3 Most Likely Trade Destinations for Marc Gasol After Kawhi Leonard Signs With Clippers

Acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies at the NBA's trade deadline, Marc Gasol was an integral part of the Toronto Raptors' 2019 championship run. The 34-year-old center averaged 9.4 points per game (PPG) and 6.4 rebounds per game (RPG) while hitting a respectable 38.2 percent of his 3-point attempts in the 24 postseason games he played in.

However, as important as he was to Toronto in the 2019 NBA Playoffs, it's unlikely that Gasol will be wearing a Raptors' uniform at the start of the 2019-20 NBA season. Now that Kawhi Leonard shocked the NBA and signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, it's likely that Toronto's front office will shift gears and try to shed some salary. And that could mean that Gasol is on his way out.

With that in mind, here are three of the most likely trade destinations for the Spaniard.

3. San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs' depth chart currently lists Jakob Poeltl as the team's starting center. To say that Gasol would be an upgrade is what some would call an understatement. The big man could slot into the Spurs' starting lineup and likely make the same impact he did for the Raptors during their 2019 playoff run. The Spurs have the draft picks and young personnel to make this deal work too.

2. Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics have a sizable hole at center now that Al Horford bolted for the Philadelphia 76ers, and Gasol would be a solid replacement, thanks to their near-identical skill set. Similar to Horford, the 33-year-old Spaniard is a fantastic passer and is capable of stretching the floor as well. The Celtics would have to do some maneuvering due to their salary cap situation, and maybe get a third team involved, but the basketball fit is surely there for Gasol and Boston.

1. Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks already have Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis in tow, and adding a center like Gasol could give them a European Big 3. Gasol's passing and rebounding ability would be an excellent fit and might be enough to make the Mavericks a playoff team in the 2019-20 season. Additionally, Gasol could bring the veteran leadership this team needs in order to take that next step next season.

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Mike Esposito is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Mike Esposito also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username espo6891. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.