Memphis Grizzlies Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Greg Oden Rumors: Friday

January 11th, 2013 at 8:13pm CST by Luke Adams

8:13pm: Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio reports that several other teams in addition to the Mavericks are interested in possibly signing Oden. The Cavs, Hawks, and Grizzlies are rumored to have already conducted workouts with Oden, while the Bucks, Bulls, Spurs, and Warriors are also said to have interest.

3:15pm: When we heard yesterday that Greg Oden was aiming to return to the NBA for the 2013/14 season, the Heat were the only one of the big man's potential suitors identified. We can add another club to that list, as Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com reports the Mavericks have been in touch with agent Mike Conley Sr. to inquire on Oden.

Oden, who is taking classes at Ohio State, continues to recover from his third microfracture surgery, and isn't expected to be ready to return to action until the fall. However, yesterday's report suggested that there may be teams interested in signing the former first overall pick to a multiyear deal this season, to allow him to rehab under an NBA club's supervision. The Mavs could make a strong case to Oden, writes MacMahon, though he's unsure what sort of financial commitment the team would be willing to make to the oft-injured seven-footer.

As we heard this morning, Conley hinted that the Heat aren't necessarily the frontrunners for his client, and didn't rule out any clubs except for the Trail Blazers.

Latest On Trade Candidates From Reno

January 11th, 2013 at 7:40pm CST by Sean Highkin

Marc Stein of ESPN.com attended the NBA D-League Showcase in Reno, Nevada this week, where many NBA GMs and executives were present. He posted a roundup of trade-related chatter he heard during the event:

The Raptors are making the hardest push for Rudy Gay, offering the Grizzlies a package that includes Jose Calderon and Ed Davis. Memphis is still undecided as to whether they will move Gay.
There is a growing sense from front offices around the league that the Lakers will not ultimately trade Pau Gasol this season.
Teams have continued to ask the Kings about DeMarcus Cousins, and were told that he is not available.
A source told Stein that it is highly unlikely the Bucks will move Brandon Jennings before the end of the season.
The Jazz are more likely to trade Al Jefferson than Paul Millsap, even though both are free agents this summer.
The Hornets are not expected to trade Eric Gordon, despite previous rumors that he may be available.
Despite his recent statement that he intends on staying retired, the Nets are still making a hard push to convince Phil Jackson to be their next head coach.
Stein lists several players as having been made known to be available by their teams, including the Raptors' Andrea Bargnani, the Spurs' DeJuan Blair, the Cavs' Omri Casspi, the Rockets' Cole Aldrich, and the Bucks' Drew Gooden, Samuel Dalembert, and Beno Udrih.

Berger On Gay, Pierce, Stoudemire

January 11th, 2013 at 5:33pm CST by Sean Highkin

Earlier today, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported that 24 Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov, who previously attempted to buy the Golden State Warriors, is interested in buying the Kings from the Maloof brothers and keeping the team in Sacramento. For a full recap of Berger's information and other reports that have emerged today regarding a potential Kings sale, keep an eye on HoopsRumors.com's roundup.

Berger wrote another column today that features updates on several high-profile players who may be on the move at the trading deadline. Here are the highlights:

Berger gives an update of the rumors surrounding the Grizzlies' efforts to move Rudy Gay. The Warriors, Suns, Raptors, and Kings have shown the most interest in trading for the seven-year veteran, whom Berger writes the Grizzlies are looking to move primarily to avoid paying luxury tax.
Berger writes that the Suns' offer would be centered around Jared Dudley, draft picks, and the ability to absorb the majority of Gay's contract. The Raptors could offer Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon, although the Grizzlies are looking to get at least one good young player in return.
A potential deal with the Warriors is unlikely, writes Berger, because it would likely involve Memphis taking back either Andris Biedrins or Richard Jefferson, neither of whom the Grizzlies have any interest in.
Berger writes that the Knicks are open to trading Amare Stoudemire for cap relief, although he does not believe it likely that a team would be willing to trade for him given his health and contract.
Berger is more optimistic that the Celtics would be able to move Paul Pierce if they were so inclined, because his contract is only partially guaranteed for next season and he is still performing at a high level.

