Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Grizzlies Rumors

Raptors Notes: Leonard, Gasol, Lowry, Green

June 7th, 2019 at 2:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Everyone knows about the flashy moves that vaulted the Raptors into the NBA Finals, but ESPN’s Brian Windhorst examines some of the under-the-radar happenings that have Toronto on the verge of its first championship. One of them dates back to 2011 when they nabbed highly respected trainer Alex McKechnie after the Lakers let his contract expire. McKechnie has led the way in keeping Kawhi Leonard healthy and building his trust in the organization after his experience in San Antonio.

The Raptors also benefited when the Nuggets declined to match their offer to team president Masai Ujiri in 2013, when the Knicks turned down a trade involving Kyle Lowry during the 2013/14 season, and when Pascal Siakam decided to attend a Basketball Without Borders camp in 2012 because it gave him a chance to visit his sister in South Africa.

Windhorst also examines the trade that brought Marc Gasol from the Grizzlies in February, noting that the deal wouldn’t have been possible unless Memphis was able to unload salary to keep from going into luxury tax territory. The answer came when the Clippers agreed to take Garrett Temple and JaMychal Green in exchange for Avery Bradley, allowing Toronto to pick up Gasol, who has provided a valuable veteran presence in the middle.

There’s more Raptors news to pass along:

  • The Knicks would have sent several players to Toronto in the Lowry deal, including Metta World Peace and Iman Shumpert, along with a 2018 first-round pick, according to Frank Isola of The Athletic. Owner James Dolan decided to nix the trade because he didn’t fare well in two previous deals with Ujiri, including the one that brought Carmelo Anthony to New York.
  • Danny Green seems to save his best performances for the NBA Finals, notes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Green, who is headed for free agency, made six 3-pointers in Game 3 and is among just two players to make at least 15 Finals 3-pointers while shooting better than 50% from long range. “I don’t think it’s the stage,” Green said. “I think it’s just the life of a shooter. Sometimes you have ups and downs and I think luckily, during this time, I’ve had some ups.”
  • Knicks officials are confident that they will get a meeting with Leonard when free agency starts at the end of the month, relays Mark Berman of The New York Post. They may explore the possibility of teaming Leonard with Kevin Durant now that Kyrie Irving is rumored to be headed to Brooklyn.
Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

Valanciunas Reiterates HC Hire Will Influence His Option Decision

June 5th, 2019 at 10:09am CST by Luke Adams
  • Jonas Valanciunas once again stated this week that the Grizzlies‘ head coaching decision will play a part in his decision on his $17.6MM player option for 2019/20, as Lithuanian reporter Donatas Urbonas relays (via Twitter). “Deeper into the summer, we’ll have a better picture [of] who’s staying and what are the team’s plans,” Valanciunas said. “First, I want to see who’s the head coach. It’s gonna be a huge factor.”
Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Stein: Grizzlies Considering New Bench Model In HC Search

June 5th, 2019 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams
  • The Grizzlies, the only team still seeking a new head coach, are believed to be considering a new bench model. Memphis wants to have at least one of its assistant coaches hold a dual title that includes some personnel responsibilities, says Stein.

    [SOURCE LINK]
Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Draft Notes: Washington, Konchar, Thomas, McQuaid

June 4th, 2019 at 6:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Former Kentucky Wildcat PJ Washington is fully healthy and will have his first pre-draft workout on Sunday, Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com relays (Twitter link). The first of his five upcoming visits will be with the Heat.

Here are more workout notes on the upcoming draft:

  • John Konchar (Purdue) recently worked out for the Suns and Magic, a source tells Jordan Schultz of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Konchar will work out for the Warriors on June 6.
  • Elijah Thomas (Clemson) has worked out for the Pacers, Michael Scotto of The Athletic relays.  Thomas will participate in drills for the Wizards on Friday.
  • Matt McQuaid worked out for the Pistons and Grizzlies, Rod Beard of the Detroit News tweets. The Michigan State product will also work out for the Cavaliers.
  • Amir Coffey (Minnesota) has worked out for the Raptors and Hornets, per Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). Coffey will also work out for the Pelicans and Timberwolves.
Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

Grizzlies Interview Taylor Jenkins For Second Time

June 4th, 2019 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams

The latest round-up of NBA rumors from Shams Charania of The Athletic features a handful of coaching-related notes, including an update on the Grizzlies‘ head coaching search.

According to Charania, Bucks assistant Taylor Jenkins, whose interview with Memphis was previously reported, met with the Grizzlies for a second time last week. Jenkins is one of at least six candidates to interview for the position, but the fact that he got a second meeting may signal that he’s receiving serious consideration.

Retweet 10 Share 0 Send via email0

It's Best If Conley Gets Dealt This Offseason

June 3rd, 2019 at 5:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Northwest Notes: Jazz, Wolves, Forcier, Vanterpool, Thunder

June 2nd, 2019 at 8:33pm CST by JD Shaw

With Ricky Rubio set to become an unrestricted free agent on June 30, the Jazz could be in the market for a new starting point guard moving forward, Kincade Upstill of the Deseret News writes.

