three-time All-Defensive Team selection, would not entertain the thought of seeing Gasol in another uniform – especially that of the Knicks, who desperately need a star alongside Carmelo Anthony – because he views his teammate as more than a Grizzly. He sees Gasol as the Grizzly.

“He looks good in a Memphis Grizzlies uniform,” Allen told SheridanHoops. “The colors just fit him perfectly. He’s not a bright orange kind of guy. He fits the blue. The blue bear. He is the Grizzly.”

Another reason why Gasol and the Grizzlies try not to think or talk about his free agency is that they believe there is a lot to accomplish between now and July 1.

“We want to go further than we’ve ever been in the playoffs, and that’s winning the trophy this year,” said Allen, who won a title with Boston in 2008.

“I think we’re very capable of playing with or against anyone,” said Carter, who never has been to the NBA Finals in his Hall of Fame career. “It just comes down to playing the style of basketball that we’re capable of. And that’s kind of the attitude, the mentality, the approach that we have and need to continue to have.”

Whether Memphis’ season ends with a Larry O’Brien Trophy or something short of that goal, once it does, speculation about Gasol’s future will resume. Although the big man said he is not leaning one way or the other because there hasn’t been any time to think about it during the season, it definitely sounds like he is leaning towards staying.

Knicks ownership, management and coaching staff cannot talk about pursuing Gasol without risking a huge fine and the possible loss of draft picks for tampering, which the rebuilding franchise cannot afford.

In a different context, however, coach Derek Fisher said Monday that while there is a lot of time between now and July, Gasol’s history with the Grizzlies and their run of success seems very difficult to abandon.

“I don’t know what the future holds, but I know what the past and the present is,” Gasol said. “I think that’s pretty clear.”

Shlomo Sprung is a national columnist for SheridanHoops who focuses on analytics, profiles and features. He is also the web editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. A 2011 graduate of Columbia University’s Journalism School, he has previously worked for the New York Knicks, The Sporting News, Business Insider and other publications. You should follow him on Twitter.