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San Antonio Spurs big man Pau Gasol signed a two-year, $31.7 million contract last summer, and he intends to fulfill it. The 36-year-old has a player option on his $16.2 million salary next season, and he told the San Antonio Express-News' Jabari Young that he plans to opt in.

"My intention is to continue here, and to be here as long as I can," said Gasol, who will turn 37 before the start of the 2017-18 season.

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If Gasol decided not to opt-in this summer, no reason the Blazers, or another team in need of a veteran big, wouldn't make a run at his services and pay more than $16 million.

"To be honest, I don't look that far ahead, but I would see that that as very unlikely," said Gasol, who reiterated his decision to return to the Spurs. "I would love to continue here as long as a possible."

Reasonable people can disagree about Gasol's value to the Spurs, but it's clear that he's fitting in well. While he's playing just 26.4 minutes per game, the fewest of his career, he is having his most efficient season in years and having fun playing in the Spurs' free-flowing system. Gasol always seemed like a Spurs-y player, and now that he is in San Antonio, he shouldn't be in any rush to leave.

From a purely financial perspective, it's also a safe bet to stay with the Spurs. While several teams went after him last summer, it's unclear how much his value would be this coming July. He's lost a couple of steps on defense, and the league is absolutely full of talented big men. He might be able to negotiate a raise, but if he's happy where he is, he's probably better off staying put.