Rudy Gay Rumors: Friday

January 11th, 2013 at 3:46pm CST by Luke Adams

In Hoops Rumors' live chat yesterday, I picked Rudy Gay as the biggest name I think will be on the move before this year's trade deadline. With nearly six weeks still remaining until February 21st arrives, I don't expect anything to be finalized soon, but that doesn't mean the rumors aren't continuing to swirl around Gay. Here's the latest:

Sam Amick of USA Today adds a new team to the mix for Gay: the Clippers. According to Amick, a package that includes Caron Butler, Eric Bledsoe, and picks could provide exactly what the Grizzlies are seeking. The Clippers are "justifiably wary" of making a move that would affect their chemistry, and are reportedly not looking to move Bledsoe before the deadline, but the club would at least consider Gay, says Amick.
The Nuggets, Kings, and Rockets, three teams that have been mentioned as potential suitors, don't appear to have any interest in Gay at the moment, according to Amick.

D-League Moves: Melo, Lamb, Wroten

January 11th, 2013 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

We'll track Friday's D-League assignments and recalls right here, with any additional moves being added to the top of the page throughout the day:

The Celtics have re-assigned Fab Melo to their D-League affiliate, the club announced today in a press release. Melo had been recalled from the Maine Red Claws last week to undergo treatment for his concussion from Boston's training staff. It appears he's been cleared to return to action for the Red Claws.
Jeremy Lamb has been recalled from the Tulsa 66ers by the Thunder, the team announced today in a press release. In 11 games (all starts) in the D-League this season, Lamb has averaged 21.5 PPG on .422/.295/.909 shooting.
The Grizzlies have sent Tony Wroten back to their D-League affiliate, tweets Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. For Wroten, the 25th overall pick in last June's draft, it's his third stint this season with the Reno Bighorns. In eight games with the Bighorns, the 19-year-old has averaged 13.6 PPG and 3.8 APG in 24.6 minutes per contest.

Wolves Turned Down Trade Offer For Gay?

January 11th, 2013 at 8:13am CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this week, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities reported that if the Grizzlies and Timberwolves had discussed a Rudy Gay trade, talks had been very casual. Now, Wolfson says that the Grizzlies did make Minnesota an offer involving Gay, but that Wolves president David Kahn "said no immediately."

According to Wolfson, the Timberwolves were very interested in Gay when he hit restricted free agency in the summer of 2010, and had planned to meet him face-to-face to discuss an offer sheet. However, Gay agreed to re-sign with Memphis before meeting with Kahn and the T-Wolves. The Wolves maintain interest in the 26-year-old, however, and are worth monitoring as the trade deadline approaches, despite their reluctance to take on the money remaining on his contract.

Wolfson speculates that the Grizzlies' offer to the Wolves included at least one of Kevin Love and Nikola Pekovic, and suggests that three- or four-team scenarios may have been briefly discussed as well.

The Suns, Kings, Celtics, Warriors, Raptors, Nuggets, and Cavs are among the other clubs that have linked to Gay and the Grizzlies to varying degrees within the last few days.

Odds & Ends: Gay, Knicks, Bulls, Sullinger

January 10th, 2013 at 10:51pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Thursday night:

Rudy Gay is turning to his friends around the NBA for support as trade rumors swirl, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News writes that Carmelo Anthony's recent fight with Kevin Garnett brings into question Knicks owner James Dolan's decision to build the roster around him.
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes that Richard Hamilton is starting to realize that his career is coming to a close.
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times praises the recent play of Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer for the Bulls.
A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes that Celtics rookie Jared Sullinger is showing an increased aggressiveness in recent weeks.
Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer reports that former Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas is mentoring the team's two young bigs, Tyler Zeller and Tristan Thompson.
Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is impressed with the job interim head coach Jim Boylan has done for the Bucks since replacing Scott Skiles.
Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes that Gerald Henderson understands that his primary role with the Bobcats is three-point shooting.

