Marc Gasol will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason and has already been speculated about as a possibility with the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.

Zach Randolph hopes this is not Gasol's last season with the Memphis Grizzlies.

"I always tell him, 'Man you're the best center in the game, the best big man in the game. Dwight Howard ain't better than you — he just blocks more shots than you. You're the best center in the game,' " Randolph said. "It's about winning, and about the big fella coming back, because everybody knows that all the teams are loading up to get him.

"I say a little bit to him (about free agency). I mean we're the best 1-2 big men in the league (as far as a) four and five together. You've always got to explore your options, and he's been in Memphis (a long time). ... You worry (about him leaving), but then again it's a business too. I understand that. He understands that."

The Grizzlies are optimistic about re-signing Gasol.

"I think at the end of the season, we're going to sit down and put the cards on the table and see where everybody stands," said Gasol, who could sign a five-year, maximum-salary deal with the Grizzlies but can only get four-year deals elsewhere. "I've been pretty open with everybody always, and they've been pretty open with me, and I respect that. We're both straight shooters, and we'l see where everybody wants to be at and we'll make a decision, but I don't see how that effects now because it doesn't help.

"I really don't want it to be a distraction in there with my teammates because it's just not fair for them. I don't think it's fair. It's me, and if it doesn't bother me, it shouldn't bother anybody. If it's not a big deal for me, it shouldn't be a big deal for anybody."