Memphis Grizzlies Rumors | Hoops Rumors

D-League Moves: Dooling, Wroten, Varnado

April 7th, 2013 at 5:54pm CST by Zachary Links

The biggest D-League news of the day came when the Warriors inked Scott Machado to a 10-day deal, giving the Iona guard another crack in the NBA for the 2012/13 campaign. We'll keep track of today's call-ups and assignments in this thread. If you want to take a look back at all of the D-League assignments and recalls from this year, check out Hoops Rumors' running log. Here's the latest..

The Grizzlies announced that they have recalled Keyon Dooling and Tony Wroten from the Reno Bighorns. Dooling had six points and two steals in his D-League debut. Wroten, making his fourth D-League appearance of the year, had 30 points and eight assists.
The Heat announced that they recalled Jarvis Varnado from the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Varnado averaged 18.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.75 blocks, and 1.75 steals in his eight game stint.

Grizzlies Send Dooling, Wroten To D-League

April 6th, 2013 at 3:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

We’ll track today’s D-League assignments and recalls here, with any additional moves added to the top throughout the day.

The Grizzlies have sent point guards Keyon Dooling and Tony Wroten to the D-League’s Reno Bighorns, tweets Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Both will be back with Memphis in time for Sunday’s game against the Kings, Tillery adds. The team had to get the consent of Dooling to assign him to the D-League, since he’s a 13th-year veteran and league rules only allow players with less than three years of experience to be assigned freely. Dooling briefly appeared in one game for Memphis this week after the team signed him to take some of the backup point guard burden off Wroten, a rookie.

Stein On Van Gundy, Clippers, Pistons, Grizzlies

April 6th, 2013 at 12:26pm CST by Zachary Links

In his Weekend Dime column, ESPN.com's Marc Stein takes us on a ride around the NBA coaching carousel. You must be this tall to check out the highlights..

According to sources, Stan Van Gundy's availability already has the Clippers highly intrigued. That doesn't bode well for coach Vinny Del Negro, who might not even be able to save his job with a deep playoff run.
No team in coaching circles is rated as more likely to make a change than the Pistons. Sources consistently say that Lawrence Frank is going to be ousted when the season is over based on the lack of responsiveness from his players. It would be a big surprise at this stage if the Pistons aren't soon in the market for a coach and they make target a former player.
One coaching source says that it is "very likely" that Lionel Hollins will get a new deal from the Grizzlies after the playoffs. Word is that they'll still probably keep him in the event of a first round exit.
More than one source says that Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap is a coach in potential jeopardy, which undoubtedly stems from Michael Jordan's recent promise to season-ticket holders that major offseason changes are on the way. Stein doesn't think that the criticism for Dunlap is fair considering the group that he has to work with.
Sources continue to link Kelvin Sampson to the Bucks' opening, but interim coach Jim Boylan could get the full-time gig still.
One source with knowledge of the Suns said this week that Lindsey Hunter has a "good shot" to become the permanent head coach at season's end.
Byron Scott is believed to have the support of the front office, but there is a growing sense in Cleveland that owner Dan Gilbert will make a change regardless. The coach had had to deal with the absences of Kyrie Irving, Anderson Varejao, and Dion Waiters throughout the year.
Wizards coach Randy Wittman appears to be safe and he should have less to worry about that the aforementioned coaches on the hot seat.

Zach Randolph Likely To Exercise 2014/15 Option

April 3rd, 2013 at 8:49pm CST by Chuck Myron

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.

Grizzlies Sign Keyon Dooling

April 3rd, 2013 at 11:49am CST by Chuck Myron

WEDNESDAY, 11:49am: The Grizzlies have officially signed Dooling, the team announced today in a press release. The release didn't specify that the deal was a 10-day contract, so I'd assume it's for at least the rest of this season.

MONDAY, 11:12am: The Grizzlies will sign Keyon Dooling today, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, formalizing a move that had been rumored since Wednesday, when former New York Post columnist Peter Vecsey originally reported the story. The Grizzlies had been looking at other options in their search for a point guard, including Jonny Flynn, Scott Machado, Courtney Fortson, and Sundiata Gaines.

According to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the move has been held up as the team waited on the results of physical and psychological tests on Dooling, who retired after a nervous breakdown this past summer (Twitter link). Dooling had originally wanted to return to the Celtics, with whom he spent last season, but since Boston waived him following his retirement, the team wasn't allowed to bring him back.

