Shifting issue - Cables look ok, sort of shifts

[VII]

Hello! I recently picked up a 1998 Boxster. It needs a lot of attention but the main issue right now is that it is having shifting issues.

I was able to drive it home in second gear but the previous owner said he had 1st and 2nd gear days before I took it off his hands. With fiddling and such I have 2nd gear consistently and sometimes 3rd gear. The problem seems to be that the left/right shift cable does not want to move like it is binding on something or there is some internal transmission issue. I can move the shift lever about but it just doesn't really want to go into any gears other than 2nd and 3rd. If I try to put it into 1st it grinds.

I removed the center console and found that the cables and linkages look good. The shift lever moves freely without the left/right cable attached. Jacking the car up I can see the cables and linages attached and there doesn't seem to be any issues. Trying to move the linkage that is the left/right inside the car and it moves some but seems hung up. I tried to remove the linkage from the transmission to see if it is the cable but had a hard time doing so.

Any ideas? Crossing my digits I don't have to replace the transmission.