Minor Moves: Josh Selby
We'll track today's notable international and D-League-related transactions here:
- The Grizzlies assigned Josh Selby to their D-League affiliate in Reno, the team announced today. Selby, a rookie guard, hadn't seen action for Memphis since the team signed Gilbert Arenas. It's the second time this season he's been assigned to the Bighorns. The Kansas product has averaged 21.5 PPG in four games (31.0 MPG) at Reno, and 2.5 PPG in 23 games (8.8 MPG) for the Grizzlies.
Odds & Ends: Timberwolves, Calderon, Kobe
With the All-Star Game behind us and regular season games not restarting until tomorrow, a handful of writers today are looking ahead to the season's second half. With the March 15th deadline just 17 days away, the start of the second half figures to be dominated by trade rumors, so Sean Deveney of the Sporting News and Sam Smith of Bulls.com were among the scribes who examined a few big-name trade candidates. Here are a few more links from around the Association as we wait for the second half to get underway:
- Timberwolves head coach Rick Adelman doesn't believe that there is a solid wing upgrade available on the trade block, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (via Twitter).
- Raptors head coach Dwane Casey says that there's nothing brewing on the trade front, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. Casey added that the club has received interest in Jose Calderon but "there's nothing on the table" when it comes to the point guard (Twitter link).
- The Grizzlies recalled rookie Josh Selby from the D-League, according to the Commercial Appeal's Twitter feed. The former Kansas Jayhawk was assigned to the Reno Bighorns earlier this month in order to see more playing time.
- Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez told reporters this weekend that Kobe Bryant was thinking about retirement before undergoing platelet-rich plasma treatment in the offseason, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times.
- Michael Lee of the Washington Post wonders which of the Wizards' young players are part of the team's long-term plans. Spoiler alert: Andray Blatche isn't mentioned. In a separate piece, Lee previews the summer for Nick Young and JaVale McGee, who are both in contract years.
- Point guard may not be a major offseason priority for the Heat if they can win a title with Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole manning the position, says Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star handicaps the odds of a few Raptors trade candidates being moved before the deadline.
- Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley has been eliminated from the list of prospective bidders for the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
- The 2015 All-Star game will likely be in New York, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Minor Moves: Selby, Ford, Sallie
The Grizzlies have assigned point guard Josh Selby, who has struggled to see playing time behind Mike Conley and Jeremy Pargo, to the Reno Bighorns of the D-League, the team announced. Selby, a former Kansas Jayhawk, was selected 49th overall in the second round of the 2011 draft. He averaged 2.9 PPG and 1.4 APG with the Grizzlies this year.
Elsewhere around the fringes of professional basketball, where everyone dreams of becoming the next Jeremy Lin:
- Former Suns forward Sharrod Ford was part of a D-League trade Monday, heading to the Canton Charge in exchange for Frank Hassell, who goes to the Erie Bayhawks.
- Roburt Sallie, who played collegiately at Memphis, was cut by his Spanish team after a male-enhancement drug resulted in a positive test for doping. Sallie disputed the claims to Royce Young of CBS Sports, and says he chose to leave the team, and not the other way around.