Los Angeles Lakers: Where does Marc Gasol fit on the new-look roster?

Los Angeles Lakers center Marc Gasol has had a very good NBA career. He was one of the many staples for the Memphis Grizzlies during his time playing for them. A very smart and cerebral type of player that excelled on both sides of the ball, Gasol was a defensive threat.  He also had very good moves and hands when it came to the offensive side of the ball.

Last year, it looked like he was definitely on his way out and perhaps would retire at the end of the season. To be quite fair, Gasol did come on a bit toward the end of the season where we saw his three-point shot get better as he was contributing more.

That being said, for the majority of the season his offensive game was lacking as he was serving as more of a passer. Gasol does pass the ball well quite well for a big man. However, his inside game as well as his defense is not what it was of course at one time.

Marc Gasol played for the Spain national team this year. He also has said that he is coming back for another season with the Los Angeles Lakers as he is under contract. My question is, where exactly is Gasol going to fit in on this roster?

Are the Los Angeles Lakers simply keeping him for contractual purposes or do they plan to use him?

They did go out and re-sign center Dwight Howard this offseason which is a move they definitely needed being that he has experience with this team and gives them a certain edge that Gasol does not. With rumors of Anthony Davis playing more in the center position this upcoming season, we have to wonder how much time will Gasol be getting.

I think having him on the team would not be a bad thing at this point. After all, he is a cerebral veteran who knows what it takes to win a title as we saw him help the Toronto Raptors in 2018-2019.

MUST-READ: 3 free-agent guards to sign before Isaiah Thomas

In that respect, it would make sense to keep him as the Los Angeles Lakers would have another player on the roster that has had experience winning an NBA title with players such as LeBron James, Howard, Trevor Ariza, Anthony Davis and Talen Horton-Tucker.

While he may no longer be the player he once was, he still has value. Especially now that he has improved his long range shot. He can serve a purpose for this team as he moves well for a big man and sets picks and is not afraid to hit the floor.

These are things that many seem to overlook in todays game but are so important especially for and when creating and helping offensive players such as LeBron, Westbrook, Malik Monk, and Talen Horton-Tucker who are players that thrive on going to the basket and drawing fouls. It also helps for the long range shooter that comes off the pick to get open.

One of the more smarter players in the league, Marc Gasol can rub off on many other players on the roster. He is still durable and knows the offensive system in which the team plays. At this point and with that talent they already have, it would be silly to think that he would be receiving  a lot of playing time of course.

He averaged 19.1 minutes per game last season and started in 42 of 52 games. That may not be the same this season but it would still be good to have him off the bench and play more of a reserve role at this point in his career.