Memphis Grizzlies Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Grizzlies, Horford, Bennett, Dolan

December 30th, 2013 at 10:10pm CST by Zachary Links

While they’re only a few months removed from an appearance in the Western Finals, the Grizzlies aren’t currently in position to make the playoffs this season, and may have to start looking toward the future, Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com writes in a piece for SBNation.com. Tonight’s look around the Association…

An NBA exec says that even though he hasn’t spoken with the Cavs, “they’re clearly aggressive” in trying to trade Andrew Bynum and are active in other talks, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
Al Horford will undergo surgery for his torn pectoral muscle on Tuesday, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Last week, we learned that the Hawks big man is done for the season thanks to the injury.
Cavs rookie Anthony Bennett is trying to cope with the widespread criticism he has received so far this season, writes Bob Finnan of the News-Herald. The No. 1 overall pick is averaging 2.4 points and 2.0 rebounds while shooting 27.7% from the field and 15.4% from the three-point arc.
Knicks owner James Dolan’s poor basketball sense has put the club in a terrible position, opines Phil Mushnick of the New York Post.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Northwest Notes: Jazz, Garrett, Koufos, Jefferson

December 29th, 2013 at 4:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s look at the Northwest Division..

Jazz guards Diante Garrett and Ian Clark along with forward Mike Harris have January 10th -the date that non-guaranteed deals become guaranteed – circled on their calendars, writes Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune. Of the three, Garrett has logged the most serious minutes, though they’ve been in shorter supply of late.
As he plies his craft with the Grizzlies, Kosta Koufos says he’s not thinking about what could have been with the Nuggets, writes Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post. “It’s a business,” Koufos said. “I understand that. It’s a new chapter in my life. I was very fortunate to be a Denver Nugget at the time. I enjoyed my experience there. At the same time, move on with a new team, the Memphis Grizzlies, and I’m here 100 percent to try to help them win games.” Koufos became the Nuggets’ starting center last year, averaging 8.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game. He has similar averages for the Grizzlies this season: 7.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots per contest.
Al Jefferson also moved on from the Northwest Division this year. After anchoring the Jazz, Jefferson is now the veteran big man in Charlotte, writes Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune.

Several Teams Interested In Luol Deng

December 27th, 2013 at 6:06pm CST by Chuck Myron

6:06pm: Sam clarifies in a pair of tweets that the teams mentioned in his story are more interested in Deng as a free agent than a trade target, since they wouldn’t want to give up assets to rent him for a half-season.

4:59pm: The Cavaliers, Mavericks, Lakers, Raptors, Spurs, Grizzlies and Nets are among the teams interested in Luol Deng, sources tell Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com. It’s not clear whether those teams are looking to trade for Deng this season or sign him in the summer, when he’ll be a free agent. The Bulls, while reportedly determined not to trade Deng, would apparently do so if they receive the right offer, and according to Sam, such an offer would involve a productive young player and a first-round pick.

Deng and the Bulls had extension talks this summer, but agent Ron Shade, who represents Deng along with Herb Rudoy, tells Sam that the Bulls never even made an extension offer to his client and says that many were “shocked” that Chicago wouldn’t do so.

“Honestly, I wanted something to be done,” Deng said. “I wanted to be here. I really felt we were going to. I don’t know how the money works. I don’t know what needed to be done. I really don’t know any of that stuff. But after the spinal tap, I went away and everything, I think I was waiting to hear from the Bulls. I was waiting to hear from [GM] Gar [Forman], and I really thought there would be weeks, maybe months of going back and forth, and trying to get it done. I felt like I’ve been here since I was 18. I’ve worked hard. They’ve seen me come in and do everything. But for whatever reason, Gar felt like it wasn’t the time yet.”

Still, Deng insists Forman “didn’t do anything wrong,” and remains open to staying with the team. The Bulls could have plenty of competition if they don’t deal him, Sam writes, believing that Deng could become the most sought-after free agent of the summer if marquee stars like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony decide not to opt out of their deals.

Grizzlies Seeking Wing Upgrade Via Trade

December 26th, 2013 at 12:41pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Grizzlies are actively seeking trades that would add athleticism on the wing and improve the team in the short term, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Berger also hears from sources who expect Zach Randolph to turn down his more than $16.9MM player option for next season in search of a long-term deal this summer.

Memphis, just 12-15, has lost starting wings Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince to injuries for stretches this season, while backup wing Quincy Pondexter is out for the year with a broken foot. A report earlier this week indicated the team is looking to shake up its roster and offered Jerryd Bayless to the Lakers for a package that would have included Jodie Meeks.

