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Grizzlies, Joakim Noah Agree To One-Year Deal

November 30th, 2018 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies have reached an agreement with free agent center Joakim Noah, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links). According to Charania, Noah will ink a one-year contract worth the veteran’s minimum — that was all Memphis could offer, since the team had used its mid-level and bi-annual exceptions.

Noah will travel to Memphis on Sunday and sign his new contract with the Grizzlies sometime early next week, according to Charania, who adds that the club has targeted the 33-year-old for its backup center role all season.

Noah spent two seasons with the Knicks after signing a four-year, $72MM deal with the team in 2016. However, he appeared in just 53 games during his time in New York, being sent away from the club last spring following a run-in with then-coach Jeff Hornacek. The Knicks ultimately decided to waive Noah before this season’s regular season opener with two years left on his contract, stretching his $19.3MM salary for 2019/20 across three years.

Although Noah’s time as a Knick didn’t work out, he put up decent numbers in 2016/17 with the team, averaging 5.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 2.2 APG in 46 games (22.1 MPG), so it’s possible he could still be productive in a limited role. He certainly won’t be relied upon as the lone defensive anchor in Memphis, where Marc Gasol and Jaren Jackson Jr. already roam the frontcourt.

As Charania alludes to, the Grizzlies and Noah had been circling one another for a while. The veteran big man was first linked to Memphis about a month ago, when a report suggested the two sides had been in contact. Those discussions reportedly intensified later in the month, with a report last week indicating that Noah and the Grizzlies were expected to finalize a deal in the not-too-distant future.

The Grizzlies waived Andrew Harrison earlier in the season to open up a spot on their 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary to make room for Noah. The precise cap hit for Noah will depend on what day he signs his contract — if it’s finalized on Monday, he’d be in line for a salary of about $1.74MM and would count for approximately $1.1MM against Memphis’ cap.

Although the Grizzlies don’t have a ton of breathing room below the luxury tax line, Noah’s modest cap charge won’t put them past that threshold.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Suns, Grizzlies Among Teams To Inquire On Ntilikina

November 30th, 2018 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

10:30am: The Grizzlies have also inquired on Ntilikina, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (Twitter link).

The Grizzlies, of course, have Mike Conley at the point, so they’d likely envision Ntilikina in a different role than a team like the Suns or Magic would.

9:40am: The Suns are among the teams to have reached out to the Knicks to express interest in second-year guard Frank Ntilikina, reports Ian Begley of ESPN.com (via Twitter). We heard earlier this week that the Magic have also shown some interest in Ntilikina.

According to Begley, when the Suns inquired on Ntilikina earlier in the year, the Knicks said they weren’t open to moving the 20-year-old. It’s not clear if the club has wavered on that stance at all a month and a half into the regular season, with Ntilikina playing a somewhat reduced role as of late — he has averaged just 14.1 minutes per game in New York’s last four contests, compared to 25.0 MPG in the club’s first 19 games.

Like Orlando, Phoenix has a handful promising core building blocks on its roster, but hasn’t settled on a long-term answer at point guard. It’s not clear if Ntilikina, who has struggled as an offensive player since being drafted eighth overall in 2017, could be that answer.

However, according to Begley, some members of the Suns’ organization are intrigued by the idea of pairing Ntilikina and Devin Booker in their backcourt. It would be an interesting combination, given Booker’s elite scoring ability and Ntilikina’s defensive prowess.

[RELATED: Suns among teams with interest in Markelle Fultz]

Still, as I noted when we discussed the Magic’s interest on Thursday, there are no indications at this point that Ntilikina is on the trade block in New York, though it’s possible that will change by February’s deadline. Fellow point guards Trey Burke and Emmanuel Mudiay will be free agents in 2019, so the Knicks will have to make some decisions this season on which of those three players – if any – they intend to prioritize over the long term.

