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Blazers announce signing of center Pau Gasol

By Columbian news services
Published: July 25, 2019, 2:47pm

The Portland Trail Blazers signed veteran forward/center Pau Gasol, it was announced Thursday by president of basketball operations Neil Olshey.

League sources told ESPN the one-year deal is worth $2.6 million.

Gasol, 39, holds career NBA averages of 17.0 points a game, 9.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.58 blocks in 1,226 games over 18 seasons with Memphis, the L.A. Lakers, Chicago, San Antonio and Milwaukee.

“Pau is a future Hall of Famer that brings invaluable championship experience and an elite skill set and basketball IQ to our roster,” Olshey said in a statement.

Gasol, 7-foot-0, will be added to a center rotation that includes Hassan Whiteside, Zach Collins and Jusuf Nurkic — once Nurkic returns from a serious leg injury.

Gasol discussed a free-agent deal with the Blazers in 2016 before signing with San Antonio.

He is a two-time NBA champion, six-time NBA All-Star and four-time All-NBA member.

A native of Barcelona, Spain, and longtime member of the Spanish men’s national team, Gasol won the 2001-02 NBA Rookie of the Year and 2011-12 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.

Among all-time NBA leaders, Gasol ranks 21st in blocks (1,941), 28th in total rebounds (11,305), 29th in minutes (41,001), 35th in games played (1,226) and 37th in points (20,894). He is just one of 18 players in NBA history to amass at least 20,000 points and 10,000 rebounds.

Gasol has averages of 15.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.71 blocks in 136 playoff games.

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