- Having been recalled from the Memphis Hustle on Tuesday, rookie forward Ivan Rabb has been re-assigned by the Grizzlies today, per a team release. He should be active for the Hustle on Wednesday night against the Iowa Wolves.
After starting the season with a 7-4 record, the Grizzlies have won just one of their last 16 games, plummeting to second-last in the Western Conference at 8-19. Despite the team’s massive slump, general manager Chris Wallace continues to insist that Memphis won’t entertain the notion of trading Marc Gasol this season, writes Zach Lowe of ESPN.
“We think our window is still very much open with Mike [Conley] and Marc. I think we’ll be heard from the rest of this year, and in years to come,” Wallace recently said. The Grizzlies’ GM reiterated that sentiment on Tuesday, according to Lowe.
Wallace and others in the Grizzlies’ front office are “adamant” that their stance on Gasol – and rebuilding in general – won’t change this season, even if the team doesn’t start winning. Lowe is skeptical, suggesting there are probably scenarios in which Memphis at least gauges Gasol’s value, even if the team doesn’t shop him outright. Still, the ESPN scribe acknowledges that the Grizzlies may still prefer to play out the season, grab a lottery pick, and redouble their efforts to contend with Gasol and Conley in 2018/19.
Here’s more on the Grizzlies, including a few additional tidbits from Lowe’s feature:
- Gasol insists that he won’t ask the Grizzlies for a trade, even if the team were to fall to 30 games below .500. “I would want to see how we got there — what the process is,” Gasol said, according to Lowe. “But as long as [owner] Robert [Pera] wants me here, my teammates want me here, they think I’m part of the solution — and not part of the problem — that’s all I need.” Still, if Memphis decides it wants to move him, Gasol would accept that too: “If they think it is best, I would do anything for this franchise.”
- Wallace believes the Grizzlies can build for the future even as they focus on short-term contention, pointing to Dillon Brooks, Andrew Harrison, Jarell Martin, Deyonta Davis, and Ivan Rabb as young players who could evolve into solid rotation players. “How many teams who have been annual participants in the playoffs have as many guys under 24?” Wallace asked. Still, as Lowe notes, the Memphis GM admitted that it “remains to be seen” whether any of those players will develop into above-average NBA starters.
- Taking a look back at some of the Grizzlies’ draft mistakes, Lowe cites sources who say that the club unsuccessfully tried to trade up for T.J. Warren in 2014. Memphis also considered drafting Nikola Jokic at No. 35 in 2014, but felt it was too high for him, per Lowe. Denver nabbed Jokic six picks later.
- Like Lowe, Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal has gone into extended detail this week about what has gone wrong for the Grizzlies this year. On Sunday, Tillery explored how Memphis’ retooling plan has backfired, while on Tuesday he wrote about the club’s culture being called into question.
Rajon Rondo is making his mark on the Pelicans, using his veteran presence and playmaking abilities to help the team, William Guillory of NOLA.com writes. Rondo missed the start of the season due to a sports hernia but is now drawing praise from his teammates for his teammates.
“I’ve said it many times, once Rondo is on the floor he makes the game easier for a lot of guys. He takes guys’ games to the next level,” DeMarcus Cousins said. “Since Rondo has been back, I think Jrue (Holiday) and E’Twaun (Moore)’s game has gone to the next level. Darius Miller, his game has gone to a whole other level. It’s just making the game easier for everybody.”
The Pelicans are currently in eighth place in the Western Conference with a 13-13 record. Rondo, 31, brings NBA championship experience and one of the most respected basketball minds in the NBA. As Cousins, Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday and the rest of the team compete for the playoffs, Rondo is clearly establishing himself as a vital presence for the team.
Check out other news and notes from the Southwest Division:
- This season hasn’t gone smoothly for the Grizzlies as the team has endured the firing of head coach David Fizdale, a deteriorating relationship with All-Star Marc Gasol, and an 11-game losing streak, putting the team close to the Western Conference cellar. However, interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff thinks the team is trending in the right direction, Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal writes.
- Speaking of changes with the Grizzlies, the team hired former player Greg Bucker as an assistant coach, per Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal. Bucker has served as an analyst for FOX Sports and played for the Grizzlies during the 2008/09 season.
- After improved play — including recent wins over the Clippers and Nuggets — the Mavericks are starting to find their identity on both sides of the floor, Eddie Sefko of Dallas Sports Day writes.
- The Grizzlies don’t have a permanent head coach yet but just hired former NBA player Greg Buckner to serve as an assistant, Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal writes. Buckner worked alongside interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff in Houston and played for the Grizz in 2008/09.
- In the same article for The Commercial Appeal, Chris Herrington writes that the Grizzlies have been slower on offense than before J.B. Bickerstaff took over as head coach. Another difference than under David Fizdale‘s watch is that the Grizz are shooting fewer threes but at a higher clip.
- The Grizzlies don’t have a permanent head coach yet but just hired former NBA player Greg Buckner to serve as an assistant, Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal writes. Buckner worked alongside interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff in Houston and played for the Grizz in 2008/09.
