3:03pm: The trade is now official, the Grizzlies and Kings announced in a pair of press releases.
10:44am: The Kings and Grizzlies are in the process of finalizing a trade that will send Garrett Temple to Memphis, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, Sacramento will receive Ben McLemore, Deyonta Davis, and cash in the deal. The Kings will also get a 2021 second-round pick from the Grizzlies, tweets Chris Herrington.
The move will add a established, versatile contributor to Memphis’ rotation. Temple, who is a strong defender and can play multiple backcourt and wing positions, averaged a career-best 8.4 PPG last year for the Kings, chipping in 2.3 RPG and 1.9 APG with a .392 3PT%.
While Temple has seen most of his minutes on the wing in recent years, Grizzlies starting point guard Mike Conley is coming off an injury-plagued 2017/18 season and Memphis doesn’t have a reliable veteran behind Conley on the depth chart, with Andrew Harrison, Jevon Carter, and Kobi Simmons in the backup mix. Temple could provide the club with another ball-handler when Conley is on or off the court.
The Grizzlies will add a little money to their payroll as a result of the deal, but the salary difference is minimal, and won’t have an impact beyond 2018/19. Temple is earning $8MM in the final year of his contract and McLemore is on an expiring deal worth $5.46MM. Temple and McLemore will be unrestricted free agents next summer, while Davis – who is earning about $1.54MM this year – will be eligible for restricted free agency.
Memphis is now less than $1MM away from the luxury-tax line, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, who notes that recently-signed second-rounder Carter received a guaranteed two-year minimum-salary deal from the club.
For the Kings, the move represents a reunion with former seventh overall pick McLemore, who spent the first four years of his NBA career in Sacramento. He battled health issues and struggled last season for Memphis, averaging a career-worst 7.5 PPG on 4.21/.346/.828 shooting.
As for Davis, he showed some promise in a part-time role for the Grizzlies last season, posting 5.8 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 62 games (15.2 MPG). I wouldn’t expect either McLemore or Davis to take on a major role for the Kings, but they could earn spots in the rotation with strong showings in training camp.
The trade will open up a little extra cap room for the Kings, who now have about $20.5MM in space, easily the most in the league. Sacramento has 14 players under contract, so it will be interesting to see what the club has in mind for its remaining cap room and its final open roster spot.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ok so how does this make the Kings better?
Because McLemore is about the same production as Temple at almost half the cost. Not to mention picking up a decent young player in Davis as well.
I think the real question is, “How does this make the Grizzlies better?”
Agreed, I saw the trade, and I was thinking “Why are the Grizzlies making this trade?”
I smell an exorbitant offer sheet coming. Hood, smart, maybe both?
I agree. I think its Hood.
No way!!! Kings are going to aquire a former Kings player. Shocking!!!
Vlade gonna vlade.
Kings fleeced Grizz
Seems like a good move for Sacramento, not so much for Memphis but hey… what you expect, Sacramento is a team on the up, Memphis on the down…
Temple is the best player in the deal and Memphis clears some underbrush. Mclemore is a bust and Davis benefits from being unattended. I saw a bad-look summerleague game from him.
SAC saves ~$1mil. I suspect & rue that they are going for Hood and will play him at F. He will be a negative influence on a team that can’t have that, whereas Shumpert who can do just as well would be a leader & energizer.
The fanbase should like it though– Hood has more recognition.
The Kings are probably the only WC team with no chance at the playoffs, even though they could be better. Add Giles, Bagley, more exp.
That may not be fair to Deyonte Davis, who may have been told his role on MEM was already set. I was just expecting more vigor & attitude for his status.
I don’t think there is a clear ‘winner’ and with stakes so low, it may not matter anyway. The players getting better positioned is the key. Temple could be the new Tyreke instead of irrelevant!
Don’t sleep on the Kings. They could be a playoff team next season
What do you think of Hood on the Kings? I might be biased on the matter, seeing him do good things enough on the Cavs, at least when they made him try hard and get involved by putting him in the backcourt. Otherwise they had to run plays for him. It’s not a horrible thing but a team with a mountain to climb might need a more enthusiastic piker.
Agreed on both counts regarding the swap. I “like” the trade for Memphis inasmuch as you can like a move that facilitates gunning for the 10th or 11th seed in the West, but Temple can dribble, pass, shoot, and defend. He’s not that good at any of those things, but that’s three more than McLemore can do.
McLemore and Davis are pretty close to flotsam. I have a sneaking suspicion they view the 2nd as the “prize” in this trade, especially given how many people are in front of both players in the depth chart (and rightly so).
I think Memphis is just trying to squeeze in (under the tax line) another veteran upgrade on wings, which is still their Achilles heel, even after adding Anderson. Temple is a high IQ veteran who fits their physical style and I’m sure will get rotation minutes. I doubt McLemore or Davis would. Memphis is going to try to “win” (old school concept when you’re not a contender) with Gasol and Conley back and their clocks running. Kings, without their 1st round pick, will not tank, but will likely not want to be playing Temple over a younger player.
Grizz clearly won this trade McLemore hasn’t been ish in the NBA, and Davis ain’t anything but a summer league player and cant even dominate summer league players, Temple gives the Grizzles, 3pt shooting, playmaking, size in the backcourt, IQ, everything he’s clearly the better player out of the 3 of them quiet pickup for the Grizz
Sacramento hasn’t made a bone head decision this offseason outside of that offer to LaVine that the Bulls saved them from. They’re going to ruin that by grabbing Hood.
They aren’t contending anytime soon and the best strategy in my opinion would be to sit on the cap space and the expiring deals they have and develop the young bucks they have now and see what the market looks like around the deadline.
But no blow your money on Hood…
Disagree, playoff team in two seasons
If they set-up the contract like the Bulls did with Parker (not for 20 mil of course but a pseudo 1 yr contract) it is worth a look to see how he fits with the roster.
Surprised they got rid of Davis, but Garrett Temple fits their current “return to grit and grind” mentality, and he provides good depth both at the backup guard spots, and on the wing behind Conley, Brooks, and Selden
Guessing Sacramento goes after Nwaba
Miami could have had Temple!
He was in summer league and training camp with the Heat years ago
any protections on the second rounder heading to Sacramento?
None reported.
This trade fits the current Kings situation. Get younger and athletic and let them gel. Add a Vet if needed to win games once someone turns into a real building block