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Gay Trade Notes: Grizzlies, Trades, Vujacic, Lowry

January 31st, 2013 at 8:17pm CST by Sean Highkin

On Wednesday, the first major trade of the season was consummated as the Grizzlies shipped Rudy Gay and Hamed Haddadi to the Raptors for Jose Calderon to Ed Davis, then sent Calderon to the Pistons for Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye. Here are the latest updates on the involved teams in light of the blockbuster deal:

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Danny Ainge Discusses Pierce, Trades, Grizzlies

January 31st, 2013 at 6:02pm CST by Sean Highkin

Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge appeared on WEEI on Thursday and gave a radio interview in which he covered a variety of topics relating to the Celtics' handling of Rajon Rondo's knee injury and the team's plans for the trading headline. Brian Robb of CelticsHub.com has a transcript of some of Ainge's comments.

On the likelihood of a trade:

“I think whether we win every game or whether we struggle, I think it all depends on what opportunties are presented, so we are open and listening and are having discussions regarding a lot of different possibilities, but we don’t feel pressure to do anything. We want to make some change to help improve our team, but we don’t feel pressure.”

On the possibility of trading Paul Pierce:

Nothing is close to being done. I too, would like to see Paul Pierce retire as a Celtic. That would be great. We are all attached to Paul. He’s been great for the city, the franchise, each of us individually, he’s been a true pro. Having said that, if something came up I would talk to Paul, but my job is do what’s best for the Boston fans, and what’s best for the Boston Celtic team, regardless of my personal ties and personal relationships with players.”

On discussions with the Grizzlies prior to the Rudy Gay trade:

“Memphis with new management has been pretty active. We’ve had discussions but nothing that ever got close. It’s been well documented what they were trying to accomplish, to get under the tax and get for Rudy. They got some good players though, and time will tell.”

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Trade Exceptions Set To Expire At Deadline

January 31st, 2013 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

As our list of outstanding traded player exceptions shows, there are a number of trade exceptions that could be in play as this season's deadline approaches. A trade exception allows a team to absorb a salary without sending any salary out in return. For instance, with the $4.2MM exception the Grizzlies obtained when they traded Marreese Speights to Cleveland, Memphis could acquire one or more players who are earning $4.3MM this season ($4.2MM + $100K).

Trade exceptions, which cannot be combined, expire a year after they're initially acquired, so the TPEs that were created at last year's March trade deadline will expire if they go unused on or before February 21st. While the exceptions don't expire until March, teams obviously won't have the opportunity to use them during the few weeks after the deadline passes.

Most notable among those exceptions set to expire in March is the $13MM TPE the Nuggets obtained when they dealt Nene to Washington at the 2012 deadline. The Nuggets are very unlikely to use that entire exception, but it certainly gives them some added flexibility as they weigh their options over the next three weeks.

Here's the complete list of traded player exceptions that will expire if they go unused at the trade deadline:

  • Denver Nuggets: $13,000,000
  • Golden State Warriors: $3,294,960
  • Milwaukee Bucks: $2,506,500
  • Brooklyn Nets: $1,390,000
  • Brooklyn Nets: $1,377,383
  • Los Angeles Clippers: $1,223,166
  • Memphis Grizzlies: $1,184,750
  • Los Angeles Lakers: $854,389(*)
  • San Antonio Spurs: $854,389
  • Los Angeles Lakers: $544,340

(* This TPE was initially listed as $1,422,027 and had since been corrected.)

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More Reactions/Fallout To The Rudy Gay Trade

January 31st, 2013 at 10:12am CST by Luke Adams

Last night, Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors rounded up a number of links addressing the potential fallout of the blockbuster trade finalized by the Grizzlies, Raptors, and Pistons. Of course, given the magnitude of the deal, plenty more reactions surfaced overnight and this morning, so we'll round many of those up right here:

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Wojnarowski On LeBron, Cavs, Grizzlies

January 31st, 2013 at 8:32am CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies' decision to trade Rudy Gay is the latest sign that the NBA's era of three-star "super-teams" is coming to an end, writes Adrian Wojnarowski in his latest piece for Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski had harsh words for the Grizzlies' new ownership and management groups following the Gay deal, arguing that the new CBA ensures that team owner Robert Pera can "mismanage the Grizzlies into oblivion and still make money on the enterprise." Here are the rest of the notable items from Woj's piece:

