Tag: Memphis Grizzlies (Page 3 of 10)

      Grizzles, Gay agree to five-year extension

      July 1, 2010 /

      Panic has set in in Memphis, as the Grizzlies have agreed to a five-year extension for Rudy Gay without letting the restricted free agent test the market.

      The Memphis Grizzlies and restricted free-agent Rudy Gay have agreed in principle on a five-year contract, The Commercial Appeal has learned.

      NBA sources indicated that Gay will sign the deal on or soon after July 8 when teams are allowed to finalize contracts.

      Gay’s starting salary will be the maximum allowed a player with his experience – projected to be roughly $13.3 million – according to sources.

      I highlighted the key part in bold. The Grizzlies waited all this time, said over and over that they’d match any offer he received, and then they turned around and gave him a max deal before he had a chance to sign an offer sheet.

      Why not let Gay go out and negotiate a deal and then match it? Why agree to pay him the max when there’s no proof that he’d get a max offer?

      Yes, he was likely to get a big offer, and perhaps the Grizzlies just wanted to be proactive and keep one of their star players happy. But by making this deal, they may have cost themselves millions of dollars. Rudy Gay is no ‘max’ player, at least not at this stage of his career.

      But he’s about to make max money.


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      T-Wolves interested in Gay?

      June 7, 2010 /

      Ronald Tillery of the Commercial-Appeal thinks so…

      One team that will make a strong run at Gay is the Minnesota Timberwolves. Team owner Glen Taylor and president of basketball operations David Kahn have already targeted Gay as an attainable player to uplift the struggling franchise.

      Griz owner Michael Heisley continues to insist that Gay will be a Grizzly next season. Memphis (namely Heisley) has the right to match any offer sheet that is presented to Gay from another team.

      Gay would be a nice fit in Minnesota who could use his scoring on the wing. Neither Kevin Love nor Al Jefferson are terribly athletic, so Gay would help bolster the Minnesota front line. I am sure that David Kahn is envisioning Ricky Rubio feeding the ball to Gay on the break in two years.

      But when the owner insists he’s going to match any offer for one of his restricted agents, it’s usually a good sign that it’s going to happen. He holds the purse strings, so he can spend whatever he wants to retain Gay. The Grizzlies can sit back, wait for Gay to work out a deal with another team, and then match it. Memphis has an advantage over, say, the Knicks, who hope to land LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and/or Chris Bosh. But if a team makes David Lee a “take it or leave it” offer on July 1, the Knicks may not have much time to beat it since they’ll be waiting on answers from LeBron and Co.

      Gay is not a “max” player, but there’s a good chance that he gets a max deal, or at least a maximum offer from a team who doesn’t hold his Bird rights. This may help the Grizzlies a little bit because they won’t be on the hook for that extra year and the additional $30 million.

      Gay is a nice player — he averaged 20-6-2, 47% FG, 33% 3PT — but he’s not a max guy. Chances are that whoever ultimately signs him this summer will have to overspend for his services, especially with so much cap space floating around.

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      Zach Randolph may be in trouble due to possible drug connection

      May 27, 2010 /

      An informant has told police that Zach Randolph is a major marijuana supplier in Indianapolis. 6News has the story, but thanks to Black Sports Online for the find.

      According to a probable cause affidavit, a trusted police informant identified Memphis Grizzlies player Zach Randolph as a major marijuana supplier in Indianapolis, 6News’ Jack Rinehart reported.

      Narcotics officers were staking out a suspected drug house on Indianapolis’ north side two weeks ago when they pulled over Arthur Boyd, 32, soon after he left the residence, near 75th Street and Binford Avenue, police said.

      According to the affidavit, the Cadillac Escalade that Boyd was driving was registered to Randolph, and police found marijuana and ammunition stowed inside.

      “One of his vehicles had what we call hidden compartments that contained suspected narcotics, that being marijuana,” said Lt. Jeff Duhamell.

      Based on information found in the Escalade, police later raided a northeast side storage facility, where they said Randolph rents four lockers.

      According to the affidavit, a police K-9 alerted to controlled substances in two of the four units, and police found more cars with secret compartments inside.

      At this point, it appears that the police have some circumstantial evidence and the word of an informant. While it is troubling that vehicles and lockers owned by Randolph contained illegal substances, it is possible that he wasn’t aware of what’s going on. It’s not likely, but it’s possible.

      Either way, it’s a dumb thing to do. If you’re going to buy one of your buddies a gift, just give it to him — don’t keep ownership of the vehicle. And why does Randolph rent four lockers in Indianapolis? And if he was aware of what was going on, or is/was involved in a drug ring, what is he thinking? He’s a professional basketball player and makes millions and millions of dollars every season. Why would he moonlight as a drug dealer?

