Memphis Grizzlies Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Grizzlies Pursue Jeff Green, Luol Deng

January 9th, 2015 at 3:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 3:09pm: Discussion is heating up between Memphis and Boston about Green, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). “Hurdles” remain as the teams talk, but the Grizzlies are more serious in their pursuit of Green than any other team in the league, Stein adds (on Twitter).

THURSDAY, 2:12pm: There’s nothing going on regarding Deng, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra insisted today, and Deng added that he isn’t trying to force his way off the struggling Heat, notes Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post (Twitter links).

1:36pm: The Grizzlies called the Heat to see if Deng was available, but the conversation didn’t advance from there, tweets Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. Presumably, that means the Heat aren’t open to trading him.

12:05pm: Boston’s asking price for Green is high, Zillgitt hears (Twitter link), though while the Celtics have made it known that they want a first-round pick in return for him, the prevailing belief around the league is that they’ll ultimately agree to take less, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com (on Twitter). President of basketball operations Danny Ainge called Green “our best player this year” in a radio appearance this morning with Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, notes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Memphis’ first-round pick for 2015 is already promised to the Nuggets, the protections on the pick would make it difficult for the Grizzlies to convey a pick to another team anytime soon.

10:10am: The Celtics, Grizzlies and Cavs had discussed a three-team scenario that would have sent Green to Memphis, Koufos to Cleveland, and draft compensation to Boston, Lowe reports (Twitter links). The Cavs’ acquisition of Timofey Mozgov on Wednesday threw a wrench in that idea, Lowe adds.

9:14am: The Grizzlies are actively trying to pry Luol Deng from the Heat or Jeff Green from the Celtics, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Any offer Memphis makes is likely to include Tayshaun Prince and draft picks, Stein adds. Still, no deal is imminent, the ESPN scribe cautions.

Memphis, along with the Clippers and Pelicans, inquired about Green before the Rajon Rondo trade last month, as USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt reported then, though the Celtics were uninterested in trading him. Boston turned down an offer from the Lakers that included Jordan Hill, a first-round pick, and perhaps more, Zillgitt also reported at the time. Now, people around the league believe that Green is available, according to Stein, so perhaps Boston’s position has changed. Green has played well this season, as I noted when I looked at his trade candidacy, so the Celtics can capitalize on that to extract a strong return if they’re prepared to do so.

It’s unclear whether the Heat would be willing to part with Deng, who signed with the team just this past summer, though some around the league wonder whether the Heat are ready to start collecting assets for the future, Stein writes. Miami is 15-20 and occupies the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Prince and Kosta Koufos reportedly drew interest from the Cavs prior to their flurry of moves this week, but Memphis resisted a shakeup amid a strong start. The Grizzlies are 25-10 and still in third place in the Western Conference, but they’ve shown an eagerness for an upgrade, making a push to sign Josh Smith before he instead went to the Rockets. They “kicked around” the idea of trading Koufos, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe wrote late last month, around the time Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com identified the Kings as a suitor for the backup center.

A $3.135MM trade exception that Memphis netted from the deal that sent Jerryd Bayless to Boston last year expired Wednesday. Still, it was unlikely that the Grizzlies would have used it, since adding a player with a salary close to that figure would have put the team over the tax line, as Stein points out (on Twitter). Memphis is only about $1MM shy of the tax threshold, so the team would likely be careful to match salaries closely in any trade involving Green or Deng. Green is making $9.2MM this year with a player option for the same salary next season, while Deng is on the books for more than $9.714MM this season and holds a player option worth nearly $10.152MM for 2015/16.

Eastern Notes: Williams, Deng, Thompson

January 8th, 2015 at 9:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Nets‘ Deron Williams, who is the subject of trade rumors, will be out indefinitely after an MRI revealed one of his ribs was fractured, Roderick Boone of Newsday reports. “Deron reported some soreness above this area over the weekend and as a result underwent imaging studies on Monday, which were negative,” team physician Riley Williams III said in a statement. “[Wednesday] during the game, he reported a new onset of symptoms below the prior area of soreness. New imaging studies done [Thursday] demonstrated the fracture. There is no timetable for his return.”

