The Los Angeles Lakers acquired Andre Drummond after he agreed to a buyout with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and it reportedly could lead to the Lakers buying out Marc Gasol’s contract.
“As much as Marc Gasol’s subpar contributions helped lead Los Angeles to pursue Drummond, Gasol remains under contract,” Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer wrote. “There remains some speculation from rival executives that he could now come to a buyout agreement with the Lakers.”
Gasol, 36, signed a two-year deal with the Lakers this past offseason.
However, he has struggled in 38 games for the Lakers. Gasol is averaging just 4.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 19.8 minutes per game this season.
The Lakers had hoped that Gasol would be able to stretch the floor and add playmaking to the offense, but he has struggled to be a consistent producer.
With Drummond in the fold, the Lakers are likely to rely on him to handle the bulk of the center minutes which could lead to Gasol falling out of the rotation.
While it is hard to see the Lakers moving on from Gasol before Anthony Davis and LeBron James return from injury, it seems that some around the league see an eventual splitting of ways as a possibility.