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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/29/18

November 29th, 2018 at 9:25pm CST by JD Shaw

Here are Thursday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:

  • The Pistons assigned guard Luke Kennard to the Grand Rapids Drive as he continues his rehab from a shoulder injury, announcing the news in an email. Kennard will play with the Drive in the team’s game on Friday.
  • The Grizzlies recalled then later assigned Jevon Carter to the Memphis Hustle, according to a tweet from the team. The move was made so Carter could practice with the Grizzlies Thursday morning.
  • The Suns have recalled guard De’Anthony Melton from Northern Arizona, the team announced. Melton is averaging 17 points, 6.6 assists and seven rebounds in five G League games this season.
  • The Timberwolves have assigned Keita Bates-Diop to the Iowa Wolves, the team’s G League affiliate, announcing the news on Twitter. Bates-Diop has seen action in two games with the Timberwolves this season.
  • The Celtics assigned guard Brad Wanamaker to their G League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, according to a tweet from the team. Wanamaker has scored 16 points in five games with Boston on the season.
  • The Knicks recalled Luke Kornet from the Westchester Knicks, the team announced. Kornet has played in four games with the Knicks.
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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/25/18

November 25th, 2018 at 8:10pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

Here are Sunday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:

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Community Shootaround: Marc Gasol’s Resurgence

November 25th, 2018 at 6:01pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

One of the main storylines from the early portion of the season has been the strong start for the Grizzlies. At 12-6, they sit second in the Western Conference, just a 1/2 game out of the top spot in the standings.

The Grizzlies’ offseason was executed with a focus on revitalizing grit and grind, and the results have been very promising so far. Heading into Sunday’s game, the Grizzlies owned the league’s second-ranked defense, which has allowed them to overcome their 24th ranked offense.

A key to this strong start is that the team’s best players are healthy and playing at the levels they did when the Grizzlies last made the playoffs in 2017. Mike Conley is averaging over 20 points and 6 assists per game, while Marc Gasol is having his best season in years after slouching through last season’s tanking and turmoil.

Gasol is averaging 17.6 points, 9.8 rebounds (a career-high), and 3.9 assists per game this season, and he has returned to his Defensive Player of the Year levels as the true anchor of the defense. When Gasol is on the floor, the Grizzlies’ defense improves by 8.5 points per 100 possessions. Lineups with Gasol at center have posted a defensive rating of 102.9, which would be the best rank in the league by nearly two points per 100 possessions.

What should give the Grizzlies (and their fans) confidence is that the pairing of Gasol and Jaren Jackson has had tremendous defensive success. Lineups with that pair on the floor own a defensive rating of 95.4, which is a testament to the strong defensive play from their starting frontcourt. Finally, Gasol tops the league in defensive real plus-minus (+4.72) by a wide margin, highlighting his ability to impact and lead the Grizzlies’ elite unit.

With all that being said, it’s time that Gasol is mentioned in the running for Defensive Player of the Year. If Gasol and the Grizzlies continue with this level of defense over the course of the season, Gasol should be a top candidate for the award. While one would think that a ground-bound big man like Gasol would struggle in today’s NBA, the Grizzlies have surrounded Gasol with enough defensive talent to support his incredible basketball IQ and size to stifle opponents.

What do you think about Gasol’s resurgence and defensive impact this season? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Grizzlies, Joakim Noah Expected To Finalize Deal Next Week

November 24th, 2018 at 9:17am CST by marksuleymanov

The Grizzlies are expected to meet with veteran center Joakim Noah late next week to finalize a deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

As we relayed earlier this week, Memphis and Noah have had “extensive discussions” since he was waived by the Knicks last month. Noah, 33, spent two seasons in New York after signing a four-year, $72MM deal with the team in 2016. The Knicks stretched Noah’s $19.3MM salary for 2019/20 across three years.

That deal did not work out as he appeared in just 53 games over that two-year stretch. In his first season with the Knicks, Noah did post respectable numbers of 5.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 2.2 APG in 46 games (22.1 MPG). Ultimately, Noah was sent away from the team last spring after a run-in with then-coach Jeff Hornacek.

Memphis waived Andrew Harrison last month to open a spot on their 15-man roster and were rumored to be seeking a veteran big man to fill the vacancy. Since they used their bi-annual exception last season and committed their entire mid-level exception to Kyle Anderson, the Grizzlies – who are near the luxury tax threshold – can only offer a minimum salary contract.

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Anderson's Return To San Antonio; Green's Return To Lineup

November 23rd, 2018 at 2:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Returning to San Antonio on Wednesday for the first time since signing a four-year offer sheet with the Grizzlies during the offseason, Kyle Anderson downplayed the significance of the matchup, suggesting it would be just another game, writes David Cobb of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. However, as Cobb details, Anderson’s teammates weren’t buying that.

