Chicago Bulls Rumors: Pau Gasol Played For Spain Against Doctor’s Orders


Chicago Bulls rumors about Pau Gasol should concern fans and front office staff. Gasol didn’t tell the Bulls front office that he was injured this summer, but took the court for Spain in EuroBasket play anyway. A report from CBS Sports states that he reported to the Spanish team hurt, telling coaches there that he was in pain before the start of a game against Poland. He even had to go through medical treatment in the locker rooms to prepare for the game that night.

There are two ways to look at this situation. The first is that Gasol showed a lot of toughness and grit by playing through this injury. The second is that he is under contract to the Bulls and that this should have been a decision made with the trainers back in Chicago. Setting all that aside, he was also only supposed to play five minutes at a time against Poland, but ended up playing 31 minutes total.

These Pau Gasol rumors do underscore the fact that the team might not have won if he had sat out. Gasol finished with 30 points, including hitting six of seven three-pointers. He has already stated that he is going to play against Greece as well, adding to his legacy in international basketball. But is all the pain that he is playing through going to cause an injury that threatens the 2015-16 NBA season?

Gasol is still under contract with the Bulls for two more seasons, with a salary of about $7.5 million for the 2015-16 NBA season and about $7.8 million for the following year. That second season is a player option that he can decide not to accept if he wants to retire following the upcoming year. While he hasn’t expressed an interest in walking away from the game, Gasol has put a lot of miles on his body with the regular season, playoffs, and international games.

It’s possible that the front office in Chicago has contacted Gasol by now to figure out what exactly the injury is that he is suffering from. While it’s unknown by the press at this time, it’s possible that the brass already knows what it entails. With this story breaking over the weekend, there could be a lot of questions for the team to answer as the week progresses. These Chicago Bulls rumors might be pretty distressing for fans, though, as they have been through enough injury concerns with the current roster.

[Image Source: Boris Streubel/Bongarts/Getty Images]

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