Berger indicates that Memphis wants to see how far its core of Allen, Randolph, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley can take it for now and build around Gasol and Conley for the future. The Grizzlies would be in the mix to retain Randolph if he opts out, according to Berger. The team doesn’t want to lose Randolph without compensation, but unless he tells Grizzlies management that he intends to leave, it doesn’t appear there’s a pressing need to trade him this season, Berger writes.

The Grizzlies have several trade exceptions at their disposal, the largest of which is worth a little more than $2MM. Memphis is about $3.5MM clear of luxury tax territory, so there should be enough flexibility for the team to strengthen its bench, if nothing else.

Knicks Want To Trade For Rajon Rondo

December 26th, 2013 at 8:41am CST by Chuck Myron

Knicks management is confident it can attract the stars necessary to pull the team out of its malaise, and its first target will be Rajon Rondo, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. The Knicks hope Rondo will become discontent with the Celtics and attempt to force them to trade him to New York sometime between now and 2015, when his contract ends. If they come up short on trading for Rondo, the Knicks think they’ll sign him in free agency or land one or two of the following potential 2015 free agents: LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol, Roy Hibbert, Kevin Love and Tony Parker.

The notion of Rondo joining the Knicks isn’t new, since the point guard’s high school coach claimed earlier this month that fellow former pupil Carmelo Anthony has been trying to recruit Rondo. Anthony pointed out that any such talk could constitute tampering, and both he and Rondo denied that they were discussing the idea of teaming up. It’s not clear how the Knicks could sell Rondo on the notion of pushing for a trade to New York, as Anthony did in 2011, without violating tampering rules. Still, much of the Knicks’ confidence in their future comes from the built-in lure of star-making capital New York, Windhorst writes.

Anthony could leave in free agency himself this summer, and there’s talk that the Knicks may attempt to trade him by the upcoming February 20th deadline if they don’t feel as though they can retain him. Windhorst seems to suggest there’s little chance of that happening, given how certain the Knicks seem about the road ahead. An executive from another team says the Knicks expect to re-sign Anthony and have another star player with him in a year’s time, adding that, “They’re so sure about it you’d think they already know what will happen.”

The same attitude explains why Mike Woodson is still coaching the team, according to Windhorst. The Knicks don’t feel there’s an adequate replacement available during the season, but plenty of intriguing candidates may exist in the summer, Windhorst writes. Having traded their potential lottery pick for 2014, the Knicks may be better off trying to make the playoffs this year with Woodson as coach, the ESPN scribe opines.

Grizzlies Propose Bayless-Meeks Deal To Lakers

December 24th, 2013 at 1:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Grizzlies are “clearly looking to shake up their roster,” writes Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher, who hears from a Lakers source that Memphis offered Jerryd Bayless in return for Jodie Meeks. Such a trade wouldn’t work under the NBA’s salary-matching rules, which would require the Lakers to put additional outgoing salary into the deal to come closer to the $3.135MM Bayless makes this season. Still, the proposal appears to indicate changes could be on the way for the disappointing 12-15 Grizzlies.

Memphis has added James Johnson and Seth Curry in recent days to bolster an injury-depleted roster that’s enduring the long-term absences of Marc Gasol and Quincy Pondexter. It appears the Grizzlies have no interest in a rumored trade that would send Zach Randolph to the Pelicans, Bucher says, though a report yesterday indicated that Memphis might be willing to move Randolph for the right offer.

The Lakers have had their own share of injury troubles, particularly among their point guards, and adding Bayless would help them shore up that position. He’s also a free agent after this season, so he wouldn’t clog up L.A.’s cap space this summer. Still, it doesn’t sound as though the Grizzlies’ proposal has gained any traction.

Grizzlies Sign Seth Curry

December 24th, 2013 at 12:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

TUESDAY, 12:16pm: The Grizzlies have officially announced the move, via press release.

SUNDAY, 7:59am: The Grizzlies are set to add guard Seth Curry, tweets Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle. Curry will arrive in Memphis on Monday for a physical and a workout before the team makes the signing official, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter links). The move would bring the Grizzlies roster to the 15-player maximum.

Curry performed well earlier this month in an audition with the Grizzlies, but it’s still somewhat surprising to see that the club is expected to sign him, since a report indicated that Memphis had shifted gears after setting up its auditions for Curry and others. The Grizzlies had apparently begun focusing on long-term replacements for Quincy Pondexter, who’s out for the season, but perhaps they circled back to Curry after finding no better fit on the market.

