The Grizzlies appeared to be on the cusp of signing troubled guard Delonte West, but earlier tonight we learned that they have apparently passed on him. Instead, the former Celtic is set to dive into the D-League player pool in hopes of finding another NBA opportunity. Here’s more out of Memphis..
- The Marreese Speights trade was necessary for the Grizzlies to avoid becoming a perennial tax team in the long-term, writes Ben Baroff of Sheridan Hoops. It’s the kind of move that Memphis wouldn’t have had to make under the dollar-for-dollar tax system of the old CBA but the harsher tax penalties of the new CBA have almost forced them to make a trade like this.
- When asked if he sees himself finishing the season with the Grizzlies, Rudy Gay gave reporters a no comment, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Meanwhile, some believe that the Speights deal means that the Grizzlies will be able to hang on to both Gay and Zach Randolph.
- “We considered all options, every team does, but this was a deal that we felt was very favorable for us,” Wallace said of the trade, according to Kennedy. “You can’t count on this type of situation still being there later on closer to the trade deadline because Cleveland is a team with cap room and not every team has that.”