Memphis Grizzlies Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Stein’s Latest: Celtics, Grizzlies, Cavs, Suns, McCants

January 26th, 2013 at 11:13am CST by Sean Highkin

Marc Stein of ESPN.com has posted his latest Weekend Dime column, which features updates on a variety of trade-related topics from around the NBA. Here are the highlights:

GMs around the league view the Celtics as likely to make a move. They have interest in J.J. Redick, and executives speculate that they may finally decide to move Paul Pierce or Rajon Rondo.
Some GMs believe a three-team trade is possible that would send Pierce to the Grizzlies, Rudy Gay to the Lakers, and Pau Gasol to Boston.
After their trade with the Cavs this week, the Grizzlies' roster is down to 11 players and they have 14 days to sign at least two players to meet the minimum requirement of 13. Memphis looked at Delonte West but decided against signing the veteran guard, Stein reports.
Stein notes that Memphis received three separate trade exceptions in the trade. Marreese Speights landed them an exception worth $4.2MM, while Wayne Ellington's was worth $2MM and Josh Selby's was worth $762,195.
Although the Cavaliers think highly of Speights and have wanted him for years, the forward is already drawing interest from other teams and could be moved before the February 21 trading deadline. Stein identifies Daniel Gibson and Omri Casspi as the other two Cleveland players most likely to be traded.
The Suns are said to be shopping Jared Dudley, Marcin Gortat, and Luis Scola in light of the team's struggles this season. It should be noted that Scola, having been claimed after being waived with the amnesty clause, cannot be traded until after this season.
Stein's column also featured a Q&A with 28-year-old former lottery pick Rashad McCants, who is playing with the Texas Legends of the NBA D-League in hopes of eventually making another run at an NBA career.

Ingram On Howard, Grizzlies, Celtics, Boozer, Bargnani

January 25th, 2013 at 9:33pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest from around the NBA as reported by Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld.com:

The Lakers are keeping their options open with regards to Dwight Howard, but as of now they are determined to keep him in Los Angeles.
Ingram doesn't think the Grizzlies should trade Rudy Gay or Zach Randolph this season, writing that they are close enough to title contention to keep the core together in the short term.
The Celtics need to find younger players to build around Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley, Ingram writes.
Given Carlos Boozer's recent stretch of excellent play, Ingram doesn't see the Bulls trading him.
While the Raptors would love to trade Andrea Bargnani, it is unlikely that any player he could net in return is worth trading him for.
Ingram talk to Rockets rookie Patrick Beverley about his transition from the D-League to the NBA.
Ingram writes that the firing of head coach Alvin Gentry has injected a sense of urgency into the Suns locker room.

Berger’s Latest: Lakers, Lowry, Gay, Suns, Seattle

January 25th, 2013 at 7:21pm CST by Sean Highkin

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com has a new column in which he examines the Lakers' options at the trading deadline. Berger attributes at least some of Dwight Howard's struggles this season to having only had a limited amount of time playing in the pick-and-roll with Steve Nash, and suggests that standing pat could be an option. He goes into further depth about the Lakers' options as well as some other topics from around the NBA as the deadline approaches.

The Jazz, Raptors, Hawks, and Timberwolves are among the teams Berger says have interest in trading for Pau Gasol, although none of them have an ideal set of pieces to make a deal with the Lakers.
Berger doesn't believe the Lakers will trade Howard because they have a lot of leverage to keep him in the form of a bigger contract they can offer him than any competitor.
Kyle Lowry may be on the trade market, as people within the Raptors organization are not pleased with him. Berger lists the Mavericks and Hawks as two teams that could be interested in trading for him.
Although talk has cooled in recent weeks, Berger hears from executives around the league that the Grizzlies are still open to trading Rudy Gay, either before the trade deadline or during the summer.
Suns GM Lance Blanks and president Lon Babby could have their job security depend on Lindsey Hunter's success as interim head coach over the rest of the season.
A bankruptcy lawyer is claiming that Kings minority owners should be given an opportunity to match the offer the Maloof family accepted to sell the team to the Chris Hansen-led Seattle ownership group.

Grizzlies Notes: West, Vujacic, Gay, Leuer

January 25th, 2013 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies kept their core intact, but gave up some depth, when they sent Marreese Speights and Wayne Ellington to Cleveland earlier this week to sneak under the luxury-tax line. That lack of depth didn't hurt the team on Wednesday, in a 106-93 win over the Lakers. The new-look Grizzlies will face their second test tonight at home against the Nets, in what figures to be one of the best games on the evening's schedule. Here are the latest updates out of Memphis:

The Grizzlies are still weighing their options when it comes to adding another free agent, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, who was told not to expect a signing this weekend (Twitter link).
Delonte West, who landed with the D-League's Texas Legends today, isn't in the mix at the moment for the Grizzlies, though Sasha Vujacic still might be an option, tweets Tillery.
One rival executive interested in acquiring Rudy Gay tells Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link) that the trade with the Cavs lessened the Grizzlies' urgency to move Gay for now, but didn't entirely eliminate the team's desire to do so eventually. I reached a similar conclusion in the aftermath of this week's trade.
Jon Leuer, the one player who came to Memphis in the deal with the Cavs, tells Marlon W. Morgan of the Memphis Commercial Appeal that he's excited to be part of a contender.