Kings’ Evans Wouldn’t Mind Being Traded

January 9th, 2013 at 5:27pm CST by Zachary Links

Trade demands aren't Kings guard Tyreke Evans' style, but he isn't thrilled about not receiving a contract extension this year and has had other issues with the club's front office. He's not about to make an issue of it, but Evans says that he would be neither shocked nor devastated if he were traded before the February 21st deadline, writes Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee.

Evans is also upset the organization didn't arrange for a second opinion on his sore left knee. Instead, his brothers and his agent were left to schedule a visit with Lakers orthopedist Dr. Steve Lombardo. The visit led to a different prognosis than the first look.

"The Kings need to do whatever they can to help the team win," said Evans, who also admitted that he has been extra cautious about his knee because of his contract situation. "I just want to go out there and play every night. That visit to (Lombardo)? That let me know that I wasn't totally wrong. I just need to get treated right. That was pretty much it."

Voisin writes that the Grizzlies have inquired on Evans and are known to be shopping small forward Rudy Gay. However, a deal involving Gay and Evans would require the Kings to make up the difference in salary on their end with contracts that extend beyond this season. The Lakers, Nuggets, and Celtics have also been interested in the past.

Raptors Seriously Interested In Rudy Gay

January 9th, 2013 at 10:46am CST by Luke Adams

A flurry of Rudy Gay rumors on Tuesday suggested that the Suns and Grizzlies were discussing a possible deal for Gay that could include Jared Dudley, and that the Warriors, Kings, and Celtics were among the other teams that had at least preliminary talks with Memphis. With six weeks still to go before this season's trade deadline, it's unlikely that the Grizzlies make a move this early, but the reports continue to pour in, so we'll round up today's Gay-related rumors right here, with the latest added to the top of the page throughout the day:

The Nuggets also spoke to the Grizzlies about Gay, but those discussions appear to be fruitless, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. Amick adds that the Mavericks aren't currently pursuing Gay.

Earlier updates:

The Raptors are seriously interested in making a run at Gay and are believed to be dangling young big man Ed Davis and Jose Calderon's expiring contract, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein. Toronto previously made a run at Gay, offering packages headlined by Calderon and their No. 8 pick in last year's draft, which eventually became Terrence Ross.
The Grizzlies haven't made a decision one way or the other yet on whether they'll trade Gay, says Stein, who adds that some rival GMs believe Memphis could wait until the summer to make a move. According to Stein, the Grizzlies don't intend to just move Gay's salary if it significantly weakens the team in the process.
Responding to Stein's report, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun expresses uneasiness about the Raptors parting ways with Davis, and suggests that Ross may make more sense as a target for the Grizzlies (all Twitter links).
At least eight teams have expressed some interest in Gay, tweets Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Kyler adds in a second tweet that the Grizzlies are "geniunely torn" on whether or not to move the veteran forward.
If the Grizzlies have contacted the Timberwolves about Gay, it was a very casual conversation, says Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Finding a big man is the more pressing concern for Minnesota, according to Wolfson.

Rudy Gay Rumors: Tuesday

January 8th, 2013 at 9:19pm CST by Luke Adams

9:19pm: The Cavaliers would appear to be an ideal trading partner considering the amount of cap space, draft picks, and young talent they have, but the Grizzlies have not had any discussions with them about Gay nor would they likely be interested in what Cleveland would be willing to concede (Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio reports).

6:25pm: Matt Moore of CBS Sports writes that the Grizzlies are said to only be interested in a salary dump and view draft picks as the only value return.

4:37pm: The Kings and Celtics are other teams that have had conversations with the Grizzlies about Gay, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Kennedy also points out that the Rockets and Raptors have shown interest in Gay in the past, and are candidates to re-enter the mix.

12:37pm: The Warriors also engaged in preliminary discussions with the Grizzlies about Gay, but talks didn't go anywhere, reports Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group. The Warriors like Gay, but the Grizzlies aren't interested in taking on any of Golden State's bad contracts (ie. Richard Jefferson), and the Warriors likely don't have the combination of young players and draft picks that Memphis is seeking, according to Thompson.

Zach Lowe of Grantland reported last week that the Warriors had "long coveted" Gay, but said they didn't seem to be a good match as a trade partner for the Grizzlies.