Pau Gasol has already hinted that he would try out free agency, and he has good reason to.
The skilled Spanish big man is one of the league's best bargains as he wanted to join the Chicago Bulls to have an opportunity to win a title.
However, as he is already aging, his impending free agency may be his last chance to secure a long-term deal before retirement, not to mention the spike in the salary cap.
The Washington Wizards site Bullets Forever has named Gasol as one of their free agent targets this summer. The team has become weak in the frontcourt with the regression of Nene and even Marcin Gortat.
It works for the Wizards that Nene is already an expiring contract, but the Washington Wizards are reportedly pursuing Kevin Durant. But Gasol is apparently a Durant favorite. The Thunder pursued Pau Gasol in his free agency at the end of the 2013-2014 season with Durant's blessing.
The Wizards may have to execute trades to free up cap space in order to sign both Durant and Gasol, but the Chicago Bulls, despite all the rumors and rumblings among their fans, may not be ready to let go of the Spaniard, and the feeling seems mutual.
In a recent interview with Bulls.com, Gasol confirms that he still believes in Chicago's team.
"We were in a bad situation before tonight's game," Gasol said, referring to their won game against the LA Clippers. "We've got to start doing things differently, picking it up somehow. We have an opportunity here to do something special. I would hate if we would throw it away ourselves. It was a must win; otherwise we would be talking four in a row in the loss column and not a good place to be."
There are many questions hounding the Bulls, especially with their roster. Many of their players are probably past their prime - Gasol, Joakim Noah due to age and Derrick Rose due to nagging injuries.
While joining a promising young duo (Wall and Beal) in a different basketball centered city seems attractive, the Bulls are not necessarily weaklings and they may even surprise the league with a serious playoff run.