Here’s more from the East:

Luol Deng is rumored to be on the trading block, with the Grizzlies a possible suitor, but despite the Heat‘s struggles this season, Deng insists he doesn’t want out of Miami, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel reports. “I’ve had no issues,” Deng said. “My whole thing I’ve been saying this year is we’ve been trying to get it right, fit everybody in. It’s never that I’m unhappy or anything. Just because they’re trade rumors, I’m not the one asking for trades.“
Surya Fernandez of FOX Sports Florida examined a number of potentially available players with whom the Heat could upgrade their roster, including Andray Blatche, Samuel Dalembert, Tyler Johnson, Rashard Lewis, and Jameer Nelson.
When informed that the newly acquired Timofey Mozgov would be taking his place in the Cavs‘ starting lineup, Tristan Thompson handled the news like a true team player, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. “I’ve come off the bench most of the season,” Thompson said. “Whatever it takes for us to win. [I’ll] come out and join the bench mob again. Bring the energy with myself, Delly [Matthew Dellavedova] and all the other guys so that’s a role that I embrace and I’m trying to be the X-factor.“
One thing that J.R. Smith will miss about being with the Knicks is his friendship with Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Kernan of The New York Post writes. “I was upset that I don’t get to play with my best friend who I’ve played with for the last nine or 10 years,’’ Smith said. “We’ve been together so long and we complemented each other so well from the inside out game. Off the court too, we hung at each other’s houses.”

Celtics Notes: Green, Nelson, Crowder

January 8th, 2015 at 1:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

There’s a belief around the league that the Celtics will indeed part with Jeff Green before the trade deadline, as Ronald Tillery of The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal writes within a subscription-only piece. The discussions the Grizzlies are having regarding Green, as well as Luol Deng, are internal, a source tells Tillery, though the earlier report from Marc Stein of ESPN.com indicates that Memphis is active on both fronts. The talk had president of basketball operations Danny Ainge suggesting that Green has succeeded Rajon Rondo as the most frequent subject of Celtics trade rumors, as Ainge said this morning to Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, notes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. While we wait to see just what happens with Green, here’s more from Boston:

Ainge would like to clear the team’s logjam of big men, USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt tweets, though it’s unknown which of the frontcourt players are most likely to go.
Jameer Nelson insists that he and coach Brad Stevens are on the same page, but the point guard sat out Wednesday’s game and is upset about the playing time he’s seen since arriving in the Rondo trade, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald observes. Nelson, who has a player option worth nearly $2.855MM for next season, is averaging 20.2 minutes per game, which would be a career low if extrapolated over an entire season.
Jae Crowder was the only one of the three players the Celtics acquired in the Rondo trade who played Wednesday, and analytics show he’s been a boon for the team so far, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com examines.

Western Notes: Thunder, Lakers, Buss

January 7th, 2015 at 9:25pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Thunder sent $550K in cash to the Hawks in the Thabo Sefolosha sign-and-trade this past summer, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. That helped convince Atlanta to make the deal a sign-and-trade instead of a straight signing, a move that allowed Oklahoma City to create the trade exception it used for Dion Waiters, as Pincus confirms and as Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors explained earlier this week. The Thunder also created a $915,243 trade exception for Lance Thomas, Pincus notes (Twitter link).

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

Despite the Lakers‘ struggles this season, team president Jeanie Buss is satisfied with the job that coach Byron Scott is doing, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News writes. “Our record doesn’t show what we’d like it to be. But I like what coach Byron Scott is doing and establishing,” Buss said. “I believe in what he’s trying to do and I see improvement all the time. I support our front office. I support our coach. I support our players.”
Buss also believes that the Lakers will be contending in three years time, something that her brother, vice president of basketball operations Jim Buss, predicted, Medina notes. “By three years, we will be where we should be in terms of the Western Conference,” Buss added. “That’s a challenge he [Jim Buss] presented to himself. Given all the resources that we have, our legacy and who our head coach is and who our front office is, I don’t see any problem progressing to where we need to be. We’ll be in the Western Conference finals in three years. As long as you have Kobe Bryant on your team, anything can happen in the playoffs.”
Now that the trade market has ramped up, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders continues his look at players who might be dealt prior to the February trade deadline. Some of the players whom Kennedy opines may be on the move include Reggie Jackson [Thunder], Jordan Hill [Lakers], Kosta Koufos [Grizzlies], and Jason Thompson [Kings].

