Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Grizzlies Rumors

Cavs Won’t Buy Out Omri Casspi Before Deadline

March 1st, 2013 at 11:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

11:59pm: The Rockets' agreement to sign Brooks scuttled Casspi's willingness to accept a buyout from the Cavs, since it took away a likely destination, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links).

7:55pm: The Cavs won't buy out the remainder of Omri Casspi's contract before tonight's playoff-eligibility deadline, reports Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. The forward is unpleased with his scant playing time this season, a source tells Lloyd, and his representatives have been engaged in buyout talks with the team.

Bob Finnan of The News-Herald indicated this weekend that Casspi was no longer in the team's plans, and a report from the Israeli website Walla Sport indicated Casspi wanted to wait to have an offer lined up with another team before agreeing to a buyout, just like Raja Bell of the Jazz. That report from Casspi's native Israel pointed to the Grizzlies and Rockets as potential destinations, and ESPN's Marc Stein named the Rockets as a legitimate candidate to sign him if he were released, though Houston might be reluctant to do so now that they're set to sign Aaron Brooks.

Casspi is averaging a career-low 11.4 minutes per game this year, and his numbers have declined virtually across the board in each season since his rookie campaign in 2009/10. That year he put up 10.3 points in 25.1 minutes per game for the Kings, who made him the 23rd overall pick in the 2009 draft. Casspi's currently making $2.277MM in the final year of his rookie-scale contract, but it's no certainty that the Cavs will tender him the $3.3MM qualifying offer required for the team to match offers for him this summer. Without that qualifying offer, Casspi would become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.

Repost Share Send via email

Western Notes: Fisher, Mavericks, Conley, Nash

February 25th, 2013 at 10:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has kept mum about Derek Fisher signing with the Thunder, but one league source told Jeff Caplan of NBA.com that the best way to describe the mood of the Dallas front office is “agitated."  The source said that the veteran and his representatives never contacted the Mavs during his decision-making process to discuss a possible return to Dallas, the team that, in good faith, initially signed him.  Fisher asked for and received his release from the Mavs on December 22 so he could spend more time with his family.  Here's more out of the Western Conference..

  • Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News doesn't see Dwight Howard as the answer for the Mavericks as they look to once again build themselves into contenders.  Cowlishaw argues that despite his immense talent, his poor foul shooting and subsequent inability to be counted upon in crunch time cancels out much of it.
  • Mike Conley is averaging 2.3 steals per contest and if he keeps up his thieving ways, he'll be in line for a contract bonus at the end of the year, notes Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.  To cash in, the Grizzlies guard has to finish top five in steals.  He currently ranks second behind Chris Paul of the Clippers.
  • Salary cap guru Larry Coon (via Twitter) believes that it's possible that the Lakers will trade Steve Nash this offseason, but he doesn't see them actively pursuing a deal.
Repost Share Send via email

Teams With Open Roster Spots

February 25th, 2013 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

Since the trade deadline, a pair of contenders have taken advantage of having an open roster spot, with the Knicks adding Kenyon Martin on a 10-day contract and the Thunder agreeing to sign Derek Fisher for the remainder of the season.

For New York and Oklahoma City, adding a veteran as a 15th man makes sense for depth purposes, and we may see a few more playoff contenders take the same approach as Friday's buyout deadline nears. For non-contenders, a D-League pickup or two may be more likely, as teams take a look at players who may be able to contribute beyond this season.

Clubs carrying fewer than 15 players are more likely to add free agents at this point, since they won't have to release a player on a guaranteed contract to clear space for a pickup. So with the help of our constantly-updated roster counts page, let's take a quick look at the list of teams with at least one open roster spot. The number of available spots is indicated in parentheses.