- The Grizzlies don’t need JaMychal Green to be a star but they do need him to establish himself as a plus defender, Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal writes. Green looked particularly impressive on that side of the ball in the team’s streak-busting win over the Timberwolves this week.
- In the same article for The Commercial Appeal, Chris Herrington writes that the Grizzlies have been slower on offense than before J.B. Bickerstaff took over as head coach. Another difference than under David Fizdale‘s watch is that the Grizz are shooting fewer threes but at a higher clip.
- The NBA has fined Marc Gasol $15K for dropping an F-Bomb on live television, the league announced. It’s been a rocky season for the Grizzlies.
- The Grizzlies have sent rookie forward Ivan Rabb back to the G League, the team announced today in a press release. In eight games for the Memphis Hustle this season, Rabb has posted 17.6 PPG, 9.1 RPG, and 1.8 BPG.
In his latest piece for The Ringer, Kevin O’Connor takes a deep dive into the new-look Bucks, with a specific focus on their defense. As O’Connor outlines, Milwaukee has been one of the NBA’s best defensive teams in the 11 games since they acquired Eric Bledsoe, after ranking 29th to open the season.
Still, the Bucks’ recent schedule has been somewhat soft, and the club’s defensive rating takes a major hit when Bledsoe isn’t on the court. Adding another defensive stopper may help stabilize the lineup on that side of the ball and ensure that the club’s defensive improvements stick, O’Connor writes. Here’s more from the Ringer scribe on the Bucks and some of their possible targets:
- The Bucks are on the lookout for a big man, multiple NBA executives tell O’Connor. The team is also trying to create some cap flexibility by moving some of their pricier multiyear contracts, such as the ones signed by Mirza Teletovic, John Henson, and Matthew Dellavedova.
- One notable trade candidate who has been linked to the Bucks is DeAndre Jordan, and league executives expect the Clippers to listen to inquiries on the veteran center, per O’Connor.
- One complicating factor on Jordan is the fact that he doesn’t currently have an agent, but multiple execs and agents who spoke to O’Connor believe the Clippers center will end up signing with Rich Paul and Klutch Sports. If that happens before the trade deadline, Paul could get involved on any Jordan trade talks and influence where he lands. It’s worth noting that both the Bucks (Bledsoe) and Cavaliers (LeBron James, Tristan Thompson, and J.R. Smith), who have been cited as potential suitors for Jordan, have Klutch clients. (Update: Jordan has reportedly hired Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management for representation.)
- Marc Gasol is another player who would make sense as a trade target for the Bucks, but three execs who talked to O’Connor don’t expect the Grizzlies to deal him. One of those execs suggested that even if Gasol were to request a trade, Memphis may wait until the offseason to make a move.
- The Grizzlies have recalled rookie big man Ivan Rabb from the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ NBA G League affiliate, according to an official press release. Rabb has only played one minute for the Grizzlies so far this season.
Leonard played two sessions of five-on-five before San Antonio’s game against the Grizzlies on Friday. Tony Parker, who recently returned from injury, underwent the same process before completing his rehab. While Popovich gets the okay from Leonard, he sees the team’s All-Star small forward back in the lineup.
- After David Fizdale’s firing, the Grizzlies are in a weird position where the team is not out of contention but a lot of controversy surrounds the current core. Chris Herrington of the Commercial Appeal examined the team’s three choices moving forward: blowing up the current roster and starting over, trying to play through the tough times and ride it out, or make certain changes without going into full rebuild mode.
A critical clause in Memphis’ franchise ownership agreement has been activated this week, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes. As we’ve written in the past, the second-largest Grizzlies shareholders will now have an opportunity to possibly buy out majority owner Robert Pera.
In short, Steve Kaplan and Daniel Straus will be presented a chance to purchase Pera’s stake (25-26%) at a price point of their choosing, a caveat being that when they submit their offer, Pera will have the option to instead buy their shares (13.5% each) at the same rate.
All eyes will be on how Pera handles the forced decision. As Krawczynski writes, Pera has been a notoriously absent owner and the franchise appears to be trending in the wrong direction.
The clause, then, marks an opportunity for Pera to cash out on what could prove to be a very successful investment considering that Kaplan and Straus will naturally look to dissuade him from matching and, of course, the rise in franchise valuations across the entire NBA in general.
While the Grizzlies were purchased for $377MM back in 2012, the recent sales of the Clippers and Rockets for north of $2B has obliterated the former precedent.
Pera will have 60-90 days from the day that the clause was activated which means that, barring any complications, we could see a resolution here by the end of January or February at the latest. The exact date that the clause was triggered is not presently known.
If nothing else, the activation of the clause could bring an end to a chapter of uncertainty for the franchise. This year especially, with a lack of familiar faces on the roster, a plethora of injuries and now a coaching change, any semblance of stability could bode well.
Whether that means Pera assumes a larger ownership stake or Straus and Kaplan unseat him altogether, however, remains to be seen.