The deal figures to be for the minimum salary. There are only a couple of weeks left before the January 10th leaguewide guarantee date, so if the arrangement doesn’t include a full guarantee, the Grizzlies won’t have long to evaluate Curry before they must decide on picking up his salary for the entire season.

Curry, 23, went undrafted out of Duke this past June and spent training camp this fall with older brother Stephen Curry and the Warriors. He’s been playing with the Santa Cruz Warriors of the D-League since then, averaging 21.3 points and 7.8 assists in 12 games.

Ford On Randolph, Raptors, Cavs, Suns, Draft

December 23rd, 2013 at 3:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Recent reports have downplayed the Grizzlies‘ and Raptors‘ interest in moving Zach Randolph and DeMar DeRozan, but in his latest chat, ESPN.com’s Chad Ford suggests both teams would still be open to moving their respective highest-paid players in the right deal. Here’s more from ESPN’s draft guru:

Jonas Valanciunas and perhaps Amir Johnson are the only players the Raptors “really want to keep,” according to Ford.
The Cavaliers are working the phones in an effort to add impact players, and are still very much trying to make the playoffs this season, says Ford.
Ford believes that anyone on the Suns except for Eric Bledsoe could be had, suggesting that Goran Dragic, who is drawing interest from the Kings, is “the most likely to go.” I’d assume the Suns would require a pretty nice package to seriously consider moving Dragic, given how well he and Bledsoe have played together so far.
In a 2013 re-draft, Ford would have Giannis Antetokounmpo at No. 1, followed by Victor Oladipo and Michael Carter-Williams.
There’s no clear consensus on who will be picked first overall in 2014. According to Ford, conservative GMs will lean toward Julius Randle or Jabari Parker, while risk-taking teams will likely opt for Andrew Wiggins, Dante Exum, or Joel Embiid.

Southwest Notes: Diaw, Ajinca, Williams

December 18th, 2013 at 7:26pm CST by Chuck Myron

There is news coming out of the Southwest Division that doesn’t involve Omer Asik, believe it or not. Houston’s effort to trade its backup center has dominated headlines for the past few days, and will likely continue to do so until the Rockets strike a deal. In the meantime, here’s the latest from elsewhere in the Southwest:

Boris Diaw tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com that it was an easy decision to exercise his more than $4.7MM player option to return to the Spurs this summer. “In the Finals, we were so close,” Diaw said. “I wanted to go again and come back with this team. It’s been a great season this year, and we play a good style of basketball and we’ll get another shot together.”
The Bobcats, Mavs and Raptors didn’t make the proper investment of time and effort into Alexis Ajinca‘s development during his first stint in the NBA, as Mark Deeks of ShamSports opines in a piece for the Score. That’s left the Pelicans in a position to benefit now that Ajinca is headed to New Orleans, Deeks writes, comparing it to the Spurs‘ acquisition of Aron Baynes last season.
Reggie Williams is set to join the D-League, according to Gino Pilato of D-League Digest. The four-year NBA veteran is on the Rockets‘ books for about $474K after Houston cut him in a numbers crunch before the start of the regular season. He was among those scheduled to work out for the Grizzlies recently before the team switched gears.

Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Grizz, Rockets

December 17th, 2013 at 7:18pm CST by Alex Lee

Three of the ten NBA teams in action tonight are in the league’s Southwest division, which also seems to be having a busy night in the rumors department. Let’s take a look at the latest coming out of the division:

He’s been mentioned frequently in trade rumors and speculation, but Ryan Anderson isn’t going anywhere, says John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. According to Reid, the Pelicans aren’t discussing Anderson in any trade scenarios, and the NBA’s three-point leader (3.5 per game) remains “critical” to the club’s plans.
Speaking of the Pelicans, ESPN’s Marc Stein chimes in on the news that Alexis Ajinca is returning stateside to sign with New Orleans, tweeting that he has continuously been told that the improved Frenchman is not the same disappointing player that we last saw in the NBA.
In an Insider-only piece, Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com questions whether or not the Grizzlies – ravaged by injuries and part of a ridiculously deep Western Conference – should throw in the towel on this season. Haberstroh says that Memphis is statistically more likely to win the No. 1 selection in June’s draft than they are to make the playoffs, and that “tanking” would undoubtedly include trading grit-and-grind staple Zach Randolph.
At the end of his Waiters story, Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report also confirms that the Rockets could trade Omer Asik by Thursday, citing a source familiar with the situation and reiterating potential destinations that we’ve heard about in recent weeks. In addition to the Asik stuff, Zwerling spoke to a source close to Jeremy Lin who said the recent buzz that the point guard could be traded is just rumors for now and that nothing is “imminent.”