Odds & Ends: Cavs, Blazers, Grizzlies, McCants

January 24th, 2013 at 3:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Even after pulling off one deal that used up a chunk of their leftover cap space, the Cavaliers are still aggressively exploring the trade market, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. Of course, as Amico adds, about 20 other teams are doing the same thing, and there's no guarantee the Cavs will make another move before February 21st. Here are a few more odds and ends from around the Association:

When weighing trade possibilities, Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey is looking for players who are good influences in the locker room as well as good fits on the court, as he tells Ian Thomsen of SI.com.
Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien isn't expecting the Grizzlies to make another deal before the trade deadline, tweets Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
The Mavericks' D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends, officially announced today that they've added former UNC standout Rashad McCants. We heard yesterday that McCants may be on his way back to the Legends.
Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld examines the teams that will have the most cap flexibility going forward.
Robert Dozier, who was in camp with the Heat during the preseason, has signed with the Alaska Aces in the Philippines, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

Grizzlies Notes: Speights, Gay, Randolph, Wallace

January 23rd, 2013 at 9:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The Grizzlies appeared to be on the cusp of signing troubled guard Delonte West, but earlier tonight we learned that they have apparently passed on him. Instead, the former Celtic is set to dive into the D-League player pool in hopes of finding another NBA opportunity. Here’s more out of Memphis..

The Marreese Speights trade was necessary for the Grizzlies to avoid becoming a perennial tax team in the long-term, writes Ben Baroff of Sheridan Hoops. It’s the kind of move that Memphis wouldn’t have had to make under the dollar-for-dollar tax system of the old CBA but the harsher tax penalties of the new CBA have almost forced them to make a trade like this.
When asked if he sees himself finishing the season with the Grizzlies, Rudy Gay gave reporters a no comment, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Meanwhile, some believe that the Speights deal means that the Grizzlies will be able to hang on to both Gay and Zach Randolph.
“We considered all options, every team does, but this was a deal that we felt was very favorable for us,” Wallace said of the trade, according to Kennedy. “You can’t count on this type of situation still being there later on closer to the trade deadline because Cleveland is a team with cap room and not every team has that.”

Grizzlies Sign Chris Johnson

January 23rd, 2013 at 9:55am CST by Luke Adams

9:55am: The Grizzlies have made Johnson's signing official, the team announced in a press release.

WEDNESDAY, 8:10am: Although he wanted a rest-of-season deal, Johnson will sign a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies, according to Tillery (via Twitter).

TUESDAY, 12:46pm: Needing to add a couple players to reach the roster minimum, the Grizzlies will sign Chris Johnson, reports Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (via Twitter). This isn't the 27-year-old big man by the same name that's currently on a 10-day deal with the Timberwolves, but rather the 22-year-old small forward out of Dayton.

Johnson was cut from the Clippers' training camp roster in early October but was quickly picked up by the Magic before being released near Halloween. Johnson also played for the Sixers in the summer league this past July, averaging 7.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in 22.3 minutes per game over four contests.

Grizzlies Considering West, Walker, Others

January 23rd, 2013 at 8:07am CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 8:07am: Chris Vernon adds yet another name to the list of possibilities for the Grizzlies, tweeting that the club is thinking about signing Josh Childress. Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal also adds (via Twitter) that the Grizzlies' interest in Vujacic is real, and that he'd be given a guarantee if it made financial sense to buy out his contract overseas.

TUESDAY, 7:28pm: Michael Redd has also been mentioned as a possibility, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio.

12:38pm: Samardo Samuels is also under consideration for the Grizzlies, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link).

10:33am: In addition to West and Walker, the Grizzlies are also considering Eddie House, Micah Downs, and Joe Ingles, tweets Vernon.

9:39am: Vernon clarifies in a second tweet that there was a misunderstanding between him and his source, and that the Grizzlies are only considering West and Walker, rather than definitely intending to sign them.

9:11am: Because the Grizzlies had already been carrying the minimum 13 players on their roster, their three-for-one trade with the Cavaliers will leave them two players short of the minimum. To fill out the roster, Memphis is expected to sign Delonte West and Bill Walker, reports Chris Vernon of 92.9FM ESPN in Memphis (Twitter link).

According to Vernon, the Grizzlies will also sign Sasha Vujacic, though we heard back in August that Vujacic's contract in Turkey wouldn't let him return to the NBA this season, so it's unclear if that has changed. According to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (via Twitter) and Istanbul-based reporter Ismail Senol (via Twitter), Vujacic won't be leaving Turkey's Anadolu Efes. If they add West and Walker, the Grizzlies would have reached the 13-man minimum, so there'd be no need to immediately add a 14th player anyway.