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Atlantic Notes: Jackson, Galloway, Celtics

January 7th, 2015 at 8:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Knicks still have an interest in acquiring Reggie Jackson from the Thunder, but New York likely lacks the assets to entice Oklahoma City into dealing the guard, who will become a restricted free agent at season’s end, Jon Hamm of The Oklahoman writes. The only Knicks players that the Thunder may be interested in, Pablo Prigioni and Jose Calderon, offer significant downsides, Hamm notes. Calderon’s contract is unappealing, and Prigioni’s age (37), make any deal for them with OKC unlikely, adds Hamm.

Here’s the latest out of the Atlantic Division:

Newly-signed Langston Galloway had two things going for him that the Knicks liked: He’s well-versed in the triangle and he completed his college career, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “Langston is mature for a young player, gone to school for four years,’’ coach Derek Fisher said. “Not being afraid of the moment as a young guy was really impressive over the summer. He’s done some good things in Westchester [D-League] so far that tell us he is a guy who can develop into a good pro player. We’re excited to have him here for a short period. He’s going to try to make the most of it.’’
Knicks team president Phil Jackson hasn’t given up on Calderon, in spite of speculation that he’ll be the next player the team trades, so it’s more likely the Knicks would let go of backup Prigioni instead, Berman writes in a separate piece.
One of the Celtics‘ remaining trade assets who could be in demand is veteran forward Jeff Green. Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders runs down a number of possible deals that Boston can make should it decide to trade Green. Hoops Rumors’ Chuck Myron also looked at Green’s market in our Trade Candidate series.
The $490K that remained from the $2.09MM trade exception that the Celtics had created last January from the Courtney Lee to Memphis trade expired today. Also expiring is the $884,293 trade exception that the Thunder created from the same deal for sending Ryan Gomes to Boston.
Tony Wroten was rumored to be a part of the Sixers’ deal with the Clippers for Jared Cunningham, but for now, Wroten remains in Philadelphia. But Los Angeles is still interested in acquiring the guard, and the teams are having preliminary discussions regarding a possible trade, John Gonzalez of CSNPhilly.com reports. Wroten said that he’d like to remain in Philly, but he’s flattered that other teams are interested in him, Gonzalez adds. “I’m auditioning for everybody,” Wroten said. “But I was blessed and fortunate enough, with a few guys, who got to stay on this team. It’s like you feel wanted. I continue to play for the lovely fans and the lovely community and see where it takes us.”

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Dawkins, Rice, Silas

January 7th, 2015 at 5:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Hawks are the only Eastern Conference team with fewer than 10 losses, and tonight they’ll host the Grizzlies, one of three Western Conference clubs with that distinction. Atlanta’s unexpected surge to the top of the East comes against the backdrop of the sale of the team, and with several new would-be owners surfacing, there’s yet more news on the state of the franchise amid the latest from around the Southeast Division:

NBA spokesman Mike Bass made it clear today that the Hawks will stay put even as the club is up for sale, as Bass told Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). “The Atlanta Hawks are not moving to another market,” Bass said. A pair of investors reportedly want to buy the team and move it to Seattle.
The Heat have expressed interest in re-signing Andre Dawkins to a 10-day contract “down the road,” agent John Spencer told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, who writes in his daily notes column. The Heat waived Dawkins on Tuesday.
Glen Rice Jr. had trouble accepting criticism from coaches, but other Wizards players didn’t think he was a poor teammate, according to J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. Michael wrote this past weekend that Rice’s attitude was an issue that contributed to the team’s decision to cut ties.
Wizards camp invitee Xavier Silas has signed with Greece’s Nea Kifisia, the team announced (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). Silas averaged 10.3 points in 19.3 minutes per game for Washington during the preseason before the team waived him prior to opening night.

