Heat Rumors: Riley contacts Pau Gasol, to affect LeBron free agency?
In today's Heat rumors and news update, the Miami Heat have opened lines of communication to Los Angeles Lakers big man Pau Gasol, potentially looking to bring the free agent to South Beach to play with a returning LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, Heat president Pat Riley made sure to make the phone call to Gasol himself:
Free agent Pau Gasol had a phone conversation with Miami president Pat Riley today, league source tells Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 2, 2014
Per Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, Gasol is currently slated to meet with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, and Chicago Bulls over the next few days - three teams that can offer Gasol a chance to fulfill his much-publicized desire to play for an immediate contender.
Bresnahan also stated that Gasol "might" sit down with the Lakers to discuss a return, but the Heat haven't been discussed as a concrete option for the former All-Star until now.
Multiple sources are also indicating that Wade and Bosh are willing to take pay cuts in order to both bring LeBron back for the maximum of $22.2 million per year and help the team land a top-level free agent in the marketplace.
If Riley's intentions are clear, Gasol could indeed be that free agent - slotting Gasol into a traditional center role in a star-studded frontcourt with James and Bosh.
Chat Sports will have more on this breaking story as additional information is made available.
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