Memphis Grizzlies Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Grizzlies, Baynes, Sloan, Lakers

January 18th, 2013 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

A year ago, fans voted Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, and Andrew Bynum to be the Western Conference's starting lineup for the All-Star Game. This season, fan voting produced nearly the same result, with four of the same five guys returning as All-Star starters. The only difference? One Lakers center replaces another, as Dwight Howard, rather than Bynum, will start for the West.

Here are a few more notes from around the conference:

Zach Randolph and the Grizzlies are still adjusting to the new ownership group in Memphis, as Randolph tells Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal: "It was definitely (former owner Michael) Heisley's plan to keep us all together and make a run for the championship. So when you come in with something different, of course, it kind of bothers you."
Australian big man Aron Baynes is on his way to San Antonio to take a physical and begin completing his paperwork with the Spurs, tweets David Pick of Eurobasket.com and Sportando. We heard earlier this month that the Spurs were working to sign Baynes.
The Hornets don't plan to sign Donald Sloan to another 10-day contract at this point, tweets Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Sloan's first 10-day deal expired Wednesday at midnight.
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link) believes Kyle Korver makes sense as a trade target for the Lakers.

Conley, Gasol Met With Grizzlies Management

January 17th, 2013 at 7:53pm CST by Sean Highkin

Amid speculation that the Grizzlies are looking to trade Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph, Chris Herrington of the Memphis Flyer reports (via Twitter) that guard Mike Conley and center Marc Gasol recently met with new owner Robert Pera, where the two players reportedly urged him to keep the team's core together at least through this season.

Herrington also tweets that Grizzlies management knows it has to move either Gay or Randolph to preserve their long-term flexibility and avoid luxury tax penalties. He believes the meeting with Conley and Gasol was simply to take their pulse about the season and roster.

Market For Rudy Gay Dwindling?

January 17th, 2013 at 5:02pm CST by Sean Highkin

Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.com reports that the interest among teams in trading for Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay is not high, and although Memphis is continuing to shop Gay, the underwhelming offers may force them to wait until the offseason to move him and Zach Randolph.

Kennedy does not expect the Grizzlies to receive a young star or a high-upside rookie in return for Gay, naming Phoenix's Jared Dudley and Orlando's J.J. Redick as two potential players they could expect to land. Although Wizards rookie guard Bradley Beal was briefly discussed as a possible centerpiece for a Gay trade, Washington no longer has any interest in trading him.

Kennedy writes that much of the reluctance of teams to trade for Gay comes from his contract, which pays him $16.4MM this season, $17.8MM in 2013/14, and $19.3MM in 2014/15.

Berger On NBPA, Mavs, Grizzlies, Oden, Young

January 17th, 2013 at 11:15am CST by Luke Adams

It's been months since Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, and the NBPA were making headlines, but the law firm hired to look into how the Players' Association has spent its money and conducted its business is nearly ready to release the results, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. While it's not clear exactly what the report will reveal, several players believe the union needs a change in leadership, and are hoping Hunter will step down from his post even if the report exonerates him of any wrongdoing, according to Berger.

The latest edition of Berger's "Postups" column also features some trade rumblings, so let's round those up….

Mark Cuban's declaration this week that the "Bank of Cuban" is open was met with indifference by some rival executives, who don't see many attractive assets on the Mavericks besides Dirk Nowitzki. "I don't think anybody is in a hurry to get [Chris] Kaman or [Elton] Brand and all that stuff," a rival executive said. "Unless he's trying to take a contract that's loaded."
Since Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien is determined to make a good basketball trade rather than just dumping salary, there's a growing sense that Memphis will hang on to Rudy Gay and others, and deal with the team's cap and tax issues over the summer. I suggested as much when I looked at the Grizzlies' cap situation earlier this week.
While Greg Oden doesn't expect to return to action until next season, he hopes to sign with an NBA team in the next month to get into a training and conditioning program with a club. The Celtics are monitoring Oden's progress, and Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com reports that the Spurs and Cavaliers have also expressed interest.
Berger suggests that Nick Young is worth keeping an eye on as the trade deadline approaches, since his expiring contract could be valuable for a team in need of a scorer. The Sixers are currently four games out of a playoff spot — if they fall any further back, it definitely wouldn't surprise me to see them consider selling off pieces like Young.

Magic Aggressively Exploring Trade Options

January 17th, 2013 at 9:05am CST by Luke Adams

The Magic were at the center of 2012's biggest trade, the four-way deal that sent Dwight Howard to the Lakers, and while they don't have the pieces to make the same sort of splash in 2013, it appears the team will continue to be active on the trade market. According to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld, Orlando has been involved in "virtually every trade scenario out there" and is aggressively exploring its options.