The 32-year-old Dooling, who's averaged 7.0 points and 2.2 assists per game over his 12-year career, will give the Grizzlies some more depth at point guard. Memphis has been using rookie Tony Wroten as a backup to Mike Conley. The signing will bring the team's roster to 14 players, leaving room for one more.

Woelfel On Heisley, Josh Smith, Bucks, Hornets

April 2nd, 2013 at 4:57pm CST by Chuck Myron

Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times touches on several juicy topics from around the league in his latest piece. We'll hit the highlights here:

Former Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley has been in a coma for more than a month, and prospects for his recovery from a February stroke are "extremely bleak," Woelfel reports. Heisley was nearing a deal to join the Bucks ownership group with the intention of becoming the primary owner in a few years, but current primary owner Herb Kohl backed out of the deal, according to Woelfel, who adds that Kohl is still open to finding a partner.
We heard before the deadline that the Hawks wanted a "quality young center" in return for Josh Smith, but the Bucks deemed Larry Sanders and power forwards Ersan Ilyasova and John Henson off-limits as the teams engaged in talks.
Woelfel heard from Smith, who adds the Hornets to the lengthy list of teams that were after him at the deadline.
The Bucks would have made additional trades if they had acquired Smith, and they had interest in Eric Maynor, who wound up going from the Thunder to the Blazers.
Woelfel spoke to Kyle Korver, who indicates the Hawks are in the driver's seat when he hits free agency this summer. "I’m definitely hoping to stay here (with Atlanta)," Korver said. "It’s been a great experience. And we have an awesome coach (Larry Drew) to play for."
Some NBA scouts believe Georgia shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could wind up being drafted at the back end of the lottery this year. He's listed as No. 38 on the DraftExpress top-100 prospects list, and No. 20 in ESPN's rankings.

Grizzlies Eyeing Dooling, Flynn, Others

April 1st, 2013 at 7:46am CST by Chuck Myron

MONDAY, 7:46am: Dooling is still the "big favorite" to earn a spot with the Grizzlies, but the team's search for a guard may continue for a couple more days before a signing occurs, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

FRIDAY, 10:56am: In addition to Dooling and Flynn, the Grizzlies are also considering Scott Machado, Courtney Fortson, and Sundiata Gaines, according to Chris Vernon of 92.9 FM ESPN in Memphis (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY, 10:14pm: Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe received a similar text from Dooling, who says he'll know for sure about a deal with Memphis by Sunday (Twitter link).

10:05pm: Dooling texted TNT's David Aldridge to say that he's been in contact with the Grizzlies, but hasn't signed with the team (Twitter link).

7:20pm: The Grizzlies haven't committed to signing Dooling, a source tells Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal. Memphis is also considering Jonny Flynn as the team looks to add a veteran point guard rather than rely on rookie backup Tony Wroten, according to Tillery (Twitter links).

6:31pm: Former New York Post columnist Peter Vecsey reports that the Grizzlies have signed Keyon Dooling for the rest of the season (Twitter link). If the move becomes official, it would mark an end to Dooling's retirement, which he announced in September while with the Celtics. Presumably, he'd have to leave his job as a player development coordinator for the C's, which he assumed after he retired.

Dooling suffered a nervous breakdown over the summer that stemmed from sexual abuse he endured in childhood, as he detailed last year to Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com and TNT's David Aldridge. Shortly after his retirement, he was linked to the Heat, but denied interest in a return to the league. The 32-year-old guard told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe he was open to coming back in January and said he informed Celtics coach Doc Rivers he was upping his workout regimen, but announced a few days later that he would not return to the NBA this year.

Boston and Dooling agreed to a $400K buyout of his guaranteed minimum-salary contract, so he's represented a small cap hit for the C's all year despite not having been on the team's roster. Dooling couldn't return to the Celtics unless they waived someone else, but the Grizzlies have two open roster spots, so they could accomodate Dooling if they choose.

