NBA Trade Speculation: 5 Teams Who Would Love to Have Marc Gasol

When the swap was made by the Los Angeles Lakers trading Marc Gasol and essentially a bunch of spare parts and a couple draft picks for his older brother Pau Gasol, it was widely regarded as one of the biggest steals in NBA History.

However, as the dust has settled on the trade, Marc is playing at a high level and is one of the up-and-coming brutish legitimate 7-footers in the NBA. Considering a good center is hard to find these days, Wallace's move now seems just crazy enough to work.

Taking the younger Gasol brother and pairing him with the often problematic Zach Randolph has turned out to be a stroke of genius as the pair combined to annihilate the likes of the San Antonio Spurs, eliminating them in six games, while also pushing the uber-talented Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games.

Granted Duncan is in the final stretch of his career, but we're talking about arguably the greatest power forward in the history of the game. No easy task.

Then to go on and not only compete but push the Thunder, a team anointed as the NBA's next dynasty, to the brink of elimination makes their run that much more impressive. 

Take into consideration, this team wasn't even predicted to make the NBA Playoffs when the 2010-2011 season started. That inspiring anecdote boils down to one man that everyone will be concerned with this upcoming offseason: Marc Gasol.

Essentially any team in need of filling the void at center, will be giving Gasol a call this summer. His burly build and ability to do the dirty work will be attractive attributes to teams who need a proven big man in the middle to make it further into the playoffs.

5. San Antonio Spurs

While the Spurs seem like an unlikely team to court Marc Gasol, keep in mind they were eliminated by him and his Grizzlies in the playoffs last season. Don't think they weren't taking copious notes on the big man's capabilities during that series.

Although the Spurs do have Tim Duncan to man the middle for them, he is nearing the twilight of his career, and they would be wise to bring in a youngster to take his place sooner, rather than later. Much the same way they brought in Duncan to eventually replace David Robinson.

A pairing of Gasol and Duncan could give the aging "Big Three" of the Spurs one final chance to win a championship with their current roster.

The Spurs have DeJuan Blair and Tiago Splitter as their future frontline, and while that's a nice start, having someone like Gasol to turn the twosome into a terrifying trio could be their first step in becoming contenders again.

4. Miami Heat

While they likely won't have enough money to land someone of Marc Gasol's caliber, it's easy to see how he fits into the plans of the Miami Heat if they are in fact able to land him.

It doesn't hurt that the Heat have Pat Riley pulling all the strings, and while he may not be likable, the man knows how to negotiate.

That all being said though a frontcourt pairing of Chris Bosh and Gasol seems like nothing more than a pipe-dream especially since he is a restricted free agent, so the Grizzlies should be able to match any low offer the Heat could possibly come up with.

The gritty tandem of Gasol with Udonis Haslem coming off the bench will certainly be palpable enough to keep Riley's wheels spinning, but I still think Gasol will land with another team, if he does in fact end up leaving Memphis.

3. New York Knicks

The New York Knicks frontline makeup is very similar to the Heat, as they have a high scoring option at power forward and an undersized gritty power forward/center coming off the bench for them as well.

Amar'e Stoudemire was forced to play center for much of last season with the Knicks, and although he is tall enough at 6'10", he is more comfortable playing the power forward position and is also more effective there.

Getting a center of Gasol's caliber, would not only allow Stoudemire to slide over to his natural position, but it would also give the Knicks a legitimate 7-footer at the center position for the first time in years.

Gasol's ability to rebound and block shots would be a great complement to the elite scoring abilities of Stoudemire as well.

2. Houston Rockets

It's a shame that Yao Ming had to retire due to injuries because a tandem of him and Luis Scola would easily be one of the best in the NBA.

Unfortunately for the Houston Rockets, Ming's injuries shortened a career that should've been much longer and more illustrious. Luckily for them though, they still have Scola who is one of the most efficient scoring power forward in the NBA.

Getting someone like Marc Gasol to complement the scoring prowess of Scola sounds like it would be a great fit.

I would expect the two to mesh and create a very formidable lineup with Kyle Lowry and Kevin Martin the backcourt and hopefully Terrence Williams at small forward, if he is able to shake off the rust and fulfill his vast potential.

The Rockets are certainly an intriguing option for him as the team would likely become a gritty dark horse to make it to the playoffs, much like the Grizzlies did last season.

1. Memphis Grizzlies

The obvious choice here is Gasol's current team the Memphis Grizzlies.

The frontcourt pairing of Gasol and Randolph is likely effective, because the two likely can relate to being counted out and cast aside.

When the Pau Gasol for Marc Gasol trade happened, it was made out as if the Lakers received Pau Gasol for a referee's whistle. When the Grizzlies signed Randolph, it was viewed as a colossal mistake, since Randolph's bad attitude was almost sure to contaminate a growing young team.

It turns out that Randolph was worth every penny, even an extension and that referee whistle makes a pretty good center. I expect Gasol to receive plenty of offers, but this unlikely pair seems to be a perfect match.

If the Grizzlies are able to lock up Gasol long term, they are unlikely to be written off anymore, as they will try to improve upon their overwhelmingly successful season in 2011-2012.