Memphis Grizzlies Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kyle Anderson Out 2-to-4 Weeks With Ankle Sprain

January 13th, 2019 at 4:18pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

The Grizzlies have revealed that Kyle Anderson will miss at least 2-to-4 weeks with a grade two left ankle sprain. The team’s PR department sent out a tweet detailing the injury and timetable.

Anderson was one of the main free agency additions for the Grizzlies and had started 38 of the team’s 41 games this season while playing nearly 30 minutes per contest. Anderson joined Memphis as a restricted free agent during the 2018 offseason when the Spurs decided not to match the Grizzlies’ four-year, $37.2MM offer sheet.

Anderson has averaged 7.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game this season. The Grizzlies have struggled in recent weeks, having fallen out of the playoff picture and down toward the bottom of the Western Conference.

Gasol Denies Having Rift With Noah; Bickerstaff Discusses Jackson Jr.

January 13th, 2019 at 4:02pm CST by JD Shaw

Grizzlies center Marc Gasol has denied that there’s any rift between him and teammate Joakim Noah, David Cobb of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. A video of Gasol brushing by Noah after the team’s win over the Spurs circulated on social media, with Gasol calling the insinuation “f——” unbelievable.” Noah also played with Marc’s brother, Pau Gasol, for two seasons in Chicago.
Grizzlies coach J.B. Bickerstaff explains his development plan for Jaren Jackson Jr., as relayed by Cobb in a story for the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “There’s moments where it may look like we’re being tough on him,” Bickerstaff said. “But we have expectations of him being a franchise player, and your franchise player has to hold himself to those standards. And you only get one chance to coach him as a rookie.” Jackson Jr., the No. 4 pick in 2018, has averaged 13.4 points in 25.5 minutes per game this season, starting in 40 of 42 contests.

Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Southwest Division

January 11th, 2019 at 9:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we turn our attention to the Southwest Division:

DeAndre Jordan, Mavericks, 30, C (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $24.1MM deal in 2018
Jordan has pretty much done his usual thing in his first season with Dallas, ranking second in the league in rebounding and anchoring the defense. One troubling development is his penchant for turnovers — he’s averaging a career-worst 2.4 per game. The one other surprising development is a plus — the career 45.9% free throw shooter has drained 70.3% of his attempts. The always durable Jordan has also answered the bell every game. Early concerns about about “selfish” play have somewhat dissipated. Dallas may not re-sign him but someone will give him another big contract this summer.

Austin Rivers, Rockets, 26, SG (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $1.15MM deal in 2018
The above salary number doesn’t reflect what Rivers is actually making this season, as the Suns bought out his contract after he was traded from the Wizards. He had a $12.6MM salary in the final year of a four-season contract and only gave back $650K. The decision to hook on with the Rockets after he cleared waivers has been good for both parties. With Chris Paul sidelined, Rivers has averaged 12.3 PPG and 3.1 APG in 38.5 MPG in his first eight outings with a championship contender. Still in his prime, Rivers should be able to land a multi-year deal this summer.

Ivan Rabb, Grizzlies, 21, PF (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $2.3MM deal in 2017
An early second-rounder in 2017, Rabb has been a force in a handful of G League games, averaging 23.4 PPG and 10.2 RPG. That hasn’t translated into NBA playing time. He hasn’t played meaningful minutes in 14 games with the Grizzlies. Interior defensive issues and the lack of 3-point shot are the main reason why the athletic big man hasn’t carved out a role. Unless they’re convinced he can improve those areas, the Grizzlies will likely cut ties with him after the season.

Darius Miller, Pelicans, 28, SF (Down) — Signed to a two-year, $4.3MM deal in 2017
Miller receives lots of playing time but his offensive contributions boil down to an occasional 3-point attempt. To be fair, Miller is the No. 5 option when he’s on the floor and he’s an above-average long-range shooter (38.7 percent). His defensive metrics are subpar, which partially explains his paltry 8.42 PER, so the 3-and-D tag doesn’t necessarily fit. Miller’s 3-point shooting could be enough to land him a veteran’s minimum deal or something slightly higher next summer but there’s no big payday ahead.

Quincy Pondexter, Spurs, 30, SF (Down)– Signed to a one-year, $2.16MM deal in 2018
Pondexter remained on the roster past January 10th, fully guaranteeing his salary for this season. Pondexter, whose career has been sidetracked by knee injuries, has been praised as a positive locker room influence but he hasn’t contributed much on the court. He’s appeared in 31 games but averaged just 5.9 MPG with a majority of his playing time coming in blowouts. Pondexter will likely struggle to find another veteran’s minimum deal in the summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dillon Brooks To Miss Rest Of Season

January 11th, 2019 at 5:56pm CST by Luke Adams

JANUARY 11th, 5:56pm: Brooks underwent surgery to repair a ruptured ligament in his right big toe, according to a team press release relayed by Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix in a tweet. He’ll miss the rest of the season, but a full recovery is anticipated prior to training camp.

JANUARY 9th, 2:34pm: The Grizzlies haven’t provided an official recovery timeline yet for Brooks, but confirmed today (via Twitter) that he has ruptured a ligament in his right big toe and will undergo surgery this week.

11:25am: Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks is set to undergo a procedure on a right toe injury and will likely miss the rest of the season, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). A Grizzlies source confirmed to Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian (Twitter link) that Brooks is likely out for the season.

Although Brooks may be done for 2018/19, he’s expected to make a full recovery and go through a full summer of workouts, according to Charania. The 22-year-old remains under contract with Memphis for one more season at a bargain rate of $1.62MM, so he figures to be back on the court for the club in the fall.

It’s a tough blow for the Grizzlies, who saw Brooks emerge last season as the club’s starting small forward in his rookie year. He averaged 11.0 PPG and 3.1 RPG with a .440/.356/.747 shooting line in that role, playing in every game and showing promise as three-and-D wing.

Brooks was displaced from the starting lineup in 2018/19 due to the arrival of a handful of new additions, including Kyle Anderson and Garrett Temple, and has battled health issues for much of the season. Before suffering his toe injury, Brooks also dealt with a sprained left MCL. He played just 18 games this season and many of his numbers were down, though he remained a three-point threat (37.5%).

Of course, the biggest Brooks-related story of this season was his involvement – or lack thereof – in the failed three-team trade the Grizzlies negotiated with the Wizards and Suns last month. The Grizzlies believed they were giving up Wayne Selden and MarShon Brooks in the deal, while the Suns thought they were getting Selden and Dillon Brooks. The agreement fell apart over the miscommunication and Memphis is now without all three of those players for the rest of the season — Selden and MarShon Brooks were sent to Chicago in a subsequent deal for Justin Holiday.

With Dillon Brooks expected to miss the second half and Chandler Parsons away from the team, the Grizzlies figure to lean more heavily on Temple, Anderson, Holiday, and Omri Casspi.

Bulls Notes: Boylen, Markkanen, Payne

January 11th, 2019 at 2:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Critics have called on coach Jim Boylen to make the 3-point shot a greater part of his offense, but the Bulls don’t have the personnel to make that strategy work, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.

“What we haven’t done is finished very well at those plays at the rim,” Boylen said in response to a question this week. “That’s where we have to grow. Then it’s finishing at the rim, maybe the defense takes it away, and now you spray out [to the 3-point line]. Who are we spraying out to? Well, we’re going to keep working at that.”

Lauri Markkanen has been the team’s most efficient 3-point shooter, but he doesn’t rank in the league’s top 20. The Bulls are 19th in the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage at 34.7%, but are 26th in the number of shots taken and tied for last in makes.

“Sometimes you don’t have the personnel to become a team that’s in the top 10 in 3-point attempts, and makes, and field-goal percentage,” Zach LaVine said. “I think we can take more, but we’d have to be hunting them, and certain guys have to hunt them.”

There’s more news out of Chicago:

The Bulls shouldn’t be so quick to commit to Boylen beyond this season, argues Jon Greenburg of The Athletic. He notes that the organization didn’t really conduct a coaching search before hiring Fred Hoiberg in 2015 and contends that Boylen is too similar to what management decided it didn’t want when it fired Tom Thibodeau. Greenburg mentions current Grizzlies assistant Jerry Stackhouse as a bold hiring the team could make.
Markkanen is still finding his way after missing the first part of the season with an elbow injury, relays Sam Smith of NBA.com. The second-year forward is averaging 17.0 PPG since returning to action, but hasn’t become the focus of the offense that many had hoped, taking just 14.6 shots per night.“I’d rather have plays where I get good shots rather than trying to force something up,” he explained. “I think it all starts from being aggressive and getting to my spots, try to make the right basketball plays.”
Taking a chance on Cameron Payne wasn’t a bad gamble, Smith writes in a question-and-answer column. The Bulls waived Payne last week after giving up Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott and a second-round pick to acquire him in 2017. But Smith says the front office never intended to re-sign Gibson or McDermott, so it didn’t hurt to take a chance on a former lottery pick.

Grizzlies Notes: Leaks, Holiday, PGs, Parsons

January 10th, 2019 at 1:17pm CST by Luke Adams

After Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Wednesday that Dillon Brooks would likely miss the remainder of the 2018/19 season due to a toe injury, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was put on the spot during his usual media availability. As David Cobb of The Memphis Commercial Appeal details, Bickerstaff was frustrated by the fact that he was asked about the report on Brooks before the team was able to put out an official update.

“I think the bigger issue [than Brooks’ status] is we need to be concerned with how information is getting out,” Bickerstaff said. “There are things that should remain in-house until, as an organization, we decide to put out a statement with everyone on the same page. I think first and foremost, we need to address that and make sure the people with information are the people who need to have information.”

While the news on Brooks’ injury would have been announced a few hours later anyway, there have been a number of other instances within the last month where leaks impacted the Grizzlies more significantly. The most obvious cases involved the failed three-team trade with the Suns and Wizards, as well as a locker room altercation between Garrett Temple and Omri Casspi.

After word of that Temple/Casspi incident broke, GM Chris Wallace said his team would deal internally with the leak.

Here’s more on the Grizzlies:

Justin Holiday is off to a slow start with the Grizzlies, averaging 4.0 PPG on 22.2% shooting in his first three games, but he’s excited to be in Memphis after spending most of the first half with the lowly Bulls. “To be right there in the mix, it’s exciting to be here,” Holiday said, per Cobb. “I know we’re struggling right now, but there’s been a lot of changes, a lot of adjustments and sometimes it’s just that time of the year. … Hopefully we can turn it around and do some big things and get back on track.”
In another recent article for The Commercial Appeal, Cobb explored whether rookie Jevon Carter will take over for Shelvin Mack as the Grizzlies’ regular backup point guard. Carter appeared poised to claim that role, but struggled on Monday in New Orleans, prompting the club to turn back to Mack on Wednesday vs. San Antonio.
Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian took a deep dive into the Chandler Parsons situation in Memphis, exploring whether the Grizzlies should have known better than to give Parsons a big contract in 2016, whether the team has handled recent developments correctly, and what’s next for the forward.

Grizzlies GM Talks Draft Pick, Holiday, Parsons

January 8th, 2019 at 9:50am CST by Luke Adams

After a 12-5 start, the Grizzlies‘ season has taken an unfortunate turn, with the team having lost 17 of its last 23 games, including the last six in a row. Memphis is now tied for 13th in the West, 3.5 games back of the eighth seed, which creates an interesting dilemma for the organization as next month’s trade deadline nears.

The Grizzlies owe their 2019 first-round pick to the Celtics, but that pick is top-eight protected, meaning Memphis will hang onto it if it ends up at No. 8 or better. Currently, the Grizzlies are tied for the ninth-worst record in the NBA, as our reverse standings show. If Memphis’ struggles continue, it might be in the franchise’s best long-term interests to prioritize keeping its draft pick for next season rather than attempting to push for the No. 8 seed.

As David Cobb of The Memphis Commercial Appeal relays, general manager Chris Wallace was noncommittal when asked if the Grizzlies expect to convey that first-round pick to Boston this year or potentially keep it: “We’ll see where the season takes us at this point in time. We still have half a season to go. We’ll be prepared for either eventuality.”

Memphis is in a tough spot, since bottoming out and hanging onto that 2019 first-round pick wouldn’t necessarily guarantee that the team eventually sends the Celtics a less favorable pick. That first-rounder will become top-six protected in 2020 and unprotected in 2021 if it’s not conveyed in ’19, Cobb notes.

Here’s more from Wallace on some of the issues facing the Grizzlies, via Cobb:

On whether acquiring Justin Holiday signals that the team remains in win-now mode:

“Absolutely. We paid the price of a couple second-round draft picks to do so, and we think Justin is going to be a very productive player for us on both ends of the floor. He can shoot the three, he can score in addition to shooting the three. He can handle the ball, and he can guard on the other end. He’s someone also who our research tells us is a very high-character, winning individual.”

On whether the Grizzlies are prioritizing winning in the short term or focusing on the long term:

“We’re trying to strike a middle ground of being as good as we can in the here and now and also preparing for the future and not sacrificing anything for the future as well. That’s how you would characterize us, as a team that’s got a foot on both sides of that conundrum. Trying to be good right now and also have an outstanding future as well. I think, obviously, with Jaren [Jackson Jr.] here, that gives us a bridge to the future.”

On his assertion that the Grizzlies “definitely had good information” when they signed Chandler Parsons to a four-year, maximum-salary contract in 2016:

“Obviously, Chandler had done some interesting things as a player during his time in Houston and Dallas, and his skill-set fit what we needed. He was by far the best option at that time, so we took him. Unfortunately, he’s been injured since then, and it’s where we are today after those injuries.”

Chandler Parsons To Leave Grizzlies Indefinitely

January 7th, 2019 at 7:26pm CST by JD Shaw

JANUARY 7, 7:26pm: In a statement to Wojnarowski, Parsons expressed regret that he wasn’t able to finish out the 2018/19 season with the Grizzlies. According to Wojnarowski, the veteran forward wanted to keep practicing with the team, even if he wasn’t being activated for games, but the Grizz preferred to have him leave the club until a resolution can be reached.

“I am extremely disappointed that I didn’t get to finish this season alongside my teammates and the Memphis coaching staff,” Parsons told ESPN. “Unfortunately that option wasn’t presented to me.

“The Grizzlies training staff medically cleared me to play 5-on-5 in mid-December and I have been practicing with the team ever since. I will continue to work out and train until my agent and the team reach a resolution. I am ready to play and committed to getting back on the court.”

JANUARY 6, 3:58pm: Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons will leave the team indefinitely as the two sides work to structure a resolution on his future, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports. Parsons and team management agreed to the separation on Sunday, with the 30-year-old failing to see any playing time.

The Grizzlies still owe Parsons $38MM, which includes his 2019/20 salary of $25.1MM.

According to Wojnarowski and ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the Grizzlies and Parsons’ representation will work to find a trade for Parsons. So far, the Grizzlies have not been willing to include a first-round draft pick in such a trade, but they are willing to take on a longer contract in return for Parsons.

Reports indicate that the final disagreement between the two sides was regarding the possibility of a G League assignment for Parsons. According to Wojnarowski, Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace wanted Parsons to play in a couple of games with the Memphis Hustle before he would decide on returning the veteran to the active roster.

While Parsons was willing to play in the G League, he wanted a clearer timetable regarding his return to Memphis’ active roster.

Parsons has not played since exiting the Grizzlies’ third game of the season because of soreness in his right knee.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/4/19

January 4th, 2019 at 6:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Friday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Grizzlies recalled rookie guard Jevon Carter and big man Ivan Rabb from the Memphis Hustle, the team’s PR department tweets. Carter has appeared in 13 games with the Hustle, averaging 17.8 PPG and 5.5 APG in 33.0 MPG. Rabb has played five games with the Hustle and posted averages of 23.4 PPG and 10.2 RPG in 36.7 MPG.
The Trail Blazers transferred guard Wade Baldwin IV to the Texas Legends, according to a team press release. Baldwin has appeared in 13 games with the Trail Blazers but averaged just 5.5 MPG in those outings. He saw action in 17 games with the Legends last season. He joins forward Caleb Swanigan, who was transferred to the Legends on December 31st.
The Timberwolves assigned rookie forward Keita Bates-Diop to the Iowa Wolves, the team’s PR department tweets. The second-round selection has already played 13 G League games, posting averages of 17.5 PPG and 9.0 RPG in 35.7 MPG.
The Hornets recalled forward Dwayne Bacon, the re-assigned him to the Greensboro Swarm, according to team press releases. That allowed Bacon, who has appeared in 18 games with the Hornets this season, to play for the Swarm against the Lakeland Magic on Friday. He’s averaged 21.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 3.2 APG in six G League appearances.
The Pacers recalled forward Ike Anigbogu from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to a team press release. In 14 games with the Mad Ants, Anigbogu posted averages of 11.6 PPG and 10.1 RPG in 29.3 MPG.

Leftover Cap Details On Bulls/Grizzlies Trade

January 4th, 2019 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

On Thursday, the Grizzlies and Bulls completed the fifth in-season trade of the NBA’s 2018/19 campaign, with Chicago sending Justin Holiday to Memphis in exchange for two players and two second-round draft picks.

While this deal was hardly a blockbuster, it features a few salary cap related details worth noting, so we’ll round those up in this space…

The Bulls create a modest traded player exception:

The Grizzlies had no traded player exceptions large enough to absorb Holiday’s $4,384,616 salary, so they had to aggregate MarShon Brooks ($1,656,092) and Wayne Selden ($1,544,951) for matching purposes. As a result, they didn’t create a TPE as a result of the deal.

On the other hand, the Bulls were able to take on Selden using the minimum salary exception, since he’s earning his minimum. As such, Chicago essentially traded Holiday straight up for Brooks for salary-matching purposes, leaving the Bulls with a trade exception worth the difference between the two players’ salaries: $2,728,524.

Why flipping MarShon Brooks may not be as easy as it seems:

Brooks is earning more than Selden this season because he has more years of NBA experience, but he’s also making the minimum salary. So why were the Bulls able to use the minimum salary exception to absorb Selden, but not Brooks?

Well, even though Brooks is earning his minimum this season, the first season of his deal wasn’t worth the minimum, as cap expert Albert Nahmad notes (via Twitter). The Grizzlies signed Brooks to a two-year pact last April, with just six days left in the 2017/18 campaign. A minimum salary contract would have paid him just $49,877 for those six days, but because Brooks was drawing interest from other suitors, Memphis upped its offer using a portion of its mid-level exception, giving him $249,348. That’s five times the amount of his prorated minimum.

As such, Brooks’ contract isn’t technically considered a minimum salary deal, which is why the Bulls had to account for that $1,656,092 for matching purposes.

Now, with the Bulls reportedly looking to flip Brooks to another team, those same rules apply. Like Chicago, a new trade partner wouldn’t be able to use the minimum salary exception to acquire Brooks. That trade partner would need a trade exception big enough to absorb his salary or would have to send back a contract in return.

That could eliminate a number of potential landing spots for the veteran guard and make it a little more challenging for the Bulls to make a second deal.

The Grizzlies still have a small amount of breathing room below the tax line:

The Grizzlies were pretty close to the luxury tax threshold before this trade. Having taken on a little money in acquiring Holiday, they’re even closer now. According to Bobby Marks of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Memphis has approximately $463K in breathing room before becoming a taxpayer.

While the Grizzlies opened up a roster spot by making a two-for-one deal, using that roster spot on a rest-of-season contract right now would take them into the tax. A veteran player (at least two years of experience) signed to a minimum salary deal today would have a cap hit of $829K.

Teams can begin signing 10-day contracts as of Saturday, and the Grizzlies could fit one of those under the tax line — a veteran on a 10-day deal would cost about $85K. So Memphis could afford five 10-day contracts for the rest of the season. A sixth would take the team into tax territory.

The Grizzlies could make a separate cost-cutting move before the February 7 trade deadline to create a little more wiggle room to sign a player. If they don’t reduce their team salary, however, that 15th roster spot is probably a good bet to remain open for a good chunk of the second half.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.