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‘All Comes Full Circle’: NBA Twitter Bids a Tearful Goodbye to Marc Gasol After Lakers Trade

Published 09/10/2021, 8:40 PM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

The Lakers have been one of the most active teams in the off-season. After a poor 2020-21 season, the Purple and Gold have revamped their roster. Adding a big superstar in Russell Westbrook alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers now have their own big three.

Not only did they add some elite shooters like Carmelo Anthony and Malik Monk to name a few, the Lakers have also changed their center rotation as they brought in two rebounding machines like Dwight Howard and now DeAndre Jordan.

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Lakers’ trade away Marc Gasol

The Lakers in the 2020-21 season took a very different approach in terms of their roster. Given the dearth of shooting in the roster, the Lakers picked up Marc Gasol who could stretch the floor and free up Anthony Davis.

But the experiment certainly did not work. With Gasol often being benched or playing fewer minutes, it was clear that the lack of rebounders like Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee affected the team. Rob Pelinka certainly understood the same. So after the signing of two- dominant centers in Howard and Jordan, the Lakers had a surplus center in Gasol.

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After weeks of speculation, the Lakers have confirmed the departure of the Spaniard from the team. Trading away Gasol along with a second-round pick, the Lakers picked up the draft rights of center Wang Zhelin.

Multiple reports recently suggested that Gasol will indeed not make a comeback in the NBA. While with this trade he does return to his home team, the veteran center will be clearing waivers and is set to stay in Spain.

Despite his poor form, there is no doubting that Marc Gasol could still be an useful veteran. Given how he dominated the game despite not being as flashy as the likes if Dwight Howard speaks volumes about the 34-year-old.

As for the Lakers, they finally have a center rotation similar to that of their victorious title run in 2019-20 season. They will hope that their gamble of sticking with high rebounding centers works.

Twitter reacts to Marc Gasol’s departure

NBA twitter went into an absolute frenzy after the Lakers announced the trade. Many fans thanked the Spaniard who is unlikely to make his return to the NBA after the trade.

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This is certainly not the way any Laker fan or Gasol would have hoped that the partnership ended. If not for injuries to the Lakers last season, the Spaniard could have equalled his brother’s tally of 2 titles. Do you think this is the right move for the Lakers?

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Written by:

Aditya Mohapatra

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Aditya Mohapatra is a sports enthusiast who primarily covers the NBA for EssentiallySports. Having graduated in Mass Communication, he has prior experience in writing for ABP News, and has been writing for EssentiallySports since November 2020. This die-hard Los Angeles Lakers fan feels that LeBron James is the best thing to have ever happened to the NBA, and will hold a healthy debate with anyone suggesting otherwise.
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