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Longtime NBA big man Pau Gasol plans to continue his professional career overseas. Gasol, 40, is near an agreement in principle on a one-year deal with Barcelona, according to Eurohoops. The deal is reportedly expected to be finalized later this summer. Gasol plans to play in the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo with the Spanish National Team and then retire afterward. 

Gasol hasn't appeared in an NBA game since March 2019 due to a navicular stress fracture in his left foot. He signed with the Portland Trail Blazers last offseason, but was waived in November in order to focus on his rehab without ever appearing in a game for the franchise. Last month, Gasol said that he planned to play professionally for one more season, and he mentioned the Los Angeles Lakers and Barcelona as "attractive" options to finish out his career. 

"My intention is to play another season if the foot is OK, either in the NBA or in Europe," Gasol said. "A final season with the Lakers is attractive, finishing at Barca is attractive, but you have to see the real possibilities and see what situation would be best for the circumstances of the moment."  

Earlier this year Gasol also admitted that he was considering retirement due to a nagging injury combined with his advanced age. 

"With this recovery process and the injury that I have been dealing with for more than a year, it's undoubtedly inevitable to think about retirement," Gasol said. "Also, taking into account that I will be 40 years old in a few months. So, [retirement] is definitely on my mind. ... It's something that will come one time, sooner or later."

Gasol clearly isn't quite ready to hang his sneakers up, but when his playing days do come to an end, he will have a great case to be ultimately inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, as he has had an extremely productive and well-decorated career spanning two decades. In fact, few have enjoyed the longevity and success that Gasol has, both in the NBA and internationally.   

Before he even entered the NBA, Gasol was a two-time Spanish League champion and a Spanish League finals MVP. His success continued in the league where he was named Rookie of the Year in 2002. He went on to win two championships alongside Kobe Bryant with the Los Angeles Lakers, and made six All-Star teams. Over the course of his career in the NBA, he accumulated over 20,000 points and 10,000 rebounds. He was also named the FIBA World Championship MVP after leading Spain to the gold medal in 2006. He is a two-time FIBA EuroBasket MVP, and he has three Olympic medals (two silver, one bronze) to his name. He also won the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 2012.