Lowe On Cap, Raptors, Nuggets, Cavs, Love

January 6th, 2015 at 2:18pm CST by Chuck Myron

Most league executives assume the salary cap will surge to around $90MM for the 2016/17 season, though they’re preparing for any eventuality, Grantland’s Zach Lowe writes. The cap’s at $63.065MM this year, so that means teams are in line for nearly 30% more spending power within the next two years, thanks to the NBA’s new $24 billion TV deal. Lowe has much more from around the league as teams peer into an uncertain future:

Raptors GM Masai Ujiri won’t say whether he’ll trade a first-round draft pick for someone who could help the team this season, but Ujiri tells Lowe that he “won’t make decisions that are going to shorten our growth and help us only this year.”
The Nuggets, Ujiri’s old team, appear to be closing in on the realization that the playoffs are out of reach, several league sources said to Lowe. That suggests that current Nuggets GM Tim Connelly is about to change his approach to the team’s roster this season, though that’s my own inference.
Chances are the Cavs will send a first-round pick out in a trade that brings back a center this season, Lowe writes in a separate piece. Cleveland maintains “serious off-and-on talks” with the Nuggets and Grizzlies about Timofey Mozgov and Kosta Koufos, respectively, according to Lowe.
Kevin Love has insisted on multiple occasions that he’s committed to the Cavs for the long term, but the Grantland scribe believes the All-Star power forward will undoubtedly survey the market in free agency this summer if conditions don’t improve in Cleveland. Love, who has a player option worth more than $16.744MM for 2015/16, is taking fewer shots this season than in any year since he became a full-time starter in 2010/11.

Cavs Still In Pursuit Of Center

January 5th, 2015 at 9:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Last month, it was reported that the Cavs were looking to move Dion Waiters for a “difference-making center“. They didn’t get that center in tonight’s three-team deal involving Waiters, but that doesn’t mean they’ve given up on finding a five that can make an impact. Sources tell Sam Amico of FOX Sports (on Twitter) that the Cavs plan on using the first-round choice from the Thunder as a part of a different trade for a big man.

No deal is imminent, Amico adds, but the Cavs are certainly looking. Cleveland remains interested in Nuggets center Timofey Mozgov and Grizzlies forward/center Kosta Koufos (link). Still, Denver remains reluctant to part with Mozgov, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).

It’s not clear what it would take for the Cavs to land Koufos, though he hasn’t been a major part of the gameplan in Memphis over the last two seasons. Koufos started 81 games and averaged 22.4 minutes per contest for the Nuggets in 2012/13 and saw that playing time cut to 16.9 MPG in his first season with the Grizzlies. That figure is down to 15.4 minutes per contest this season, though there has been a slight uptick in recent weeks.

The Cavs tried over a period of months to pry Mozgov away from Denver but Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio reported in late December that there wasn’t much in the way of recent talks. It’s possible that the Cavs’ newly-acquired first round choice could help reignite that chatter, however.

Marc Gasol On Free Agency, Lakers, Grizzlies

January 2nd, 2015 at 5:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Memphis big man Marc Gasol is set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season and will not lack suitors for his services. The Knicks, Spurs, Lakers and Raptors have already been reported to be interested in signing the 29-year-old, and the list of parties wanting to lure him away from the Grizzlies is likely to keep on growing. Gasol sat down with the Los Angeles Newspaper Group (hat tip to Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News) to discuss a number of topics. The entire article is worthy of a look, but here are some of the highlights…

On what variables Gasol is going to weigh when making his free agency decision:

“I haven’t weighed anything yet. Knowing that Arn [Tellem] will handle pretty much the load of everything else, whenever July comes, it’ll come. We’ll sit down and have a human eye-to-eye conversation and we’ll see what we’re looking for and looking at for the next four or five years of my life with the team and different teams and my family. Whatever decision I make, it would be the best.”

On if he would consider the Lakers as an option:

“I haven’t even looked at it yet. Whenever the time comes, I’m not going to say no to anything or refuse anything. I’m not going to agree to anything. We’re much in no man’s land right now. I pretty much just have to wait until July.”

On if his brother, Pau Gasol, provided any perspective on playing in Los Angeles:

“That was Pau’s time. I won’t say no to anything right now. It’s not something I have in front of me right now. If it’s presented to me, I’ll think about it. If not, I won’t.”

On his thoughts about being included in the 2008 trade that brought his brother to the Lakers:

“I never thought I would be in this league. I was happy for Pau because I knew that he needed a new start. I didn’t see myself as an NBA player. I didn’t see myself coming over here [from his native Spain]. I knew the Lakers didn’t know much about me. I never talked to them and they never came over. They gave me a training camp minimum contract. I wasn’t going to leave my team to be a training camp guy, especially not knowing what a training camp guy is. I would have a slim chance of making the team. It happens, but it normally doesn’t happen. I was just happy for Pau, honestly. I think it worked out pretty well for both sides. The Grizzlies got what they want, which was rebuilding and the cap space at that time and some young players. I don’t think they knew what that could turn into. The Lakers obviously have two rings, which is the ultimate goal and a great, unique and outstanding player in Pau. I don’t think they’ll get another one like that in years to come.”

On if he knew that he would develop into one of the best centers in the game after being dealt:

“I don’t think they knew the player I was. Nobody knew. Even today, I don’t think I’m the player I can still be. You never know. You make a decision and you have your side. They got a pretty good result having Pau for 6 and a half years. I don’t think they got the most out of Pau. They used Pau well for the 3 and a half years. But after that, the team didn’t have everything figured out. It was sad to see that. Move on and onto the next goal and next thing.”

Lakers Notes: Gasol, Lin, Bryant, Kelly

January 2nd, 2015 at 1:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers could make sense as a potential suitor for Marc Gasol this summer, opines Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Gasol once belonged to the team, but he was sent to the Grizzlies seven years ago as part of the deal that brought his brother Pau to L.A. “He needs to play as good as he can and take his team as far as he can,” Pau Gasol said about his brother. “Then he can think about his future afterwards. He can put everything aside and then he can evaluate everything on if he wants to stay in Memphis. That seems like a pretty reasonable option. Or he can give it a shot to another place. We’ll see. But who knows. That’s later. Right now, it’s a distraction.”

Let’s have a look at more on Gasol and the latest out of L.A.:

Ed Davis, who was Gasol’s teammate on the Grizzlies before joining the Lakers, doesn’t think it’s likely Gasol leaves Memphis to join L.A. next season, as Medina notes in the same piece. While Davis doesn’t completely rule out a change in scenery for his former teammate, he thinks it would take “something unexpected” for Gasol to leave what he has established in Memphis.
A free agent who may be on the way out of L.A. is Jeremy Lin, who expressed frustration over his season on his website. “This season has gone in the opposite direction that I anticipated,” Lin wrote. “I went through one of the worst, if not the worst, slump I’ve had in my basketball life, as well as having some of my poorest performances ever as a basketball player. Also at times, it has felt like the barriers were insurmountable or that I was powerless to control things around me.”
Coach Byron Scott told Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com that his plan to limit Kobe Bryant‘s playing time has been successful. “So far, the experiment is working,” Scott said. “We’re just going to keep at it and see how it turns out.” Bryant, who sat out three games last week, has been averaging 32 minutes of court time since his return, about five minutes less than before.
The Lakers expect to welcome Ryan Kelly back to action tonight, Medina reports. Injuries to both of Kelly’s hamstrings have limited him to just three games this season. “I never want to be seen as somebody who gets hurt a lot,” Kelly said. “But I’m excited for the future.” Last summer, the Lakers gave Kelly a two-year deal worth about $3.4MM.

Charlie Adams contributed to this post.