      Randolph’s attorney says that his client isn’t involved in any drug ring and is very upset about this news because he has worked hard to repair his image. Aside from a drunk driving arrest in 2009, Randolph has cleaned up his act in recent years after a long history of trouble with the law:

      Randolph has a long criminal history. He was convicted of battery and sentenced to house arrest in 1997, and spent time in a juvenile detention center in 1999 for selling a stolen gun.

      Three years later, he was arrested on charges of underage drinking, and faced charges in Portland after police said they could smell marijuana coming from his car.

      A few weeks ago, Randolph insisted that he deserved Pau Gasol-type money, and this latest stint of trouble is obviously going to make that kind of extension a long shot at best.


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      NBA Draft Lottery: Who wouldn’t pick John Wall #1?

      May 18, 2010 /

      The NBA Draft Lottery is tonight, and as always, there is a lot riding on a few ping pong balls. Here is a list of the lottery teams (with their chances of winning the top pick in parenthesis) along with some discussion of their possible strategy if they do win the #1 pick.

      ALMOST A SURE THING

      Nets (25%)
      The Wall-to-New Jersey/Brooklyn rumors have been strong all season, thanks to the Nets’ woeful record and Devin Harris’s struggles. Harris is now viewed as expendable, which means Wall would be a Net if the balls bounce their way tonight.

      Wizards (10.3%)
      Winning the right to draft Wall would allow the Wizards to cut ties with Gilbert Arenas and the franchise’s gun-toting past. It might also convince a free agent or two to sign for the chance to play with Wall.

      76ers (5.3%)
      Jrue Holiday is nice, but he’s not going to dissuade the Sixers from drafting a franchise-savior like Wall.

      Pistons (5.2%)
      See 76ers above but substitute “Rodney Stuckey” for “Jrue Holiday.” That is all.

      Pacers (1.1%)
      Indiana arguably needs a point guard more than any other team in the lottery, but with just a 1.1% chance of winning, they’re hoping against hope.

      Grizzlies (0.7%)
      Memphis would be buzzing with the arrival of Wall, who would seemingly be a great fit with O.J. Mayo, a re-signed Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. Memphis would likely make the playoffs next season.

      Raptors (0.6%)
      The chances are very slim, but winning the right to draft Wall would offset the likely loss of Chris Bosh this summer. Neither Jarrett Jack nor Jose Calderon would be enough to convince the Raptors to draft Evan Turner.

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      Randolph wants Gasol-type money

      April 13, 2010 /

      And we’re not talking Marc Gasol. When FanHouse asked Zach Randoph about an extension, this is what he had to say…

      “Me and Pau Gasol got signed to the same deal when he was in Memphis and I was in Portland,” said Randolph, whose contract actually is slightly less, with Randolph making $16 million this season and $17.33 million next season and the Lakers star earning $16.45 million and $17.82 million in those seasons. “We got the same contract, and it got extended. … I hope (to get the extension done this summer). I’d definitely like to get it done.”

      So is Randolph worth $57 million over three years?

      Not in my book.

      While Randolph’s numbers this season — 21-12, 49% shooting — compare favorably to Gasol’s (18-11, 53%), the former plays on a mediocre team that was eliminated from the playoff race a while ago. The latter plays on the world champion Lakers and takes 3.5 fewer shots per game. Gasol is a seven-footer who can play both power forward and center, while Randolph is too small to play center full time. True centers are a rare breed and teams have to pay a premium. Power forwards are a lot easier to find.

      Want to go deeper? Randolph’s net impact on the Grizzlies eFG% and eFG% allowed is -0.8%, while Gasol’s is -0.3%. Gasol’s PER (22.71) is better than Randolph’s (21.25).

      And then there’s the dependability factor. Randolph is on his fourth team and was traded away three times because he wasn’t wanted. Gasol was traded because the Grizzlies weren’t going anywhere and wanted to cut salary. While it seems like Randolph has matured in his stint with Memphis, his reputation still lingers.

      This kind of extension talk is a perfect example. If Randolph really wanted to get an deal done, he’d do it quietly. Instead, on the heels of yet another playoff whiff, he’s giving interviews telling people how he’s worth as much as Pau Gasol, which forces the Grizzlies’ owner, Michael Heisley, to field questions about it.

      In short, just because a guy is (probably) the best player that a franchise has, it does not make him a “franchise” player.

      Given all the factors, if I were in Heisley’s shoes, I’d pay him $12 million per season, max. And I’d wait until the very last minute to do so. It’s not like his stock is going to get any higher, and besides, players always perform better when they’re hungry.


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