West, 29, was in camp with the Mavericks this year on a guaranteed minimum-salary contract, but fell out of favor with the team and was released just before the regular season got underway. He had a productive year in Dallas in 2011/12 though, posting a career-high 15.3 PER in 44 games, including 33 starts. Walker, meanwhile, spent most of last season with the Knicks before being released just before the playoffs. The 25-year-old averaged 5.9 PPG in 32 contests for New York in '11/12.

Even if the Grizzlies sign a pair of players to rest-of-season deals, the team shouldn't have to worry about going back over the tax threshold. In each instance, Memphis would only be on the hook for a pro-rated portion of the minimum salary, an amount small enough that the Grizz would remain under the tax line.

Fallout From Cavs/Grizzlies Trade

January 22nd, 2013 at 6:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavaliers and Grizzlies hooked up today for the first trade of 2013, and though it was by no means a blockbuster, it's not without significant implications. Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors looked this morning at how the trade affects Rudy Gay, and the swap already set off a series of other moves. The Cavs waived Jeremy Pargo to fit the three incoming players on their roster, while Memphis signed Chris Johnson (the small forward from Dayton, not the center from LSU who's with the Timberwolves). The Grizzlies reportedly considering a handful of others for the other roster spot they have to fill to get up to the league minimum of 13 players.

There's other news in the wake of the trade this evening, and we'll round it up here:

Amico, characterizing the deal as a clear win for the Cavs, delves into what the trade means for Cleveland, speculating that the expiring contracts of Luke Walton, Omri Casspi and Daniel Gibson could be part of the team's next deal.

Earlier updates:

While Marreese Speights upgrades the team's corps of inside players in the short term, the first-round draft pick is what most interested the Cavs, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer. Boyer also breaks down the details of the protection attached to the pick.
Neither Cavs GM Chris Grant nor Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace plans to step back from discussions about other deals, as both are still aggressively pursuing other trades, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio.
Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com, in an Insider-only piece, examines the winners and losers of the swap, naming new Memphis owner Robert Pera the biggest winner of all for avoiding the tax this season.

Cavs Acquire Speights, Ellington From Grizzlies

January 22nd, 2013 at 11:20am CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies and Cavaliers have offically finalized a deal that sends Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington, Josh Selby and a protected first-round draft pick to Cleveland in exchange for Jon Leuer, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Cavaliers have waived Jeremy Pargo to clear room on their roster for the incoming players.

Memphis has been at the center of a number of trade rumors this month, a result of the team's reported desire to get below the tax line. While most of those rumors have involved more expensive players like Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph, I noted last week that Speights was another candidate to be dealt, since moving his $4MM+ salary would be enough to get the Grizzlies out of the tax. That's essentially what Memphis is doing in this deal with the Cavs, moving Speights along with Ellington's $2.08MM expiring contract. Selby and Leuer are a wash, earning identical $762,195 salaries.

Cleveland has the room to absorb Ellington's and Speights' salaries under the cap, while the Grizzlies will move below the tax line for 2012/13. Memphis should also obtain a handful of trade exceptions in the transaction, worth the amount of Speights', Ellington's, and Selby's salaries — $4,200,000, $2,083,042, and $762,195 respectively.

Speights, 25, was a productive rotation piece for the Grizzlies last year after the team acquired him from the 76ers, starting 54 contests for the club and averaging 8.8 PPG and 6.2 RPG. However, he has seen a reduced role in Memphis this season, with his minutes being reduced from 22.4 per game to 14.5. Because he was playing on a one-year contract (excluding his second-year player option) following his rookie deal, the forward had the rights to veto a trade, but he agreed to be dealt to the Cavs due to that lack of playing time in Memphis, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link).

For the Cavaliers, Selby and Memphis' pick act as sweeteners to compensate the Cavs for taking on salary, including Speights' $4.52MM player option for 2013/14. Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld wrote yesterday that Selby, who excelled in the Summer League in July, was waiting for an opportunity to try to translate that success to the regular season. He figures to have a better chance to receive that opportunity in Cleveland.

Meanwhile, the first-rounder heading to the Cavs is protected from 1-5 and 15-30 in 2015 and 2016, before being top-five protected in 2017 and 2018 and unprotected in 2019. Like the first-rounder that was traded by the Raptors to the Rockets (and eventually to the Thunder) over the summer, the unique protection makes it a likely lottery pick.

Despite clearing Speights from next year's books, the Grizzlies still project to be likely taxpayers in 2013/14 and '14/15, so as Grantland's Zach Lowe points out (via Twitter), the club could explore more cost-cutting deals in the summer. The trade also brings the Grizzlies' roster to 11 players, two below the NBA minimum, so free agent signings will be required. Memphis is currently considering Delonte West and Bill Walker, among others.

Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links), Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter links), Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld (all Twitter links), and Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link) were all involved in breaking various details of the story.