  • LeBron James' agent, Rich Paul, has been privately discussing the idea of LeBron returning to Cleveland as a free agent in 2014 for the last two years. Wojnarowski notes that James will ultimately make his own free-agent decision, but says Paul figures to be one of the most important voices in his ear.
  • As one "high-level associate" of LeBron's inner circle tells Wojnarowski: "[Heat president Pat] Riley has never given them the run of the place in Miami, and they could all be back in business together in Cleveland. For Rich and [business manager] Maverick [Carter], they all see the benefits of getting the credit for bringing LeBron home again."
  • Front offices around the NBA were "incredulous" after the Grizzlies dealt Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington, and Josh Selby, along with a future first-rounder, for cap relief, says Wojnarowski. Many league executives believed Memphis could have waited until closer to the deadline and potentially received a better return on Speights and Ellington individually.
  • Said one Eastern Conference GM on the Grizzlies' trade with the Cavs: "Beyond a panic move. Cleveland would always be there with that deal."
  • Although GM Chris Wallace made a statement in the Grizzlies' press release announcing the Gay trade, Wallace had little to do with the process, according to Wojnarowski. Wallace isn't making calls to teams and isn't consulted by the new management group — he's simply waiting until they reach an agreement on his "inevitable parting," says Wojnarowski.
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Fallout From Rudy Gay Deal

January 30th, 2013 at 10:07pm CST by Chuck Myron

Reaction has been pouring in since the Grizzlies, Raptors and Pistons struck a deal that's headlined by Rudy Gay going to Toronto. Couper Moorhead of Heat.com thinks the trade is a win for the Grizzlies, who pulled off the rare trifecta of shedding salary while improving short-term and long-term (Twitter link). Ken Berger of CBSSports.com sees it as a step back for Memphis, and another reminder of the harsh reality of the new CBA for small and mid-size markets. Here's more of what we're hearing:

  • Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo said to expect more deals from the Raptors before the deadline, notes Steve Buffery of the Toronto Sun via Twitter.
  • Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free-Press, after discussions with those around the Pistons, wouldn't rule out the idea of the team keeping Jose Calderon around (Twitter link). I assume he means the team would try to re-sign him this summer, rather than merely pass up opportunities to flip him to another team before the trade deadline. 

Earlier updates:

  • Berger, in the same piece, says it would behoove the Pistons to trade some of the $26.5MM in expiring contracts they have as a result of the deal.
  • As Chad Ford of ESPN.com notes via Twitter, the trade nets the Grizzlies an additional three wins according to trade machine metrics that were created by Memphis executive and former ESPN.com scribe John Hollinger.
  • Not all of Hollinger's prior work portends the future, as Ford also points out, since Hollinger had new Grizzlies big man Ed Davis, the 13th pick in 2010, rated as the 54th-best prospect that year (Twitter link). 
  • The Grizzlies and Raptors were calling many other teams in their efforts to faciliate the trade, and the momentum toward the deal picked up steam this afternoon, recounts Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News (Twitter link).
  • The Pistons' cap space for this summer increases from $25MM to $33MM as a result of the trade, as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com notes via Twitter. Langlois speculates that the majority of that space will be used in trades rather than to sign free agents (Twitter link).
  • The Pistons, who tried to acquire Jose Calderon around the time of the 2011 draft, have been high on Calderon for a while, Langlois notes. (Twitter links). 
  • Grantland's Zach Lowe thinks Andrea Bargnani and Linas Kleiza could be the next Raptors on their way out of Toronto (Twitter link).
  • Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, who also believes Bargnani is on his way out, hears that the Grizzlies tried to send Darrell Arthur to the Raptors as part of the deal, but Toronto opted instead for Haddadi, whom they will reportedly waive (All Twitter links).
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Kyler’s Latest: Pierce, Josh Smith, Redick, Lakers

January 30th, 2013 at 9:12pm CST by Chuck Myron

HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler chimed in with roundup of trade rumors in advance of the Rudy Gay deal, and though his info about that swap quickly became outdated, he delivered much more from around the league. Let's hit the highlights here:

  • The Celtics were entertaining offers for Paul Pierce before Rajon Rondo went down with a torn ACL, but for the moment they want to evaluate their team in the wake of the injury before making a move. Pierce wants to retire with Boston, and Celtics basketball president Danny Ainge and company will consider his special place in the team's history in deciding whether to move him. The C's will seek deals for their other players first.
  • Though rumblings seem to indicate Josh Smith may be on his way out of Atlanta, the Hawks haven't considered any deal for him to this point. Still, Kyler believes that if they decide to deal Smith, they already know where they can send him. According to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, the Raptors probably aren't one of the teams that would make a deal for the power forward (Twitter link).
  • More than half the league has tried to trade for J.J. Redick, but the Magic have rebuffed all offers for the soon-to-be free agent. The Magic front office has kept Redick informed about all the possible deals, and it seems more than likely he'll opt to re-sign this summer.
  • The Lakers continue to discuss Pau Gasol deals, but as it stands now, they're more likely to hold off until the summer, when they'll know whether Dwight Howard, a free agent, will be back. 
  • Kyler also shares Lang Greene's pre-trade video interview with Raptors coach Dwane Casey, and catches up with Greivis Vasquez and new Grizzlies big man Jon Leuer, who revealed that it was former teammate Kyrie Irving who broke the news to him about last week's trade.
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Grizzlies, Raptors, Pistons Finalize Rudy Gay Deal

January 30th, 2013 at 8:23pm CST by Chuck Myron

8:23pm: The Raptors sent out a press release confirming the deal for all three teams. The second-rounder headed to the Grizzlies is Toronto's own 2013 pick, and Memphis is receiving cash from the Raptors as part of the deal, the statement notes. 

8:20pm: Keith Langlois of Pistons.com tweets that Detroit's side of the deal is official, and that Calderon will join the team in time for Friday's game. Since it was the Pistons-Grizzlies part that seemed to have hit a snag earlier, rather than the Raptors-Grizzlies end of it, the swap appears to be squared away. Pistons GM Joe Dumars has released a statement, as Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News passes along (All Twitter links).

7:28pm: The trade call has ended, meaning the deal is now official, a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).

6:55pm: The trade call has been delayed slightly, but it's still going on, tweets Doug Smith of the Toronto Star, who adds that the deal is still going to happen.

6:18pm: Goodwill now hears from a source who says the trade will indeed go down (Twitter link).

6:06pm: A source tells Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News there's "one hangup" in the deal, though Goodwill doesn't specify what it could be (Twitter link).

5:56pm: The Pistons' side of the trade has not yet been finalized, Aldridge notes via Twitter, though with the trade call scheduled in a few minutes from now, it's likely we'll soon have official word. Both Prince and Daye are inactive for Detroit's game tonight.

5:33pm: The Raptors will likely waive and buy out the rest of Haddadi's two-year contract, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Haddadi is making $1.3MM this year and is due a partial guarantee of $200K on his fully $1.398MM salary next year. Under terms of the new CBA, the Grizzlies will not be allowed to sign Haddadi again for one year.

5:13pm: The Grizzlies, Raptors and Pistons have all reached agreement on a three-team trade. ESPN's Marc Stein reported the Grizzlies have acquired Jose Calderon and Ed Davis from the Raptors in exchange for Rudy Gay and Hamed Haddadi. TNT's David Aldridge reports the Pistons will receive Calderon from the Grizzlies in exchange for Tayshaun Prince (Twitter link). Stein added that Austin Daye is also headed to Memphis, and noted the Grizzlies will get a second-round pick from the Raptors as well.

The trade call will be placed to the league office at 7pm Eastern, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. When the trade becomes official, it will end several weeks of speculation about Gay's future in Memphis, as the Grizzlies look to avoid becoming a repeat taxpayer. It also ends months of chatter about Calderon in Toronto. The Pistons apparently beat out the Mavericks for the point guard, as Dallas refused to part with Vince Carter in any potential deal, Stein tweets.

The Grizzlies save significant money in the deal, as the combined salaries of Prince, Daye and Davis add up to $11.9MM, much less than the total of $17.8MM that Gay and Haddadi are getting. Daye can come off the books next season, as he's a restricted free agent this summer. Davis has one more season left on his rookie deal, at $3.15MM, and is set to hit restricted free agency in 2014 unless the Grizzlies extend his deal. Gay's contract runs through 2014/15, a player option season in which he's due to make $19.3MM. The Grizzlies are now $8MM under the luxury tax, which could give them more flexibility to make other moves this season, as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com points out (Twitter link). The Grizzlies will pay out $37.2MM less as a result of the moves, Berger adds.

Technically, the deal is actually a pair of two-team trades, rather than one three-team trade, notes Mark Deeks of ShamSports (Twitter link). The Raptors, operating exclusively with the Grizzlies, wind up with Gay's sizable contract, adding roughly $5MM to their payroll, which was at about $61.2MM. They're still well below the $70.307MM tax line, and figure to remain that way even when DeMar DeRozan's four-year, $38MM extension kicks in next season.

