Zach Randolph Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kyler On Randolph, Lakers, Redick, Magic

February 7th, 2013 at 8:14am CST by Luke Adams

With just two weeks remaining until this season's trade deadline, we may not see any deals consummated today, but it's only a matter of time before talks heat up. Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld has the latest on a few teams and players that could be involved in those talks, so let's round up his updates….

Despite some rumblings that Zach Randolph could be a trade candidate, Kyler's sources downplay the possibility of the veteran forward being moved by February 21st, noting that the Grizzlies certainly aren't "shopping" him. While the right offer can change a team's stance, Memphis will likely hang on to Randolph at least through the deadline.
With Pau Gasol expected to miss a significant period of time and Dwight Howard's status up in the air, the Lakers may feel some pressure to add a frontcourt player to the roster. However, Kyler hears from Lakers sources that the club isn't anticipating adding a body via free agency in the short-term.
The Lakers' thinking is that integrating a free agent may be more trouble than its worth, and even if they want to add a player, better options could arise at the trade deadline or at the buyout deadline.
Despite plenty of interest in J.J. Redick, the Magic still seem more inclined to retain the sharpshooter. According to Kyler, Redick has expressed a desire to re-sign or at least work out a sign-and-trade this summer in exchange for not being moved at the deadline, which appeals to Orlando.

Ford’s Latest: Bucks, Smith, Randolph, Nuggets

February 6th, 2013 at 2:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Although Chad Ford's weekly chat at ESPN.com featured plenty of draft questions once again this week, Ford also addressed a number of trade questions and rumors. Many of Ford's answers focused more on his own opinions or speculation, but here are a few of the highlights from ESPN's NBA draft guru:

Ford is hearing that the Bucks are "very active" and that Samuel Dalembert isn't the only player they're actively discussing. Monta Ellis, Beno Udrih, and Ersan Ilyasova could all be had as well, according to Ford.
The Hawks would like to move Josh Smith, but the market for him isn't currently very strong and the team is still holding on to hope that Smith could help lure Dwight Howard to Atlanta this summer, says Ford.
Zach Randolph "looks like a marked man," according to Ford, though it's not clear whether he thinks the Grizzlies will trade Randolph in the next two weeks or further down the road.
Ford keeps hearing the Nuggets mentioned in trade scenarios, with Danilo Gallinari's and Wilson Chandler's names coming up most frequently.

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:

Grantland's Zach Lowe passes along a couple interesting tidbits of note related to the trade, reporting that Mike Conley and Zach Randolph are on pace to reach incentives that would increase their cap figures for next season. Lowe also says that Rudy Gay gave the Raptors no assurances that he'd pick up his 2014/15 player option.
In the long-term, Ed Davis may be the most exciting player the Grizzlies received in the deal, but in the short-term, Tayshaun Prince's play will likely dictate how the move is judged, says Sam Amick of USA Today.
The Celtics were never too seriously involved in talks for either Gay or Jose Calderon, a source tells Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
Appearing on TSN 1050 in Toronto, Bryan Colangelo said the first question Gay asked him after the deal was why Colangelo didn't draft him in the first place (Twitter link via Josh Lewenberg). The Raptors passed on Gay to draft Andrea Bargnani in 2006.
In grading the trade for all three teams, Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com and Matt Moore of CBSSports.com both consider the Raptors the losers, but Zach Harper of CBSSports.com makes the case for why Toronto was smart to acquire Gay.
Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops also argues that the Grizzlies and Pistons came out ahead in the deal.
Pistons GM Joe Dumars has often talked about maintaining cap flexibility and building around the team's young core, and this trade reflected that philosophy, writes David Mayo of MLive.com.
Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer believes the deal was a "ridiculous coup" for the Grizzlies, while Joe Goodman of the Miami Herald isn't so sure (Twitter links).
Whether you believe the Grizzlies are that much worse than they were yesterday really hinges on your opinion of Gay as a player, writes Geoff Calkins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Henry Abbott of ESPN.com shares six thoughts on the trade.

