How Pau was Traded for Marc
Pau Gasol tells the story of how he was traded for his younger brother.
One of the wildest things to ever happen in the NBA was when Pau Gasol was traded for his brother, Marc Gasol.
Pau started his NBA career with the Grizzlies and was emerging as the franchise’s legendary player.
He was the franchise’s first-ever Rookie of the Year and their first-ever NBA All-Star. He was also the first player to lead them to the playoffs.
Pau played in Memphis for 6-and-a-half seasons and put them on the map.
But when opportunity struck, the Grizzlies opted for a younger him.
On an episode of the Knuckleheads Podcast, Pau told the story of how he was traded for his younger brother.
Pau said he urged the Grizzlies to get Marc either on draft night or through a trade but the GM at the time, Chris Wallace, was hesitant in doing so. Wallace, according to Pau, wanted to wait and see how Marc would do.
“Marc was selected by the Lakers -I think it was the 47th pick,” Pau said. “He was selected 47th, second-round pick, and I kept telling Chris Wallace, who was the GM at the time, of the Grizzlies, ‘Like man, why don’t you pick Marc? You should’ve picked Marc.’ Or, ‘Let’s get a trade for Marc,’ like right after he got drafted. I think he told me, ‘The Lakers were asking for $500,000 in exchange for your brother.’ I’m like, ‘Take it out of my contract and just pay that and we’ll have Marc and I’m telling you, he’s going to be a great player.’ [He said], ‘No, no, I can’t do that. We’re just going to let it play out.’ I was like, ‘Okay.’”
Throughout the 2007-08 season, Pau kept telling the Grizzlies’ brass about how well his brother was doing overseas in the Spanish League and kept urging them to get him.
And by the middle of that season, they listened to their star and did.
Except, Pau was also part of the trade.
“At that point, I thought that I was, you know, there’s no way I’m going anywhere. I’m here in Memphis. I’m locked in,” Pau said. “So, when the trade happened, Chris Wallace called me into his office and the last player he mentioned in the trade that was for me is, you know, Marc.”
For context, Pau was traded from the Grizzlies to the Lakers in this deal.
Pau admitted that though he wasn’t pleased with the trade initially, it worked out for everybody in the end.
He won back-to-back titles with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, and the Grizzlies rebuilt around Marc, where they were one of the best teams for years.
Pau and Marc are one of the most dominant pairs of brothers to play in the NBA.
They’re both champions, All-NBA players, and All-Stars. They were also the first pair of brothers to start in an All-Star Game.
What do you think they could’ve accomplished had they played together?