FILE PHOTO: Jan 14, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) reacts after a play during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The Toronto Raptors are finalizing a deal that would send three players and a draft pick to Memphis for Marc Gasol, ESPN is reporting.
The Raptors are planning to deal away their former fifth overall draft pick (2011) Jonas Valanciunas along with Delon Wright and C.J. Miles to Memphis. The Grizzlies would also get Toronto’s 2024 second-round draft pick.
Gasol, 34, is averaging 15.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and a career-high 4.7 assists in 53 games this season. In his 11 seasons with Memphis, Gasol became the franchise leader in points, rebounds, blocks and field goals made.
The Raptors are second in the Eastern Conference and they added a boost in Gasol to help them keep pace with conference frontrunner Milwaukee Bucks, who traded for Nikola Mirotic on Thursday. The 7-foot-1 Gasol gives the Raptors a deft scorer and passer to complement superstar Kawhi Leonard and Serge Ibaka and Pascal Siakam in the frontcourt.
Valanciunas has been out since mid-December with a thumb injury but was going to make his return Thursday night against the Atlanta Hawks. Valanciunas was averaging 12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds at the time of his injury.
Memphis also reportedly traded JaMychal Green and Garrett Temple to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday. Between the trio, the Grizzlies have dealt away more than 30 points per game of production.
—Field Level Media