CHICAGO — Pau Gasol talked to Joakim Noah when the Chicago Bulls traveled to Los Angeles to recruit the free-agent center. He spoke with Derrick Rose over the phone, and Mike Dunleavy also reached out to the 7-foot veteran.
What Gasol found was a hungry team in search of a championship, and it was enough to convince the skilled Spaniard to trade the warmth of Southern California for the cold winters of the Windy City.
Gasol and newcomer Nikola Mirotic were at the United Center on Friday for a pair of press conferences announcing their new contracts. The 34-year-old Gasol begins his 14th NBA season with career averages of 18.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists, and the 6-10 Mirotic joins the Bulls after a successful final season with Real Madrid.
“It was a gut feeling. I thought Chicago was going to be the best fit for me,” Gasol said. “It’s a great challenge, but I’m driven by challenge. I look forward to it.”
Gasol began his career with Memphis and was traded to Los Angeles in February 2008. He formed a strong bond with Kobe Bryant while helping the Lakers to three consecutive NBA Finals from 2008-10, winning the title the last two of those years.
Weighing interest from NBA champion San Antonio and Oklahoma City among other teams, Gasol said his conversations with Noah and Rose helped sway him to Chicago. Noah was the league’s defensive player of the year last season, and Rose is coming back from a pair of knee injuries which kept the 2011 MVP out for much of the last two seasons.
“How humble they were, I think that’s real important to be able to not have big egos, that makes things a lot easier,” Gasol said. “Their passion, their hunger as well. They’re hungry. They’re hungry to win, that’s something that I wanted to also come into, to be a part of a hungry team.”
Rose played only 10 games last season before he was shelved for the year by a torn meniscus in his right knee. Chicago still managed to win 48 games and make the playoffs, where it lost to Washington in the first round.
Heat sign Napier, Haslem to deals
LAS VEGAS — Shabazz Napier has signed his rookie deal with the Miami Heat.
Napier’s deal got finalized Friday, hours before Miami’s final game of its summer league schedule. The point guard will make about $1.2 million this season after being selected with the No. 24 overall pick in last month’s draft.
Napier, who led Connecticut to this past season’s NCAA championship, becomes the 12th player either signed or committed to the Heat for next season.
Earlier Friday, Miami completed the signing of forward Udonis Haslem to a two-year contract that will pay him about $5.6 million. His deal was worked out several days ago, and Haslem told the team he had no desire to leave his hometown, anyway.
By wire sources