The Chicago Bulls recovered quickly after losing out on Carmelo Anthony in free agency, landing Los Angeles Lakers big man Pau Gasol to bolster the team’s offense.
The Chicago Bulls recovered quickly after losing out on Carmelo Anthony in free agency, landing Los Angeles Lakers big man Pau Gasol to bolster the team’s offense.
Gasol announced on his verified Twitter account on Saturday evening that he reached agreement with the Bulls.
“It hasn’t been easy,” Gasol tweeted. “After meditating it a lot I’ve chosen to play with the Chicago Bulls. Looking forward to this new chapter of my career.”
The Spaniard is one of the NBA’s most offensively gifted and versatile big men, and he has long been one of Kobe Bryant’s favorite teammates with the Lakers. Gasol spent the last seven seasons in Los Angeles, teaming with Bryant to win two championships and reach another NBA Finals.
The exact terms of his agreement with the Bulls were not immediately clear. The Bulls and Lakers had reportedly been discussing sign-and-trade options earlier in the day Saturday, but no official announcement from either team had been made.
The 7-foot Gasol is a four-time All-Star and averaged 17.4 points and 9.7 rebounds in 60 games last season with Los Angeles, and he brings some sorely needed offensive punch to the Bulls frontcourt.
Even with Derrick Rose expected to be ready to start next season after missing most of the last two years with knee injuries, the Bulls were still very much in the hunt for some offensive help for one of the most hard-nosed defensive teams in the league.
With Rose out last season, Tom Thibodeau’s group still managed to win 48 games and make the playoffs for the sixth straight season thanks largely to a defense led by Joakim Noah up front and Jimmy Butler on the perimeter. But scoring proved to be very difficult at times, and the Bulls lost to the Washington Wizards in five games of their first-round series.
LeBron signs
a 2-year deal
CLEVELAND — LeBron James signed a two-year, $42.1 million contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers that provides flexibility for the NBA’s biggest star with the league’s maximum salary expected to rise in the future.
A person familiar with the negotiations said Saturday that James’ contract includes an option for the four-time league MVP to become a free agent next summer. However, it is strictly “a business deal,” according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team has not commented about the agreement.
By only signing for two years, James can get another contract with the Cavs before the 2016-17 season when a new television deal is expected to push the maximum contract higher. The max contract for next season is $20.7 million. Until this deal, James had never been the highest paid player on his team in 11 seasons as a pro.
ESPN.com first reported the deal for James.
James announced he was returning to the Cavaliers on Friday, picking Cleveland over Miami and reversing the decision he made four years ago to sign as a free agent with the Heat.
In an essay in Sports Illustrated, James indicated he will finish his career in Cleveland and the Cavaliers are confident he is committed to them long-term.
The four-time MVP is in Brazil to watch Sunday’s World Cup final. Just a few hours after arriving in Rio De Janiero, James said soccer’s showcase event is bigger than the NBA Finals “in the sense that it’s the world and you have so many countries here.”
His decision to come back to his native Ohio was universally applauded. In a powerful essay in SI, the 29-year-old laid out his reasons for returning and said his relationship with Northeast Ohio “is bigger than basketball. I didn’t realize that four years ago. I do now.”