Orlando's activity doesn't necessarily mean the club will make a deal on or before February 21st, but the Magic have made it clear they'll entertain offers for virtually anyone on their roster, says Kyler. With a pair of expiring contracts (J.J. Redick, Josh McRoberts), a collection of productive veterans (Arron Afflalo, Jameer Nelson, Glen Davis), a few young players with upside (Nikola Vucevic, Maurice Harkless, Andrew Nicholson), a massive $17.8MM trade exception, and a slew of future draft picks, the Magic could go in a number of different directions. However, it's unlikely that they'll compromise their future cap flexibility or part with any of their young players unless they find a deal that nets them a core piece.

One player that doesn't seem to be a future long-term piece in Orlando is Rudy Gay. According to Kyler, the Magic briefly discussed the veteran forward with the Grizzlies, but backed off due to Gay's contract and a belief that he wasn't an ideal fit.

Ford On Cousins, Gortat, Gay, Celtics

January 16th, 2013 at 7:53pm CST by Zachary Links

Damian Lillard is the odds on favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award right now, but there's still plenty of games to be played, said Chad Ford of ESPN.com in today's chat. The Hornets' Anthony Davis is back in action and very much in the picutre while Andre Drummond can't be ruled out either. Here's more from Ford..

There is a lot of interest around the league in DeMarcus Cousins, but from what Ford can gather, no GMs have had any success in making progress with the Kings on trade talks so far. The Kings appear to want to hold onto him, though plenty can change in the next five weeks.
Even though the Suns are eager to make a move, Ford sees Marcin Gortat remaining with Phoenix beyond the February 21st trade deadline. It's more likely that the club parlays their draft picks into pieces that are ready to contribute more immediately.
Ford believes that Rudy Gay is as good as gone in Memphis. The new ownership group is looking for ways to tighten their belt and moving the forward is the quickest way to accomplish that. Recent comments by coach Lionel Hollins against analytics would appear to be a shot at recent hire John Hollinger and, by extension, the thinking of the Memphis front office.
The Suns, Wizards, Magic, and Mavericks could all be trading away their lottery picks this summer as they'll look to win sooner rather than later. However, this isn't a terribly strong draft and it's far from a seller's market.
Danny Ainge is downplaying the trade talk surrounding the Celtics but Ford doesn't seem to be buying it. If there's a great deal out there for Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, or anyone else, Ford expects him to pull the trigger.

Hawks Have Participated In Josh Smith Trade Talks

January 16th, 2013 at 4:41pm CST by Luke Adams

For most of the season, we've been hearing that Josh Smith is happy with the job Danny Ferry has done so far in Atlanta, and that he's pleased with the Hawks' direction. However, the team's recent struggles appear to be taking a toll on the veteran forward. The Hawks announced today that they've fined and suspended Smith for one game for "conduct detrimental to the team."

While Smith and Ferry talked about moving past the issue in the team's press release, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports that it may not be quite that easy. According to Berger, Smith's agent, Wallace Prather, met with Ferry to discuss what Prather described as "a lot of frustration" with Atlanta's recent play. However, Smith and his agent stopped short of making a trade request.

"I want to be clear that I'm not pushing a trade," Prather said. "This is not a trade request or anything, but there are frustrations in Atlanta."

Prather added that he does know "teams are interested" in his client, and Berger hears from rival executives that the Hawks have participated in trade talks with several clubs involving Smith. The 27-year-old is in the final year of his contract and will hit unrestricted free agency this summer, so if Atlanta feels as if Smith could walk in July, it may make sense to entertain offers him before the trade deadline.

The Grizzlies, despite looking to clear long-term salary from their books, have not contacted the Hawks about Smith, and the Mavericks haven't expressed interest either, according to Berger. However, the CBSSports.com scribe hears that both Memphis and Dallas, as well as Houston, would appeal to Smith.

Grizzlies Trade Talks In “Holding Pattern”

January 16th, 2013 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

According to various reports so far this year, the Grizzlies have been at least gauging the value of Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph, and other players on their roster, if not shopping them outright. However, it doesn't appear that Memphis will be making a deal anytime soon. Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports (via Twitter) that the Grizzlies are currently in a "holding pattern" on trade talks, with nothing imminent and no serious discussions taking place.

The news isn't surprising, as recent reports on Gay have suggested that the team is now leaning toward keeping the veteran forward rather than moving him. I expect that's due at least in part to the fact that teams aren't likely to present their best trade offers with the trade deadline still five weeks away. Tillery notes in his tweet that Memphis expects to receive more serious offers close to February 21st.

