Through seven years in Memphis, Marc Gasol has embodied the Grizzlies’ “Grit-n-Grind” mantra as much as anyone. So when it finally game time for Gasol to hit the open market, it was no surprise that no other team had a chance.
Gasol agreed to terms with the Grizzlies on Monday on a five-year maximum contract worth more than $100 million, a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke Monday on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced.
While many of the other high-profile free agents completed deals in the first few frenzied days of the market opening last week, Gasol was in no rush. Probably because he knew where he was going to end up all along.
The 7-foot-1 Spaniard is coming off the best season of his NBA career, earning a starting spot in the All-Star game. He also became the first Grizzlies’ player voted to the All-NBA first team .
Gasol, 30, averaged 17.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.62 blocks this past season. He set career highs for total points, scoring average, field goals made and attempted. He scored 30 or more points five times, something he did only once through his first six years combined.
The All-Star center met with Grizzlies owner Robert Pera in Spain last week and didn’t take any other meetings, never even allowing another team a chance to get its foot in the door and woo him away from the city he has spent his entire NBA life in, and a few years before that as well.
When his older brother, Pau, came to the Grizzlies in 2001, Marc followed him from Spain and attended high school in Memphis. The Lakers held Marc Gasol’s rights, but in an odd twist, the Grizzlies acquired them when they traded Pau to the Los Angeles in 2008. Pau helped restore the Lakers’ championship luster and Marc helped instill a nasty new attitude with the Grizzlies.
Marc Gasol teamed with burly power forward Zach Randolph to give the Grizzlies a ferocious frontline that endeared them to a city hungry for success. With Gasol leading the way, and maturing from a doughy youngster into a chiseled veteran, the Grizzlies have gone to a franchise-record five consecutive playoffs. They have reached the Western Conference semifinals three times and made a stirring run to the conference finals in 2013.
FOOTBALL
Giants pull DE offer
The New York Giants have pulled their $60 million long-term contract offer to defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul after a July 4 fireworks accident in South Florida injured the pass rusher’s hands, according to an NFL report. Pierre-Paul does not have a contract offer for next season and has yet to sign his $14.8-million franchise tender offer. The franchise tender is a guaranteed deal for the 2015 season, if Pierre-Paul signs it. He has until the July 15 deadline to negotiate a long-term deal with the Giants, which now appears unlikely. A Giants spokesman said Monday that the team’s top concern is Pierre-Paul’s well-being. ESPN.com reported that Pierre-Paul was still in the hospital Monday with injuries to both hands. The report said that Pierre-Paul has severe burns on the palm of one hand and the tips of three fingers. The report also said that one finger is being checked for nerve damage. ESPN.com reported that the injuries do not appear to be career-threatening. According to a source, the Giants were doing their due diligence to determine what they’re dealing with regarding the injury. The Giants are scheduled to report to training camp on July 30 and it is unclear how long Pierre-Paul will need to recover from the accident. Pierre-Paul, 26, is a twotime Pro Bowl selection.
Florida State has dismissed freshman quarterback De’Andre Johnson from the team on the same day that prosecutors released video showing him punching a woman at a bar. In a statement Monday, Coach Jimbo Fisher announced Johnson’s immediate dismissal. The quarterback had been suspended after the June 24 assault. In the security camera video released by the State Attorney’s Office, it appears the woman and Johnson were trying to get a position at the bar, and Johnson jostled her. The woman raises a fist and shouts at Johnson before he grabs her fist and holds it down. She then raises her other hand and swings. It’s not clear whether she made contact, but Johnson responds by punching her in the face while still grabbing her other hand. She staggers, and her nose begins bleeding. Johnson has been charged with misdemeanor battery. Johnson enrolled at Florida State in January after graduating from First Coast High School in Jacksonville, Fla., but wasn’t expected to be one of the main contenders for the Seminoles’ starting quarterback job.
The University of Utah suspended cornerback Dominique Hatfield after he was charged last week with aggravated robbery and theft. Utah Coach Kyle Whittingham said in a statement Monday that because of the seriousness of the accusations, Hatfield is suspended indefinitely while the case plays out in court. He remains enrolled at school and on scholarship. Authorities accuse Hatfield of robbing a man at knifepoint who planned to buy an Xbox game console from him. He is also accused of stealing and trying to sell cellphones. Hatfield’s attorney, Greg Skordas, said the suspension makes Hatfield even more anxious to clear his name so he can get back on the field. Skordas said authorities rushed to judgment. Hatfield, 20, is a junior from Los Angeles who started 10 games in 2014.
Two Eastern Kentucky University football players who were suspended after fighting have been reinstated to the team. The school said in a statement that junior offensive lineman Colton Scurry and junior defensive lineman Patrick Graffree were reinstated to the team. The statement said the players met all university, athletic department and team requirements. Scurry and Graffree were suspended after incidents in January with players from the University of Kentucky. Scurry’s father, Jeff Scurry, told The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky., earlier that his son was injured. In April, a Madison County grand jury declined to indict anyone involved in the fight.
BASKETBALL
Ginobili to return to Spurs
Manu Ginobili said he is returning to the San Antonio Spurs for a 14th season. Ginobili made the announcement on Twitter on Monday. The Argentinian will turn 38 later this month and is coming off of a season in which he battled several injuries. Ginobili averaged 10.5 points in 70 games, his lowest scoring average since his rookie season. Also, veteran forward David West is taking a one-year minimum salary worth $1.4 million to join the Spurs, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced.
HOCKEY
Oilers acquire Nilsson
The Edmonton Oilers have acquired goaltender Anders Nilsson in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. Nilsson, 25, has a 9-9 record and a 3.05 goals-against average in 23 career NHL games with the New York Islanders. He played in the Kontinental Hockey League last season. Nilsson was traded from New York to Chicago last October in the deal that sent defenseman Nick Leddy to the Islanders. The Blackhawks obtained forward Liam Coughlin in Monday’s deal with the Oilers. Coughlin, 20, was a fifth-round pick in last year’s draft.