7:36pm: Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer is reporting that multiple teams have already put a first-round pick on the table for Evans.
5:59pm: As trade discussions involving Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans intensify, the team will sit him out until a deal is completed, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Evans will not play this evening in Indiana, as confirmed by Michael Wallace of Grind City Media, who reports that he witnessed the veteran guard leaving Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Wallace adds that Evans believes any potential deal would send him to a playoff team.
As we detailed earlier today, the Bulls are doing the same thing with trade candidate Nikola Mirotic, holding him out of games while pursuing potential trades. Bobby Marks of ESPN suggests both teams’ decisions, while unprecedented, are the right moves given that both the Grizzlies and Bulls have little chance of making the playoffs.
Marks also tweets that teams interested in trading for Evans are being cautious due in part to Evans not having either Bird or Early Bird Rights this offseason, meaning a team over the apron (i.e. the Cavaliers, who are reported to have interest) would be limited to offering Evans a starting salary in the range of about $5.4MM, the projected value of the taxpayer mid-level exception.
Earlier reports linked the Sixers, Celtics, Cavaliers, Pelicans, Thunder, Heat, and Rockets to Evans.
Ok now sit Gasol too
Why would they sit Gasol? He’s already said he doesn’t want to waste solid playing years not playing … I doubt they want Gasol to ask for a trade since they want to compete next season
They would sit Gasol if they knew they had a trade in the next 24-48 hours.
Agreed. But they have little reason to sit him if nothing happens. It’s too early in the season to use the “injured or want to see younger players get a chance” line on Gasol and sitting him might also hurt the relationship with him.
Exactly.
Yeah they’ll “compete” and inevitably get eliminated from the 1st round or not even make the playoffs. Just rebuild already, Conley-Gasol doesn’t work there’s too many injuries.
This is dumb. These guys are getting paid millions to play basketball and you have them sit out. I hope this isn’t becoming a new trend.
Can you read?
This is dumb. People who have no idea how trades go down commenting on the inner workings of trades. In baseball, when you’re about to pull a deal involving one of your players, you pull them out of the game. The last thing you want is for them to get injured and you lose all the leverage and value you had. Tyreke Evans is in a relatively unique situation here, which justifies sitting him while you negotiate. NO ONE is going to give you a 1st round pick (the asking price) if he gets hurt in any way.
Let the guys play. Obviously the team is looking to trade him but he can still get hurt in different ways than playing in a game. What happens if the team doesn’t agree to trade? Then they just ruined their relationship with the player for the rest of the season. And teams may try to low ball more seeing they are looking to trade him
remind me how many guys have had injuries riding the pine… I’ll wait
Splinters
Practice, freak accidents, anything could happen
Exactly, he was pulled out of practice yesterday when talks with the Pels progressed. This is the right move, if he gets hurt they get NOTHING for him.
Really? Your still trying to justify this?
I would also have Tyreek fast until the trade happens in order to avoid a possible freak accident of choking on his food. Id also ask him not to shower in order to avoid possibly slipping and breaking his arm.
As a Bulls fan, I’m glad they’re sitting Niko. They are clearly in a rebuild, they need to acquire assets to build. If he pulled a hammy or worse, thus killing his trade value, that would be a huge waste. It’s a smart move.
Agreed. The only ones that don’t understand are the ones that don’t understand how business works.
You’re acting like its the players choice to sit out the games. Its fully on the team and the team is doing so to maximize his value. Evans has a bad injury history so sitting him to prevent injuries is the smart thing. Sure, freak accidents can happen but they’re exactly that…freak ACCIDENTS. By sitting him, the team is taking all the precautions so that doesn’t happen. I mean if he was to get seriously hurt during a game, his trade value plummets and people would probably be here saying “They should’ve sat him.” This happens in the other 3 major North American sports as well. If there is significant progress on a trade, the players involved are likely going to be pulled from the game/be benched to prevent an injury.
Lots of insults being thrown around, exactly what the people who run app don’t want lol
What about the Celtics
What about them? They’re free to pony up a 1st round pick just like everybody else.
Celtics would never take on a guy like Tyreke Evans. Checkered past as far as effort defense locker room presence Etc. Even on the court, his shot selection, untimely turnovers. etc.
Celtics are building something special with Grinders and grittiness and tough defense and team first stuff. I would love for Tyreke to bring his skill and fit in with that but his past precedes him. StrAinge won’t do it.
Lol have you watched a healthy Tyreke Gary? The celtics took on a player exactly like you are describing with Evan Turner and it worked out pretty well for both parties
Seriously though, Evan Turner’s a totally different player.
Evan Turner does everything pretty well. Tyreke Evans is strong and an athlete and can do many things VERY well. It’s just that will Tyreke put himself on the side for the good of the team? Is he gritty enough, is he tough enough?
As a Blazers fan I wish we had Tyreke instead of ET, he’d be dangerous off the bench
couldn’t this violate the whole turmoil in the offseason as teams needed to sit players for extra rest?
Not really since they’re protecting the team they’re trading with’s investment in their player. They’re more mad about healthy stars getting rest in nationally televised games, they could care less about a lesser player’s playing time.
Bobby Portis is going to punch him in his face on his way out the door! Lol.