The Pistons, meanwhile, part ways with the last remaining member of their 2004 championship team, bringing in a point guard to mentor second-year man Brandon Knight. It also clears cap room, since Calderon's expiring $10.56MM contract will come off the books this summer, while Prince is signed through 2015.

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Raptors Close To Acquiring Rudy Gay

January 30th, 2013 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

5:01pm: If the Pistons are the third team in the deal, they're poised to send both Prince and Austin Daye to Memphis for Calderon, tweets Stein.

4:42pm: The Grizzlies spent the day calling around doing background work on Tayshaun Prince, according to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), so presumably Prince would be headed to Memphis if Calderon is sent to Detroit. Sam Amick of USA Today reports that the Celtics are another team in the mix to acquire Calderon.

4:35pm: If and when the deal is finalized, the Grizzlies are also expected to receive a second-round pick from the Raptors, according to Stein.

4:30pm: According to Stein (via Twitter), the Mavericks are another potential landing spot for Calderon, though Dallas is reluctant to part with Vince Carter, who the Grizzlies would want to replace Gay. Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com made the case this morning for why the Mavs make sense as the third team in a Raptors/Grizzlies deal.

4:23pm: The Grizzlies and Raptors have a deal in place that would send Gay and Hamed Haddadi to Toronto in exchange for Calderon and Davis, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). An agreement hasn't been finalized yet because it figures to eventually include a third team, possibly the Pistons, that would acquire Calderon, says Stein (via Twitter).

4:03pm: Several sources tell Wojnarowski that the Grizzlies have a plan to move Calderon to a third team in the discussed deal with the Raptors (Twitter link).

3:48pm: As Tillery suggested, the Grizzlies would prefer to send Calderon to a third team in the trade scenario they're discussing with the Raptors. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com tweets that there are "several potential suitors" making a push for the point guard.

3:34pm: The Grizzlies appear to be moving closer to a deal that would include Rudy Gay, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Tillery reports that Memphis is weighing whether or not to pull the trigger on one of three different scenarios, including one that would send Gay to the Raptors. The Grizzlies have two other potential deals on the table if they and the Raptors can't reach an agreement by this weekend.

Adrian Wojnarowski is also reporting that the Grizzlies and Raptors are making progress on a potential trade. According to Wojnarowski, the two sides have discussed scenarios involving a third team in addition to straight-up scenarios. The Raptors would likely part with Jose Calderon and Ed Davis in any deal (Twitter links).

According to Tillery, in their talks with the Raptors, the Grizzlies are seeking a small forward, a draft pick, and possibly Davis. A third team may have to be involved to acquire Calderon and provide the small forward the Grizzlies are hoping to land. Darrell Arthur would not be involved in that hypothetical trade, says Tillery.

Wojnarowski adds in another tweet that the Grizzlies and Raptors are discussing the potential deal with their respective ownership groups, and could reach an agreement as soon as tonight.

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Odds & Ends: Lakers, Johnson, Oden

January 29th, 2013 at 11:00pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News says that Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak will likely know by tomorrow about whether or not the NBA will approve their Disabled Player Exception for the injured Jordan Hill (Twitter link). With the roster currently at 14, an exception worth $1.78MM would be a very valuable asset for a team that would have otherwise only have a veteran's minimum deal or a small, pro-rated portion of their mini mid-level exception to offer free agents at this point during the season. You'll find the rest of tonight's miscellaneous links from around the NBA here: 

  • Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge says the team currently has no needs and will wait and see what transpires over the next few weeks to get a better feel if a move has to be made or not (Adi Joseph of USA Today reports). 
  • Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman, who recently returned from an 11-game absence for family reasons, sounded like he wanted the team to keep Chris Johnson (LSU) and Mickael Gelabale for the rest of the season, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. 
  • Grizzlies guard Chris Johnson, whose 10-day contract is set to expire on Friday night, is making a strong case to be brought back for another deal, writes Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. GM Chris Wallace described Johnson as a "seamless fit" so far.
  • Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald doesn't think the Heat are the best fit for Greg Oden, citing that if healthy, the former number one overall pick could find more playing time and a better comfort level elsewhere. Even if the team uses its taxpayer mid-level exception to land Oden this summer, Goodman thinks that the luxury tax impact might not be worth the investment either. 
  • When asked directly about the possibility of playing for the Cavaliers, Oden replied: "I'm worried about the knee. That's it," later saying that it was too early for him to be thinking of a destination. Oden added that he wants to take his rehab slow, and that while he could possibly play today if he wanted to, he wants to avoid the risk of having the same setbackthat he had in Portland (Doug Lesmerises and Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer report). 

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