Marc Gasol Trade Rumors: Several Teams Monitoring Grizzlies Star

Several teams have reportedly been monitoring the availability of Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol this season.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Grizzlies have resisted overtures because of their desire to compete for a playoff spot after missing out on the postseason in 2017-18.

The Grizzlies are five games out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference at 19-25.

The Grizz got off to a hot start this season. They were 12-5 in late November but have gone 7-20 since then and faded significantly in the Western Conference playoff race.

Per Charania, Grizzlies owner Robert Pera met with Gasol and point guard Mike Conley this week to discuss the state of the team.

Despite the team's struggles, the 33-year-old Gasol has been solid with 15.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.4 blocks per game.

The three-time All-Star and 2012-13 Defensive Player of the Year is the co-face of the franchise with Conley, but the veteran duo haven't received much help from their teammates in recent weeks.

Gasol has a $25.6 million player option in his contract for next season, meaning he could opt out and sign elsewhere if Memphis doesn't trade him prior to the Feb. 7 deadline.

The Grizzlies are the only team Gasol has played for during his 11-year NBA career, but it appears as though the team needs to rebuild.

Even though the West appears to be more wide-open than in recent years, it looks like the Grizzlies' odds of making a run in the playoffs are slim even if they manage to qualify.

Losing Gasol for nothing in free agency would put the franchise in a precarious position, but if the Grizzlies can trade him for a package of draft picks and young players, they will have some pieces to put around 2018 No. 4 overall pick Jaren Jackson Jr.

If the Grizzlies do part with the versatile center, he could be a landscape-changing addition for a team that is looking to compete for a playoff spot or even a championship.