Eastern Conference:

  • Boston Celtics (2)
  • Brooklyn Nets (1)
  • Charlotte Bobcats (1)
  • Chicago Bulls (1)
  • Detroit Pistons (1)
  • Miami Heat (1)
  • Orlando Magic (1)

Western Conference:

  • Golden State Warriors (2)
  • Houston Rockets (1)
  • Los Angeles Clippers (1)
  • Los Angeles Lakers (1)
  • Memphis Grizzlies (2)
  • New Orleans Hornets (2)
  • Sacramento Kings (1)
Repost Share Send via email

Odds & Ends: Gay, Grizzlies, Korver, Smith

February 24th, 2013 at 11:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Hoops Rumors would like to wish a speedy recovery to former Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley as he remains in a Chicago-area hospital days after suffering a stroke, as Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal details.  Heisley is interested in buying another NBA team, and has recently been linked to the Wolves and Bucks.  Here's more from around the Association..

  • Raptors star Rudy Gay told Chris Mannix of NBC Sports (on Twitter) that he was not happy about leaving the Grizzlies at a time when he felt that they were poised to make a run.  The forward went on to say that the team was shocked and deflated by the Marreese Speights deal (Twitter link).
  • Soon-to-be free agent Kyle Korver is open to a return to the Bulls this summer, he tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com, who notes that the sharpshooter was one of Derrick Rose's favorites."That’s a great organization, that’s an awesome jersey to put on," Korver said of the Bulls. "Great fans, good team. You only get to be a free agent so many times in a career, so I’ll definitely see what’s all there. But I would absolutely listen to what they’ve got to say."
  • Now that the trade deadline has come and gone, Josh Smith can go back to focusing on contributing to his Hawks team, writes Shams Charania of RealGM.  In fact, for all of his ups and downs with the club over the years, he seems re-energized and upbeat about the second half of the year in Atlanta.
  • Mark Cuban says that Vince Carter was the Mavericks' most in-demand player at the deadline, according to Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com (on Twitter).  "We're lucky to have him," said the owner.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Repost Share Send via email

Omri Casspi No Longer In Cavs’ Plans

February 24th, 2013 at 10:34am CST by Chuck Myron

The Israeli website Walla Sport published a report indicating that Omri Casspi would like a buyout from the Cavs within the next few days (translation via HoopsHype), and Bob Finnan of The News-Herald wouldn't be surprised if that takes place. The 6'9" forward is no longer in the team's plans, Finnan writes. Casspi's rookie-scale contract expires at the end of the season, and, as Finnan already reported, he's not expected to re-sign with Cleveland this summer.

There were conflicting reports last month about whether Casspi asked for a trade, though at the time the 24-year-old professed happiness about being in Cleveland. Casspi appeared a likely trade candidate before the deadline, and drew interest from the Spurs this week. The Walla Sport report said Casspi is waiting to have a deal in place, ideally with the Grizzlies or Rockets, before accepting any buyout offer from the Cavs.

Casspi had his appendix removed this weekend, according to the Plain Dealer (Twitter link), a painful sidenote to a season of minimal impact in Cleveland. His points, rebounds, assists and minutes per game, as well as his field goal percentage, have declined each year from his rookie season, when he was a double-figure scorer and started 31 games for the Kings. Sacramento traded the 24th overall pick in the 2009 draft to the Cavs two years ago, and this season Casspi is putting up just 4.0 PPG in 11.4 MPG.

The Cavs can tender a $3,313,480 qualifying offer this summer to retain their right to match offers for Casspi, but it doesn't appear likely they'll do so. Casspi may return to his native Israel play, as Finnan reported a few weeks ago.

Repost Share Send via email

Recap Of Deadline Trades

February 21st, 2013 at 7:44pm CST by Sean Highkin

A complete recap of trades that were completed before Thursday's trade deadline:

Repost Share Send via email

Grizzlies Acquire Dexter Pittman From Heat

February 21st, 2013 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

2:54pm: The Heat have confirmed in a press release that they've sent Pittman to Memphis. The Grizzlies also received cash considerations from the Heat, according to the release.

