Memphis Grizzlies Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Doncic, Ginobili, Bluiett, Grizzlies

September 2nd, 2018 at 3:01pm CST by marksuleymanov

The third overall pick from the 2018 NBA Draft, Luka Doncic, will not be part of the Slovenian national team for September’s FIBA World Cup qualifiers, per a Sportando report. Instead, he will remain in the United States to prepare for the upcoming NBA season, Doncic confirmed with a tweet.

Doncic, 19, was drafted by the Hawks with the third pick in the draft but was immediately traded to the Mavericks in exchange for the draft rights to Trae Young and a 2019 first-round pick. Given his past success internationally, it was possible that Doncic would have suited up for the Slovenian team before the NBA season started.

With Real Madrid this past season, Doncic racked up several major awards. He became the youngest player to win the EuroLeague Final Four Most Valuable Player award in addition to being named the EuroLeague MVP and Rising Star.

Check out more Southwest Division notes below:

In an in-depth look at the recently retired Manu Ginobili, Gilbert Garcia of the San Antonio Express-News looked at how his presence around the organization made everyone appreciate him. After 16 seasons with the Spurs, the Argentina product announced he will retire instead of pursuing a 17th season.
Trevon Bluiett impressed at Summer League, which paved the way for him to ink a two-way contract with the Pelicans. As Scott Kushner of The Advocate writes, Bluiett is excited about the opportunity and is ready to prove himself. “All I know is that it’s a foot in the door,” Bluiett said. “I don’t look at it as, I signed a two-way so I’m good and everything is done. It’s just a foot in the door to get to my ideal goal.”
The Grizzlies finalized their basketball operations department, the team announced in a press release.

Grizzlies Waive Center Dakari Johnson

August 31st, 2018 at 7:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

7:05 pm: The team will use the stretch provision on Johnson, creating annual cap hits worth just under $450K per season for the next three years, Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com tweets.

4:39pm: The Grizzlies have waived center Dakari Johnson, according to a team press release.

Johnson never got a chance to play for Memphis, as he was acquired via a trade with the Magic in July. Memphis shipped out Jarell Martin and tossed in cash considerations in that trade. Orlando acquired Johnson a few days earlier from Oklahoma City in exchange for guard Rodney Purvis.

He appeared in 31 games, including six starts, as a rookie with the Thunder last season. The 7-footer was a second-round pick in the 2015 draft and played parts of three seasons in the G League with the Oklahoma City Blue.

The Grizzlies could use the stretch provision on Johnson’s $1.378MM salary to help them create additional room below the luxury tax threshold. The deadline to use the stretch provision on his contract is today, since it’s an expiring deal. By waiving Johnson, Memphis also created a spot on the 15-man roster for point guard Andrew Harrison, whose deal is non-guaranteed.

Grizzlies Sign Doral Moore To Camp Deal

August 30th, 2018 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

1:43pm: The Grizzlies have officially signed Moore, the team announced today in a press release.

1:04pm: The Grizzlies have reached an agreement on a training camp deal with undrafted free agent Doral Moore, reports Jon Roser of the Memphis Grizzlies Radio Network (Twitter link). According to Roser, Moore is considered likely to join the Memphis Hustle after spending camp with the Grizzlies.

Moore is coming off a breakout junior year at Wake Forest in which he averaged 11.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, and 2.0 BPG with a .689 FG% in 31 games (25.5 MPG). An early entrant in the 2018 draft, the 7’1″ center decided to forgo his final year of college eligibility to go pro, but wasn’t selected in June.

Moore joined the Wizards for Summer League play, though he didn’t see much action in Las Vegas, averaging just 4.2 minutes per contest. Still, the Grizzlies apparently like him enough to bring him to camp and reportedly plan on making him an affiliate player for the Hustle. If Moore signs an Exhibit 10 contract with Memphis, he’d be in line for a bonus of up to $50K if he spends at least two months with the team’s G League squad.

Assuming the Grizzlies finalize their reported deal with Moore soon, he’ll become the 19th player on the club’s offseason roster, leaving one open spot.

Grizzlies Notes: Shooting Guards, Green, Defense

August 30th, 2018 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

Having traded Ben McLemore to the Kings in a deal for Garrett Temple, the Grizzlies were able to transform their shooting guard spot from an area of concern into a potential strength, contends Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com.

As Wallace notes, eight different players started at the shooting guard position for the Grizzlies last season, but there should be more stability in 2018/19. While the team may still take a committee approach to the two spot, Temple, Dillon Brooks, MarShon Brooks, and Wayne Selden provide a handful of solid options who possess different sets of skills.

Here’s more on the Grizzlies:

After an unsettled contract situation and an ankle injury hindered JaMychal Green‘s development last fall, he’s healthy entering a contract year in 2018/19. However, it remains to be seen what sort of role he’ll have in a crowded Grizzlies frontcourt, according to Peter Edmiston of The Commercial Appeal, who speculates that trade whispers may follow Green throughout the season.
The Grizzlies have made a conscious effort this offseason to make roster moves that will help the club recapture its old grit ‘n’ grind mentality. In a separate article for The Commercial Appeal, Edmiston explores whether or not it’s reasonable to expect a defensive-first roster to have on-court success in the modern NBA.
Former Grizzlies two-way player Kobi Simmons, who was waived by Memphis on Tuesday, is on track to clear waivers today, assuming he goes unclaimed.
For more notes on the Grizzlies, be sure to check out our team page for the club.

Rookie Yuta Watanabe Representing Japan

August 29th, 2018 at 8:34pm CST by clarkcrum

According to Michael Wallace of Grind City Media, Grizzlies rookie Yuta Watanabe is a perfect developmental prospect for today’s NBA because of his combination of length, shot-blocking and three-point range. Watanabe, 23, is trying to become only the second Japanese player to see action in an NBA game.

Grizzlies Waive Kobi Simmons

August 28th, 2018 at 4:35pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Grizzlies have waived Kobi Simmons, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). Simmons had been on a two-way contract with Memphis.

Simmons played in 32 games for the Grizzlies last season, averaging 6.1 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 20.1 minutes of action per contest. He also spent time in the G League, playing for the Memphis Hustle where he saw 30.9 minutes per game during his 26 appearances.

Simmons went undrafted during the 2017 draft after playing just one season at the University of Arizona. He inked a two-way deal with Memphis last summer.

Parsons' Future May Be In Reserve Role

August 23rd, 2018 at 5:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Even though Chandler Parsons is unlikely to ever live up to his contract, he still has value to the Grizzlies as a bench player, writes Peter Edmiston of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Parsons still has two seasons and more than $49.2MM left on the hefty deal he signed in 2016. He has collected nearly $46MM already while appearing in just 70 games.

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff moved Parsons into a reserve role for much of last season and he responded with better numbers, including hitting 44% of his 3-point attempts off the bench, compared to only 29% as a starter. Edmiston notes that Parsons can be can be a stretch four in that role, and his passing and shooting make him an effective complement to the Grizzlies’ other big men.

Deyonta Davis‘ poor performance in this year’s Summer League convinced the Grizzlies he would never be a productive center for them, according to Michael Wallace of NBA.com. Memphis gave Davis a three-year contract after drafting him in the second round in 2016, but he never lived up to the promise the organization saw in him. Davis played 98 games in two seasons, averaging 4.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per night, before being shipped to the Kings last month. Memphis has transformed its front line since February by parting with Davis, Jarell Martin and Brandan Wright.

Grizzlies Hire New G League Coach

August 22nd, 2018 at 6:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

Brad Jones has been named as the new head coach of the Grizzlies‘ G League affiliate, the team announced today. He won a G League title in 2012 as head coach in Austin and led Utah to the finals in 2009. In his last job, Jones served as general manager for the G League Iowa Wolves and as a scout for the Timberwolves.

NBA Stars Discuss Pros, Cons Of Super-Teams

August 22nd, 2018 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

While NBA fans have – at best – mixed feelings on so-called “super-teams” that feature multiple stars, many players around the league view them as the only realistic way to compete for a championship, as Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post details.

“If you don’t have a super-team, or three superstars, or three All-Stars on your team, it’s very hard to win,” Wizards point guard John Wall told Bontemps at last month’s Team USA mini-camp.

Former NBA stars, particularly those who won championships in the past, have been critical of the idea of current All-Stars teaming up in free agency or via trade requests in an effort to compete for a title. However, Paul George doesn’t believe those criticisms take into account the challenges of the modern-day NBA.

“No team has won [a title] where one single guy was the lone star and it was their team. It’s not that era. I’m not sure how the veterans, the legends, don’t understand that part,” George said. “It’s a different game now. For those guys to chime in and say we’re not built the same . . . I never understood that, because who would we be fooling if we went out alone and tried to go up against the Warriors? The best guy in our league right now couldn’t do it. [LeBron James] got swept [in the 2018 Finals]. So that just goes to show you at this point what it takes to win. Because you need guys that are alike talent-wise and skill set-wise to win championships.”

Of course, with star players assuming more agency and more control when it comes to building super-teams around the NBA, some clubs are bound to be left out. Given the limits of the talent pool, the league can only realistically support a handful of super-teams at a time, and stars aren’t necessarily clamoring to leave their own situations for certain cities or franchises.

“Being in Memphis, being part of a smaller market, you have a tough time in free agency, and you have to build through the draft,” Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley told Bontemps. “With all the things teams have been able to accomplish through free agency, and through all the player movement, you kind of miss out on that.”

Even in a small market though, the idea of constructing a super-team isn’t impossible — if a club can acquire a superstar player that other stars around the league want to play with, such as Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City, it’s a stepping stone toward acquiring other impact players. As Eric Gordon tells Bontemps, players want to go to “winning situations,” so if a team establishes a “winning culture,” it presents a clearer path to attracting top talent. And the Rockets guard views that as good thing for the NBA.

“It’s good to see all these super-teams, because [it means] guys are willing to win,” Gordon said.

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Memphis Grizzlies

Glen Grunwald Hired As A Consultant

August 21st, 2018 at 5:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Omri Casspi‘s offensive skills will provide a different element to the Grizzlies’ rotation than Jarell Martin, the player he essentially replaces, according to Michael Wallace of the team’s website. Casspi, who signed a one-year deal in July, probably won’t play as much as Martin did but Casspi shot 58% from the field and 45.5% from long range for the Warriors last season. His ability to space the floor with his long-range prowess and also cut to the basket will make him an asset, Wallace continues. Martin has more athleticism and defensive versatility than Casspi but never produced as consistently as the Grizzlies had hoped, Wallace adds.
Former Raptors GM Glen Grunwald has accepted a consultant’s role with the Grizzlies, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star reports. Grunwald has also held preliminary negotiations with Canada Basketball, the country’s governing body for the sport, concerning its executive director opening, Smith adds. Grunwald left his post as the director of athletics and recreation at Canada’s McMaster University to join the Grizzlies organization.