Report: Grizzlies May Make Marc Gasol Trade Amid Belief He'll Become Free Agent

Marc Gasol's days with the only NBA team he's ever played for may be winding down.

The Memphis Grizzlies fell to 19-24 overall and 3-13 in their last 16 games with Monday's loss to the Houston Rockets, dropping them four games behind the Utah Jazz in the race for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.

According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, there has been a "whisper" around the league the Grizzlies may trade Gasol as they fall further out of contention. The big man has a player option on his contract for 2019-20, and Stein said the "growing belief around the league" is he will exercise it and become a free agent this coming offseason.

That means the Grizzlies could be facing a situation where they may need to trade Gasol to ensure they don't eventually lose him without getting something back in return.

Gasol is a three-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA selection and the 2012-13 Defensive Player of the Year who has helped lead the Grizzlies to the playoffs seven times during his tenure with the team dating back to the 2008-09 campaign.

The franchise went to the playoffs three times in its history prior to his arrival.

He and Mike Conley have become franchise institutions at this point, but Stein's report was a reply to a tweet from Zach Lowe of ESPN hinting at a potential move. "If the hole gets much deeper as the deadline approaches you at least have to investigate some unpleasant things," Lowe wrote.

The Grizzlies selected Jaren Jackson Jr. with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 draft, and moving Gasol in a possible deal could net them young assets and draft picks in return as they eventually turn their attention toward rebuilding around the Michigan State product.

Memphis is staring at a difficult path back to contention in the daunting Western Conference, especially with the team's next three games against the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors. The Grizzlies could find themselves staring at a significant hole in the standings in the immediate future, which may spur a Gasol trade and franchise reboot.