New York Knicks eyeing a swoop on Pau Gasol

Pau Gasol when he was with the Memphis Grizzlies. | Wikimedia Commons/Jonathan Powell

The New York Knicks are apparently trying to take all available stars as they rebuild their team.

And it seems that they are trying their hands on all the players of the Chicago Bulls.

Already one of the big news early in the summer of the NBA, the Knicks picked up former league MVP Derrick Rose in an attempt to form a big three.

Rose joins Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis in the line-up and they are hoping to make basketball relevant again in the Big Apple.

After already taking Rose, there is news that the Knicks are looking for a reliable center, and some reports say that they are again checking with the Bulls if they can strike a deal that would send Joakim Noah to Madison Square Garden.

If that is true, then the Knicks are looking like a very dangerous line-up as they have four big players who can rely on each other to get victories.

However, the latest buzz coming from the Big Apple is that they are also in the hunt to sign Bulls forward Pau Gasol, who has recently opted out of his contract according to reports.

As previous reports speculated, Gasol has decided to opt out of his contract with the Bulls and become a free agent.

Looking at his deal through Basketball-Reference, Gasol was set to make around $7.8 million if he stayed with the Bulls in his final year.

However, he has a player option and will likely exercise that right to see which teams are interested in signing him.

Already nearing his 36th birthday, Gasol is certainly looking for a strong team that can contend right away, and if the Knicks can put together some pieces and make it fit then Gasol may consider the move.

It is still a long way from being settled, but the Knicks are making sure they make enough noise to be considered. They understand what Gasol brings to the table as he averaged 16.5 points and 11.0 rebounds per game last season despite being one of the older players in the league.