Washburn On Martin, Dooling, Draft

March 31st, 2013 at 12:35pm CST by Chuck Myron

Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe delivers noteworthy news from around the Association in the latest installment of his weekly column, which blends a review of the top storylines from the past week with fresh news from league sources. We'll pass along the latter here:

Washburn wonders if Kenyon Martin's resurgence with the Knicks late this season will help his free agent stock in the summer, though the veteran big man isn't looking for a change of scenery. "I would love to stay a Knick," Martin said. "I don’t want to go nowhere. I am proving to this organization what I can be and who I am as a person on and off the court, and I think they see that. I’m here now and I’m going to make the best of this opportunity."
Keyon Dooling, whom the Grizzlies are reportedly considering, wanted to come out of retirement with the Celtics earlier this season, but he's barred from signing from Boston for a year after the team waived him in September, according to Washburn. I'm unaware of any such restriction under the collective bargaining agreement, but since the CBA isn't a public document, this could be a rule we're simply learning about for the first time.
Washburn expects several underclassmen who are on the fence about entering the draft to go ahead and do so, given the perceived weakness of this year's field. Of course, not everyone benefits from early entry. Washburn caught up with Hawks point guard Jeff Teague, who believes his brother, Bulls rookie Marquis Teague, should have stayed in college one more year.

Western Notes: Kings, Pekovic, Grizzlies

March 29th, 2013 at 3:54pm CST by Luke Adams

After the Lakers and Mavericks lost their respective games on Thursday, the Jazz will look to take advantage tonight in Portland against a Trail Blazers team that's expected to be without LaMarcus Aldridge. If Utah can get a victory, the club will pull even in the standings with the 37-36 Lakers, tied for the eighth playoff spot in the West with just nine games to go. While we wait for the Jazz/Blazers game, which will be the last on tonight's schedule to tip off, let's check in on a few items from around the Western Conference….

Appearing on the Dan Patrick Show, Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson expressed plenty of confidence in his city's chances of keeping the Kings, as Chris Fedor of Sports Radio Interviews writes. Asked about the chances of Sacramento's bid succeeding, Johnson likened the city's odds to "Steve Nash on the free throw line": 90%.
Restricted free-agent-to-be Nikola Pekovic is also speaking in percentages, telling Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) that he "100%" wants to remain with the Timberwolves beyond this season. Pekovic has said in the past that he likes "everything about Minnesota," so his latest comments don't come as a surprise.
Zach Lowe of Grantland has published an entertaining interview with Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins, a conversation that touched on January's Rudy Gay trade. According to Hollins, while he wasn't on board with trading Gay, he was looped in during the process, having discussed the Tayshaun Prince/Ed Davis return with the front office before the deal was agreed upon.
More Hollins on the Gay trade: "They asked me my opinion, and I'd say, 'I'd rather take this over that,' or, 'I'd rather not do this until the end of the season.' But that's what they get paid to do — to make those decisions. And I'm not sure that if I were in their shoes, I wouldn't have made the same trade…. But as a coach, you're thinking about right now, and so your mind-set is different."

Odds & Ends: Kings, White, McRoberts, Suns

March 28th, 2013 at 11:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

Since a deal to keep the Kings in Sacramento fell through last year, there seems to have been no love lost between the Maloof family, which owns the team, and Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson. Lately, though, Johnson has taken a conciliatory tone toward the Maloofs, and Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com believes that could be strategic, since the Maloofs would still have to agree to sell the team to Sacramento investors if the league rejects their pending sale to Chris Hansen's Seattle group. We rounded up more on the Kings sale this morning, and we'll continue to monitor the story in advance of a key meeting coming up on Wednesday. In the meantime, here's more from around the Association:

Royce White said the Rockets were on board with his plan to leave the team's D-League affiliate just before they start the playoffs, but Houston GM Daryl Morey said the Rockets and White made no such agreement, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle notes.
Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap hopes his team re-signs trade-deadline acquisition Josh McRoberts, who'll be an unrestricted free agent this summer, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
The Suns' decision to hold leading scorer Goran Dragic out of last night's game even though he was healthy led some Phoenix players to privately complain about the move, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. When I asked last night whether the NBA should try to crack down on tanking, the majority of Hoops Rumors readers who responded said the league should take measures to prevent the practice.
Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins and Zach Randolph deny rumors that there's a rift between them, as Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal documents.
Several league executives regard Fred Hoiberg as an NBA head coaching candidate, but it appears Hoiberg won't be leaving Iowa State anytime soon. He agreed to a 10-year, $20MM contract to remain with the Cyclones, the school confirmed via Twitter. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities first reported the news (Twitter link).
The Celtics signed Shavlik Randolph to a multiyear deal last week, and Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston thinks the big man should be seeing more minutes.