Lakers News: Latest on Pau Gasol Possibly Finishing NBA Career in LA, More

The Los Angeles Lakers live in the NBA's spotlight.

They are on a short list—and arguably leading it—of the league's most storied franchises. They have more championship rings than fingers, they call Hollywood home and they're rostering at least one all-time great at the moment (LeBron James, and depending on how Anthony Davis progresses, maybe two).

Basketball's news cycle rarely turns over without a mention of the Purple and Gold, and that's no different even when the sport is stuck in a hiatus. Let's get to the latest Lakers news below.

Pau Gasol Covets Comeback

With the sands nearly filling Pau Gasol's basketball hourglass, the 7-footer is catching a feeling of nostalgia. The 39-year-old has been sidelined more than a year by a foot injury, but he's still plotting a comeback with two destinations in mind.

One is a return to Spain to play for a team like Barcelona. The other involves reuniting with the Lakers, where he spent seven-plus seasons and won a pair of world titles. He considers either an "attractive" option, per Tales Azzoni of the Associated Press.

"My intention is to play another season if the foot is OK, either in the NBA or in Europe," Gasol told reporters. "A final season with the Lakers is attractive, finishing at Barça is attractive, but you have to see the real possibilities and see what situation would be best for the circumstances of the moment."

Gasol arrived in L.A. in Feb. 2008 and immediately made a missing-piece impact as Kobe Bryant's co-star. The pair spearheaded the Lakers' resurgence which started with a trip to the 2008 Finals, then featured back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010.

The Spaniard left as a free agent in 2014, and he's been a member of four different teams since, most recently the Portland Trail Blazers, who waived him before he ever suited up.

It's hard to say whether Gasol has anything left in the tank or if the Lakers would have mutual interest in a reunion, but if nothing else, this news nugget allows for a fun trip down memory lane.

Brian Shaw To Coach Top G League Prospects

Brian Shaw's connection to past NBA stars runs deep.

He teamed with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish on the Boston Celtics; he shared the floor with Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway on the Orlando Magic; and he played alongside O'Neal again and Kobe Bryant with the Lakers, who later gave Shaw his first gig as an assistant coach.

Now, the 54-year-old will be tasked with helping to usher in the next generation of NBA talent. He has been named head coach of the new G League team that will feature top prospects Jalen Green, Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix, who are bypassing men's college basketball but staying within the U.S. to explore this alternative path to the NBA.

"Brian's extensive experience and success as an NBA player and coach make him a natural choice to lead the new NBA G League team," G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim said. "We look forward to watching these terrific young players develop their skills and grow as professionals under Brian's leadership."

The NBA will surely be keeping a close eye on Shaw's work. When B/R's Jonathan Wasserman put together a 2021 mock draft, Green held the No. 2 spot.

Danny Green Gives Effusive Praise To Becky Hammon

Danny Green played his college ball for Roy Williams at North Carolina. He then found his NBA footing (and first NBA championship ring) under Gregg Popovich on the San Antonio Spurs. He later added another world title playing for Nick Nurse on the Toronto Raptors.

That's a long-winded way of saying the 32-year-old is intimately familiar with great coaching. That's what he says he received from San Antonio Spurs assistant Becky Hammon, the first full-time female assistant in the NBA.

"It wasn't like, 'Oh, this is Becky, or that's our female coach,'" Green told Mike Singer of the Denver Post. "It was like, 'Coach, or Coach Hammon or Becky,' she's got some good stuff, see Becky about this or talk to her about that."

Green told Singer that she is one of the five best coaches—assistant or otherwise—he's ever had.

Hammon was a six-time All-Star during her 16-year WNBA career. She has been a part of Popovich's coaching staff in San Antonio since 2014, and she has been connected to multiple job openings over the past few years.