12:48pm: The Grizzlies and Heat have agreed to a deal that will send Dexter Pittman and a second-round pick to Memphis, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reports that the Heat will acquire the rights to Ricky Sanchez, who is currently playing in Argentina, in the trade (Twitter link). Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal first reported that the two sides were in serious talks about a swap.

For the Grizzlies, Pittman represents another piece of frontcourt depth off the bench. Memphis had been carrying just 12 players, and would have been required to add a 13th man in the very near future had the team not acquired a player via trade today. The team had intended to make use of one of its seven trade exceptions, but likely won't need to do so, since the third-year big man is making the minimum salary of $854,389.

From Miami's perspective, the trade allows the club to open a roster spot for a potential free agent addition later in the season. According to Windhorst (via Twitter), the Heat have kept in touch with Kenyon Martin, but will likely wait until March to explore all their options.

Moving Pittman also reduces the Heat's tax bill slightly, and the cost to do so wasn't exactly exorbitant — Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (via Twitter) that the second-rounder is Miami's 2013 pick, which is currently projected to be 59th overall, as our projected draft order indicates.

I would assume that Sanchez, who was drafted by the Trail Blazers in 2005, will never see the floor for the Heat. The Grizzlies simply had to include a piece in the deal so that they weren't acquiring Pittman and a pick for nothing. Miami will also obtain a trade exception worth $854,389 (Pittman's salary) in the move.

Repost Share Send via email

Grizzlies In Serious Talks To Acquire Pittman

February 21st, 2013 at 12:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies are in serious talks with the Heat to acquire big man Dexter Pittman, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). The proposed deal would see the Grizzlies land Pittman and a second-round pick using one of their seven trade exceptions.

Because Pittman is only making a minimum salary ($854,389) this season, the Grizzlies could use one of their smaller exceptions to absorb his contract, rather than using a chunk of their $7.49MM TPE from the Rudy Gay trade. From Miami's perspective, the team could clear a roster spot and save some money on its luxury-tax bill.

Repost Share Send via email

Grizzlies Weighing Multiple Trade Scenarios

February 21st, 2013 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies are "actively working" two separate trade possibilities, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (via Twitter). Both scenarios would involve Memphis landing a big man, though neither player is a household name, adds Tillery.

With just 12 players on their roster, the Grizzlies will be required to add a 13th man soon to adhere to NBA rules. The team is expected to do so by using one of their seven trade exceptions to acquire a player today. Tillery tweets that the Grizzlies' current talks would "only involve" one of those exceptions, though Memphis would technically have to add another outgoing piece, even if it's something like a heavily-protected future second-rounder.

Repost Share Send via email

Kyler’s Latest: Suns, Redick, Lakers, Novak, Blair

February 21st, 2013 at 8:17am CST by Luke Adams

With less than six hours until today's trade deadline, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld explores a few of the latest rumors in his NBA AM piece. Here are the highlights:

  • Besides Jermaine O'Neal, Sebastian Telfair is another candidate to be a roster casualty once the Suns finalize their acquisition of Marcus Morris, says Kyler. If Phoenix trades either player for virtually nothing, the Grizzlies, who have seven trade exceptions and a need to add a 13th man to their roster, could get involved.
  • As they explore J.J. Redick deals, the Magic continue to seek a high-level first-round pick or a package that includes a young player and second-round picks. Several teams have questioned whether it's worth meeting that asking price for what could be a 30-game rental of Redick, according to Kyler.
  • If the Lakers make a trade, it's expected to be one that reduces their luxury-tax bill rather than one that drastically changes the roster.
  • In addition to shopping Ronnie Brewer, the Knicks have also made Steve Novak available. The duo isn't drawing a whole lot of interest though.
  • The Hawks are a potential destination for DeJuan Blair, particularly if Atlanta finalizes a Josh Smith trade.
Repost Share Send via email
Load More Posts