Rubio made a rather interesting comment this weekend, sharing that Utah won’t be aggressively trying to re-sign him when he reaches the open market. “Utah has already let me know I’m not a priority for them,” he said, according to Ernest Macia of Catalunya Radio.

The Jazz could pursue other available point guards in free agency such as Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Malcolm Brogdon, D’Angelo Russell or Derrick Rose if the franchise mutually agrees to part ways with Rubio, who has served as the team’s starting point guard over the last two seasons. However, Jazz vice president of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey went on the record to state that Ricky could still re-sign on a new contract.

“He’s got a decision to make on his end and we’ve got a decision to make on our end, but there’s a lot of scenarios I can see Ricky back. … We really appreciate who he is and we think we can get him better from a health perspective and skill standpoint,” Lindsey said, according to Upstill. “We know who he is — he has Jazz DNA. So he’ll have options, we’ll have options and we’ll talk to him and his agent.”

Rubio’s name surfaced in rumors around this season’s February 7 trade deadline, likely causing some trust issues between him and the organization. He holds career-averages of 11.1 points, 7.7 assists and 30.9 minutes across his eight NBA seasons.

There’s more out of the Northwest Division tonight:

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Knicks Notes: Morant, Barrett, Hawks, Green

June 2nd, 2019 at 9:05am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks never believed Ja Morant was a sure thing for the second pick even before news of his scheduled surgery came to light, a source tells Marc Berman and Mark Fischer of The New York Post. Morant will undergo a minor scope on his right knee tomorrow to remove a “loose body.” Even though the procedure is considered routine, Morant will be sidelined three to four weeks and appears unlikely to play in the Summer League.

The news has sparked rumors that the Grizzlies are looking harder at other options with their No. 2 pick. They reportedly have been sending “mixed messages” about the selection and tried to get Duke’s R.J. Barrett  to come to Memphis for a private workout.

The Knicks had Morant ranked higher than Barrett on their draft board going into the combine, according to Berman and Fischer. Their front office has been watching Morant for a long time and considered him a first-round pick after his freshman season in 2018 based on his potential.

There’s more this morning from New York:

  • Barrett has a lot of fans in the Grizzlies organization, Berman and Fischer add. His Canadian roots add to his appeal for Memphis draft consultant Glen Grunwald, who serves as CEO of Canada Basketball. Barrett has a workout scheduled for New York on June 10, but reportedly refuses to schedule a session with the Grizzlies because he prefers to go to the Knicks at No. 3 or the Lakers at No. 4.
  • The Hawks haven’t been contacted by the Knicks about a rumored trade involving the No. 3 pick and Atlanta’s selections at No. 8 and No. 10, according to Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cunningham believes Hawks GM Travis Schlenk would be open to a two-for-one deal if he believes the conventional wisdom that this year’s draft is especially top-heavy, but in general Schlenk’s philosophy is to accumulate draft picks and take as many chances as possible at landing a great player.
  • Raptors guard Danny Green is too focused on the NBA Finals to discuss a possible move to New York, but it’s a discussion that could come into play this offseason, Berman speculates in a separate story. A Long Island native, Green will be a free agent this summer and the Knicks will be in the market for shooters. He talked briefly to New York during his last free agency experience. “The (Knicks) reached out (in 2015) and sent a text,” Green recalled. “My deal (four years, $40 million) was done so fast I was pretty much only talking to them. It happened so fast. I was barely a free agent. I knew we had a good crew coming back (in San Antonio) and felt I had a good chance of winning again.”
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Potential Grizzlies Target May Stay In Europe

June 1st, 2019 at 5:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Zalgiris Kaunas coach Sarunas Jasikevicius, who has been mentioned as a possibility for the head coaching vacancy in Memphis, didn’t sound ready to pursue the NBA after leading his team to the LKL title today in Lithuania, relays Orzaio Cauchi of Sportando.

“Now I can’t say anything. It’s so great in Kaunas, that some very incredible situation must come, that I would change it,” Jasikevicius said during the post-game celebration. “Now I feel very good in Zalgiris. I don’t need to chase anything, because Zalgiris is a top organization.”

Considered one of the EuroLeague’s top coaches, Jasikevicius has previous NBA experience as a player, spending two seasons with the Pacers and Warriors from 2005 to 2007. The 43-year-old interviewed with the Raptors last summer and turned down an offer to become an assistant after Nick Nurse was hired.

The Grizzlies, who are the NBA’s only team without a head coach, have reportedly talked to Alex Jensen, Jarron Collins, Igor Kokoskov, Nate Tibbetts, Adrian Griffin and Taylor Jenkins. The position has been open since J.B. Bickerstaff was fired April 11.

“We can talk a lot, but as I understand, now it’s the process of information gathering,” Jasikevicius said about the Memphis job. “I don’t know if it will get more serious. But I don’t want to go deeper on rumors about me and my players.”

Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

Juwan Morgan To Work Out For Grizzlies, Others

June 1st, 2019 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams
  • According to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (via Twitter), the workout list for Indiana forward Juwan Morgan includes the Suns, Pacers, Bulls, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Jazz, and Kings.
Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts