Zach Randolph tells The Oregonian's Jason Quick that he loves living in Memphis and playing for the Grizzlies and will likely exercise his player option worth $16.5MM for the 2014/15 season (Twitter link). His statement has relevance for this summer, since teams probably won't consider Randolph's contract, which pays him $17.8MM next season, as an expiring deal, perhaps making him less attractive as a trade candidate.
Randolph's name surfaced in trade talk before the Rudy Gay swap this year, and Z-Bo was linked to the Kings and Rockets before CEO Jason Levien categorically denied that the Grizzlies had any serious discussions about dealing away Randolph. While Lionel Hollins recently denied rumors of a rift between him and Randolph, it appears both player and team are on the same page in Memphis.
Randolph, who regressed last year as he dealt with a torn MCL, hasn't regained the 20-points-per-game scoring prowess he displayed before the injury. Still, at 31 years old, he's still a consistent double-double threat, averaging 15.5 points and 11.4 rebounds per contest this season. His contract calls for him to receive a raise next year and take a paycut in his option year. That's a dynamic that wasn't supposed to be allowed under CBA rules, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports, but is nonetheless a part of his deal, which he signed in 2011.