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Wednesday, June 20
Updated: June 23, 2:05 PM ET
Gasol decides to play 2001 lottery
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
The NBA draft's top 10 selections received a potential shakeup Wednesday when F.C. Barcelona's Pau Gasol decided to remain in the draft, Gasol's agent Herb Rudoy told ESPN.com.
The 7-foot Gasol, who had until 5 p.m. ET Wednesday to withdraw his name from this year's draft, still isn't a lock to play in the NBA next season. Gasol would owe Barcelona an estimated $2.5 million, of which an NBA team could pay $350,000, if he leaves before his final year of his contract. Rudoy said if Gasol is picked in the top six then he would be covered financially to make the move worth his while. If he's chosen after No. 6 he could remain in Spain.
"Pau said he feels very confident of who he is and where he stacks up and after my advice that he'll be a lottery pick -- although not past 10 -- he decided to stay in the draft," Rudoy said. "He wants this to be his draft and cause NBA teams to make decisions."
Rudoy said if Gasol is picked beyond No. 6 then a team will have to wait a year for the 20-year old forward. International players who are under 21 fall under the same rules as college underclassmen, thus Gasol had to withdraw by Wednesday's deadline to avoid being selected in next week's draft.
"Anyone who takes him runs the risk that he'll play in Barcelona one more year, but a lot of teams probably wished they drafted Toni Kukoc and waited," said Rudoy of another one of his clients. "If he's 1 to 6 then he'll come and pay his buyout. Between now and Wednesday we'll address the teams in the top six. I'm very confident he'll go in the top 10. You can take it to the bank."
Gasol hasn't worked out for teams because Barcelona is in the ACB finals -- the top Spanish professional basketball league -- and holds a 2-0 lead over Real Madrid. Gasol scored 17 points, grabbed six rebounds and had four blocks in Game 2 on Tuesday.
Vancouver, Boston and Houston have expressed serious interest in Gasol. Boston and Houston were exploring trading up to get him, but could get lucky and draft him at either 10, 11 or 13 and simply wait a season to land him.
But Gasol's decision to remain in the draft shuffles the top 10. With Gasol in the draft, someone -- possibly DeSagana Diop, Vladimir Radmanovic, Troy Murphy, Michael Bradley or Jamaal Tinsley -- might get bumped out of the top 10.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.
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