“He really wanted this one,” Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley said. “He told me before coming in here, he said, ‘Man, go off for me so we can get this win.’ You could tell it meant a whole lot to him. We were really just playing for one another, and it showed down the stretch.”

Before the Grizzlies’ win over the Spurs, Anderson expressed appreciation for how head coach Gregg Popovich and GM R.C. Buford handled his departure from San Antonio, admitting that he wasn’t sure when he signed his offer sheet whether it’d be matched. Popovich praised Anderson this week, but said that Memphis’ offer sheet was “beyond the pale for us,” according to Cobb.

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Poll: Will The Grizzlies Make The Playoffs?

November 22nd, 2018 at 9:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Expectations weren’t high for the Grizzlies coming into the 2018/19 season. Oddsmakers placed Memphis’ over/under at 34.5 wins, which would have put the team in a tie with Dallas for the 12th-best record in the Western Conference. And it’s not as if fans and experts widely viewed that projection as pessimistic. In fact, in our preseason over/under polls, more than 60% of our respondents for the Grizzlies picked them to finish under 34.5 wins.

A little over a month later, as the regular season nears the one-quarter mark, the Grizzlies aren’t just exceeding expectations — they are, improbably, the No. 1 team in the Western Conference. Of course, the top 10 teams in the West are separated by just 2.5 games, so it’s not as if Memphis is running away with the conference, but the team’s 12-5 mark is good for first place for now.

While it remains to be seen if the Grizzlies’ early-season success is sustainable, it’s not as if a bunch of guys on the roster are playing over their heads. Offseason additions Jaren Jackson Jr. and Shelvin Mack have been better than expected so far, and the fact that Mike Conley and Marc Gasol have stayed healthy is a big help. But the Grizzlies’ major free agent signee, Kyle Anderson, hasn’t made a huge impact, and their third highest-paid player, Chandler Parsons, has once again been sidelined by health problems.

Memphis’ management talked in the offseason about wanting to return to a grit-and-grind style of play, which seemed like an unusual approach to take in a league that has become increasingly fast-paced and offense-oriented. However, it’s a path that’s worked for the Grizzlies so far.

Despite playing at the slowest pace in the NBA and ranking 26th in three-point attempts, Memphis is winning because of its defense and its ability to take care of the ball on the offense — the club ranks fourth in the NBA in defensive rating, fifth in takeaways, and fourth in turnovers.

The Grizzlies couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season, but it comes with no guarantees. They still have 65 games left to play, and as we noted above, the top 10 teams in the West are separated by just 2.5 games. That group of 10 teams doesn’t even include the 8-9 Spurs or the 8-10 Jazz, who are out of the playoff picture at the moment, but figure to make a push at some point.

What are your expectations for Memphis this season? Will the Grizzlies’ hot start help propel them to a playoff berth at season’s end, or will they eventually drop off and finish outside the top eight in the Western Conference?

Vote below in our poll, then head to the comment section to weigh in.

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

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Extensive Discussions Between Grizzlies, Joakim Noah

November 19th, 2018 at 12:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies have engaged in “extensive discussions” with free agent center Joakim Noah in recent days, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times, who reports (via Twitter) that the two sides are in talks on a potential deal.

Noah, 33, spent two seasons with the Knicks after signing a four-year, $72MM deal with the team in 2016. However, he appeared in just 53 games during his time in New York, being sent away from the club last spring following a run-in with then-coach Jeff Hornacek. The Knicks ultimately decided to waive Noah last month with two years left on his contract, stretching his $19.3MM salary for 2019/20 across three years.

Since Noah reached free agency, the Grizzlies have been the only team linked to him. A report from about three weeks ago indicated that Memphis had been in touch with Noah, but had no immediate plans to sign him, and we heard a similar account last week. The latest update from Stein suggests that those discussions may have become a little more serious.

Having waived Andrew Harrison last month, the Grizzlies have an open spot on their 15-man roster, and there were rumblings that they wanted to add a veteran big man using that opening.

Although Noah’s time as a Knick didn’t work out, he put up decent numbers in 2016/17 with the team, averaging 5.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 2.2 APG in 46 games (22.1 MPG), so it’s possible he could still be productive in a limited role.

Since they used their bi-annual exception last season and committed their entire mid-level exception to Kyle Anderson, the Grizzlies – who are near the luxury tax threshold – could only offer a minimum salary contract.

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