Marc Gasol spoke with reporters for approximately 70 minutes on Monday.

The main question was whether Gasol might ask for a trade from the Memphis Grizzlies.

“If everything changes with the franchise and they say look, we want you to not play this amount of games or we want you to rest and we’re going to sit down Mike (Conley) or whatever," said Gasol. "If everything changes. Their goal right now, and what the team wants to accomplish, is that they want to win. And that hasn’t changed. My commitment to that will not change.”

Gasol is taking it upon himself to make sure this season doesn't become a lost cause.

"In my mind, my job is not allowing that to happen. My job is not allowing anyone to throw away the season. Because I’m 32, 33 next month. I don’t have the season to throw away. I don’t have the luxury. I’m not 23 or 24, where I can just say, well, next year will be better. I have a sense of urgency and a desire to win. Obviously, when your career gets past 10 years, and with the foot injury that I had a couple of years ago, you know that at any time this may be it. I hope that through the next five or six weeks, to the [All Star] break, that the situation is going to have completely changed and we are a much more consistent team going forward, because that will mean that you’re not going to ask me that question."

Marc Gasol contends he will never ask for a trade from the Memphis Grizzlies regardless of how badly the team may fall off.

While the Grizzlies have been one of the NBA's most consistent playoff teams during Gasol's tenure, they have fallen off so far in 17-18.

"I have a responsibility to this city," Gasol said. "I'm not gonna quit, no matter what." 

Gasol was asked whether that would stay the same if the Grizzlies fell 30 games under .500.

"I would want to see how we got there -- what the process is," Gasol said.

"But as long as [owner] Robert [Pera] wants me here, my teammates want me here, they think I'm part of the solution -- and not part of the problem -- that's all I need." 

Gasol is due $24.1 million due in 18-19 and $25.6 million on a player option in 19-20.

If the Grizzlies approach him with a trade, however, Gasol would accept it.

"If they think it is best, I would do anything for this franchise," Gasol said.

While sources say there was real tension between Gasol and David Fizdale, Gasol still denies he asked for Fizdale to be fired.

While the Memphis Grizzlies have struggled this season, the front office continues to like their chances to compete with their core of Marc Gasol and Mike Conley Jr.

"We think our window is still very much open with Mike and Marc," Chris Wallace, the team's GM, told ESPN.com during a recent sit-down in New York. 

"I think we'll be heard from the rest of this year, and in years to come," Wallace reiterated on Tuesday.

The Grizzlies have struggled to put young supporting players in place around Gasol and Conley.

"It remains to be seen," Wallace said when asked if any of their young players can become rotation players. "I'm not trying to evade the question. I learned a long time ago not to rush to judgment on young players."

The Memphis Grizzlies have hired Greg Buckner as an assistant coach on Grizzlies interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s staff. 

Buckner joins the Grizzlies with five years of coaching experience (2011-16) with the Houston Rockets, where he served alongside Bickerstaff for two seasons as an assistant coach (2014-16) following three seasons as a player development coach (2011-14).

Selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round (53rd overall) of the 1998 NBA Draft, Buckner appeared in 570 career games (117 starts) and averaged 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists with the Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies. Regarded as an outstanding defensive player, Buckner helped his teams reach the postseason in six of his 10 NBA seasons. His playing career also included a stint with the Grand Rapids Hoops (1998-99) of the Continental Basketball Association.