Western Notes: Bledsoe, Grizzlies, Lakers, Howard

January 28th, 2013 at 12:41pm CST by Luke Adams

While one Eastern Conference team lost a star for the season this weekend, a Western Conference club could be preparing to welcome one back to the court. According to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group, Andrew Bogut may return to action for the Warriors tonight in Toronto. Here are a few more notes out of the West:

Before they drafted Damian Lillard, the Trail Blazers tried hard to make Eric Bledsoe their point guard of the future, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, who says the Blazers offered Jamal Crawford and a first-round pick for the Clippers' backup point guard last year. "Yeah, I knew [the Trail Blazers] were calling for me," Bledsoe said. "They have a great fan base, but I wasn't too worried about it at the time."
Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien tells Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal that Memphis isn't in a rush to make another trade, and "it's more likely than not that we do nothing." According to Tillery, the team has received a number of proposals for Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph since December, but none were viewed as fair-value offers.
The Lakers are still waiting to find out whether they'll receive a disabled player exception after losing Jordan Hill for the season. GM Mitch Kupchak is expecting to hear from the league sometime this week, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
Appearing on 103.3 KESN-FM in Dallas, ESPN.com's Marc Stein suggests that the Mavericks have a better chance at landing Dwight Howard via free agency rather than via trade (link from the Dallas Morning News).
For his part, Howard tells Sam Amick of USA Today that he doesn't have time to focus on free agency at this point.

Odds & Ends: Grizzlies, Bucks, Mike James, Suns

January 26th, 2013 at 3:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Jazz were on the wrong end of one of the Lakers' better performances of the season last night, and now they have to turn around tonight and take on the Pacers, who are just one of two teams in the league giving up fewer than 90 points a game (the Grizzlies are the other). Utah, sitting seventh in the West, is only a game and a half in front of the ninth-place Rockets, and with only five players with guaranteed money on the books for next season, the Jazz will be an interesting team to watch as the trade deadline draws near.

As we await a 10-game night in the NBA, here's more from around the Association:

The Grizzlies owe a pair of future first-round picks to other teams, and would look for at least one, and preferably two, first-rounders in any deal for Rudy Gay or Zach Randolph, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Memphis would also make such a deal with the idea of freeing up space to re-sign Tony Allen, an unrestricted free agent this summer.
The Bucks have given assistant GM Jeff Weltman a three-year extension, matching the length of the extension GM John Hammond received this week, reports Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. Weltman has drawn interest from the Clippers and Suns about their GM jobs in recent years, Woelfel adds.
With Mike James' second 10-day contract expiring Sunday night, Mavs owner Mark Cuban was asked whether the team would sign him for the rest of the season, and Cuban indicated that was the plan, notes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "So far, so good," Cuban said of James. "No reason to think otherwise at this point."
Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News hears that former Suns coach Alvin Gentry had player development coordinator Lindsey Hunter removed from practices on multiple occasions, and feared that Hunter, his eventual successor, was a "spy" for the front office.
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel downplays the idea of Jermaine O'Neal rejoining the Heat, pointing out that the center didn't leave Miami on good terms in 2010, and opining that the Suns are unlikely to buy out his minimum-salary contract.

Kyler On Grizzlies, Magic, Redick, Leonard

January 26th, 2013 at 12:23pm CST by Sean Highkin

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.com answered some questions from followers on his Twitter account Saturday morning, addressing a variety of trade rumors and speculation.

Kyler doesn't think the Grizzlies will trade Rudy Gay unless it makes them better in the short term. He notes that the recent trade of Marreese Speights, Josh Selby, and Wayne Ellington to the Cavs was their method of getting under the luxury tax, which will make them more hesitant to trade Gay.
Similarly, Kyler doesn't think Memphis will move Zach Randolph this season, although he points out that it could happen this summer as Randolph gets older.
Kyler doesn't see any way that Gay ends up with the Lakers.
The Magic are not interested in trading for Danny Granger, due to the potential of his health and contract to impact their rebuilding timeline.
While Kyler thinks J.J. Redick would be a good fit for the Spurs, he says they are not willing to part with Kawhi Leonard, whom they see as a building block for the future.

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.

What Grizzlies/Cavs Trade Means For Rudy Gay

January 22nd, 2013 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies and Cavaliers reached an agreement on the first trade of 2013 today, a deal that will send Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington, Josh Selby, and a protected 2015 first-rounder to the Cavaliers in exchange for Jon Leuer. With the Grizzlies sending out about $7MM in salary and only taking back Leuer's minimum-salary deal, the move will help get the team below the tax threshold.