I looked into the Grizzlies' cap situation yesterday, explaining why the team is considering moving Gay or another player. As I noted, besides the team's core four players (Gay, Randolph, Marc Gasol, and Mike Conley) and Marreese Speights, there isn't a single player on the roster that could be traded by himself to get the Grizzlies under the tax line for 2012/13. As such, the Grizzlies may look to make a deal, either before the deadline or over the summer, that will get them out of the tax for future seasons, rather than this season.

Odds & Ends: Mavericks, Most Improved, George

January 15th, 2013 at 6:49pm CST by Alex Lee

With six games on the NBA docket tonight, let's round up any odds and ends from around the Association here:

In HoopsWorld's NBA PM column, Alex Kennedy summarizes some of the trade chatter we've heard recently from the Mavericks, Grizzlies, Raptors, Rockets, Lakers, Magic and Jazz.
Speaking of the Mavs, despite Mark Cuban's recent bold proclamations, Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas writes that it is business as usual in Dallas. While some of the Mavs players admit that swirling rumors can be a distraction, Rick Carlisle says it has always been the norm in his time under Cuban.
In a Yahoo Sports video, Greg Anthony and Marc J. Spears discuss the leading candidates for the NBA's Most Improved Player award, specifically mentioning Paul George, James Harden, Greivis Vasquez, Nikola Vucevic and Jrue Holiday as the current contenders.
In the New York Times' Off The Dribble blog, Jim Cavan writes that the Pacers have been one of the few teams that has arguably benefited from losing a superstar to injury this year, citing the emergence of Paul George as a franchise player in Danny Granger's absence as the reason.

Examining The Grizzlies’ Cap Situation

January 15th, 2013 at 3:35pm CST by Luke Adams

2013's most popular subject of trade rumors to date has arguably been Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay. Since Grantland's Zach Lowe reported on January 4th that Memphis had made Gay available, the veteran forward has seemingly been linked with half the teams in the league, including the Suns, Raptors, Kings, and Wizards, among others.

As many others have written over the last couple weeks, the Grizzlies aren't exploring the market for Gay because they're dissatisfied with his play on the court. The 26-year-old is a crucial piece of a team that is on track to finish in the top four in a tough Western Conference. Rather, it's the Grizzlies' cap situation, and Gay's pricey long-term salary, that makes him a potential trade candidate.

Gay is earning about $16.5MM in 2012/13 and is in line for modest raises over the next couple seasons — he'll make $17.89MM in 2013/14 and has a player option worth $19.32MM in 2014/15. It's a lot of money for a player averaging 17.8 PPG and shooting a career-low 41.4% from the floor, and it's one of a handful of big deals that contributes to a total Grizzlies payroll exceeding $74MM this season.

With Robert Pera's new ownership group in place in Memphis, it's unclear exactly how comfortable the team is with being above the tax line ($70.31MM). At less than $4MM above the tax this year, the extra charges applied to the Grizzlies wouldn't be exorbitant, but being in the tax could become more problematic beginning next season. If the team doesn't move any of its current players, it could be on the hook for more than $73MM in 2013/14 and $65MM+ in 2014/15, without even having filled out its roster.

The repeater tax, which penalizes repeat taxpayers by exponentially increasing the tax on every dollar spent above the threshold, is on the horizon, but it shouldn't worry the Grizzlies. To qualify as a repeat taxpayer, teams must be over the tax line for four of five seasons, a line Memphis isn't in danger of crossing — even if the club were to remain in the tax through '14/15, the only money currently on the books for 2015/16 is Mike Conley's $9.59MM salary and Tony Wroten's $2.18MM team option, which should make staying under the tax threshold fairly easy. Still, tax penalties in general increase substantially next season, and the Grizzlies aren't the Lakers, Knicks, or Nets, all big-market teams that are comfortable with paying that premium.

If the Grizzlies hope to sneak below the tax threshold this season, Gay represents their best chance to do that, since he appears to be the most expendable of the club's three most expensive players (Gay, Zach Randolph, and Marc Gasol). It's not their only solution, but the alternate options are tricky.

Marreese Speights is the Grizzlies' only non-core piece earning $4MM+ this season, and has seen the team reduce his playing time this year. But the Grizzlies would be hard-pressed to find a taker for Speights without taking any salary back themselves. Other players could also be packaged in deals to get Memphis below the tax line, but the team is already carrying the minimum 13 players, so simply dumping salaries isn't as easy as it may seem.

If the Grizzlies don't find a deal they like for Gay or Speights, I expect the new owners to bite the bullet and pay the few extra million in taxes that the current roster will cost. But with more punitive penalties on the way for 2013/14, we should probably plan on seeing the Grizz aggressively explore ways to trim the payroll over the summer.

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