After reaching a buyout agreement with the San Antonio Spurs, veteran center Pau Gasol is expected to sign with the Milwaukee Bucks, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Because the Spurs and Gasol managed to reach an agreement ahead of the buyout deadline (Friday at 11:59 p.m. ET), the 7-footer remains eligible for the playoffs.
Milwaukee's aiming to clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference and continues to fend off the Toronto Raptors, who sit 2 1/2 games behind the Bucks with 20 games remaining.
Though Gasol's nearing the end of his career, he provides championship-caliber leadership and can be a capable post scorer in limited minutes. The 38-year-old will also give the Bucks a more natural reserve center when Brook Lopez sits.
The six-time All-Star denied reports around the trade deadline suggesting that he wanted a change of scenery after struggling to find a place in Gregg Popovich's rotation.
Gasol inked a three-year, $48-million contract with the Spurs in 2017. However, the future Hall of Famer is guaranteed just $6.7 million next year, cutting the maximum cost of the buyout to around $10.3 million for the Spurs, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.
The 38-year-old missed 26 games across November and December because of a stress fracture in his foot. He's averaging career lows in points (4.2), rebounds (4.7), and minutes (12.2).