Now that the Grizzlies won't have to worry about being a taxpayer this season, one would assume that the Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph trade rumors would die down significantly. As Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal tweeted earlier today, the Grizzlies are hoping the move increases locker-room morale, with the implication being that Memphis isn't about to shake up its core. However, within the same tweet, Tillery adds that the club also hopes that the deal brings in "real offers" for Gay.

While the likelihood of a Gay trade happening by February 21st may have been reduced today, the possibility shouldn't be dismissed entirely. The Grizzlies still project as a taxpaying team for the two seasons after 2012/13, and with more punitive tax penalties on the way starting next year, I imagine that's a situation new ownership wants to avoid.

What today's Grizzlies/Cavs trade does for Memphis is allow the club to avoid shipping Gay out in a deal that's entirely designed to cut costs. Now that the team no longer has to worry about getting below the tax line this season, it has regained some leverage in further trade talks, and can focus on finding real value rather than simply dumping salary.

With no pressure to make a move this season, I would expect the Grizzlies to hang on to Gay this season and revisit their trade options in the summer. If and when that happens, perhaps a team like the Wizards, a club Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld pegged as the frontrunner for Gay this morning, will make an offer that appeals to the Grizzlies. Washington contracts like Trevor Ariza's or Emeka Okafor's could look much more appealing as trade chips next year, when they're expiring, than they do this season.

Odds & Ends: Andersen, Grizzlies, Lakers, Nash

January 21st, 2013 at 12:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Happy Martin Luther King Day to our American readers. For the NBA, the holiday means plenty of afternoon basketball, with Pacers/Grizzlies and Kings/Hornets contests already underway. As we look forward to a few more daytime games, including the Nets and Knicks playing in Madison Square Garden, let's round up a few odds and ends from around the NBA:

Although Chris Andersen just signed a 10-day contract with the Heat, the club would like to keep him for the rest of the season if things work out, tweets Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld hears from sources that it would probably be easier for the Grizzlies to find good value on the trade market for Zach Randolph, rather than Rudy Gay. However, Memphis isn't actively looking to move either player at this point, according to Kyler.
Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com points out that, despite not being asked about whether the Lakers need to make a trade or signing, Kobe Bryant made an interesting comment when talking about the team's struggles: "Unless they're going to do something roster-wise, I got to continue to push through it. If this is what we're rolling with, then I can't make excuses. I got to go out there and do my job."
Chris Smith, J.R. Smith's younger brother, would like to return to the Knicks next season once he gets healthy, as he tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Smith was expected to make the team this fall but was waived after suffering a knee injury.
Although Steve Nash seriously considered returning to his home country and signing with the Raptors last summer, Cathal Kelly of the Toronto Star argues that Nash wouldn't have been an ideal fit in Toronto.

Southwest Notes: Randolph, Rockets, Douglas, Lin

January 20th, 2013 at 11:38am CST by Chuck Myron

We've already heard news on Rudy Gay and Royce White this morning, and that's not the only news coming out of the Southwest Division. The latest is right here:

Gay isn't the only high-dollar asset the Grizzlies may be looking to unload, as the team has also reportedly been gauging Zach Randolph's value. HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy hears that one possible destination for Randolph is Houston, as the Rockets would love to bring him on board (Twitter link).
Guard Toney Douglas, who's dropped out of the Rockets rotation in favor of recent signee Patrick Beverley, plans to ask coach Kevin McHale why his minutes have disappeared once the team returns from its road trip, notes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. "They didn’t tell me anything," Douglas said. "I don’t know what’s the reason. I will (ask). We’ve been traveling. I’ll give it time to develop, see how it is. I just want to know the reasoning, that’s all, and I’ll feel better."
After McHale benched three starters, including Jeremy Lin, to begin the second half last night, SB Nation's Tom Ziller delves into what's gone wrong with the Rockets point guard amid a seven-game losing streak.
The future is bright in New Orleans, where the Hornets have begun to play better with the return of Eric Gordon, as fellow SB Nation scribe Paul Flannery chronicles.