Grizz Looking to Deal

by Tommy Dee on January 5th, 2010 at 6:12 pm

Via Memphis Commercial Appeal:

“…The Grizzlies are looking to improve their depth and have a host of draft picks to use as bait.

Memphis won’t add a player whose contract extends beyond this season as they look to preserve cap space, but they are looking to bolster their second unit’s offense.

“We would like to add to our offensive firepower off the bench but we want to do so on our terms,” general manager Chris Wallace said. “We don’t want to complicate our long-term team salary obligations and potentially detract from our ability to sign Rudy Gay.”

The Grizzlies inquired about Portland’s Travis Outlaw earlier in the season and nearly acquired Nate Robinson from the Knicks before the guard vetoed the deal last week.

Memphis can jump over the .500 mark with a victory over Portland on Tuesday night…”

Nate is one of the few players in the league who fits the description who is relatively available. But like he said to reporters the other day, New York is all he knows. His role here may be inconsistent but he’d play a ton in Memphis and fit in really well there. Then he can become a free agent in the summer.
  • Magik_Trick

    In that NateRob/Memphis deal, do u kno which pick it was?

  • rocky

    which begs the question which one of their draft picks and what player
    ( I believe we have to take a player back for him) do you want to harvest
    from the Griz for Nate?

  • GoBlueKnicks

    What about Al? Can we get back any sort of 1st rounder for Al and something else?

  • italian stallion

    It was a very bad idea to add a “no trade” clause to the contract of a player you might want to trade. Better off giving him a little more money. I’d have to call this a minor blunder by Donnie.

  • Knicks4life

    I thought that clause was part of the CBA when a restricted free agent signs a one year deal. Ben Gordon had the same clause in his contract last year with Chicago and so does David Lee.

    That one is not on Donnie.

    Now go out and sign Alston and give us a complete roster for the first time in a decade.

  • DaGawD_KnowLedge

    lets signs skip to my lou

    sorry
    again it’s not going to happen
    the knicks are not going to sign the nyc playground legend product

  • Hydr0

    Bob, here is our chance. We can put together a package for ZBO ;)

    no shots, just kidding obviously :)

  • Hydr0

    He would probably just turn us down anyway

  • defense

    Give up Duhon,it’s been time to break up the robotic offense. Play Toney Douglas being coach won’t play Eddy in the post and like the string bean Bender at center.

  • DaGawD_KnowLedge

    good point

  • DaGawD_KnowLedge

    if we had z-bo

    mos def would be at 500

  • Hydr0

    That’s true, but I wouldn’t want to build a team around him. With the size of his contract that’s what you have to do.

  • DaGawD_KnowLedge

    that’s why him an craw got traded

  • BiggieSmalls

    yup

  • cragganmor

    The Grizz are just under the cap and not enough expirings to make a swap for AH work out.

    If they had the right combo of expiring deal(s) and the #15 pick, DW would have to consider giving them Harrington. Just sayin… :)

    Now, the reported deal that the Grizz made for Nate (which he rejected) was supposedly Marcus Williams and a 1st rounder (don’t know which of the 3 it was). The problem with that is that Nate’s BYC status requires that the Grizz send us $2-2.6M in contracts. I’m thinking that story was fabricated, doesn’t add up.

  • itzyung1

    I hope the Jazz can’t get a trade any they squirm and be forced to deal Deron Williams…
    CROSSING FINGERS PRAYING TO GOD!!!
    Id Give Them another First Round pick for Deron Williams.

  • trenttucker

    I don’t even like Nate, but there is no way the Knicks should trade him, or anyone else, unless it gets rid of Jefferies or Curry. For all we know Nate could have a couple more great games and someone will want him and Jefferies.

    And I’m not sure the Knicks can take back a 1st rd pick this year unless they get rid of Jefferies or Curry. 1st rounders get guaranteed money. The Knicks can’t afford to have any more guaranteed money under the cap. The only picks the Knicks can safely take are 2nd rounders (or 1st rounders in future years).

  • Jack D

    Sorry if this was mentioned or cleared up before, but I was wondering if, lets just say, we trade nate’s expiring contract, can he just sign with us as a free agent in the summer. I think it has something to do with Bird Rights, kinda confused…

  • http://theKnicksBlog.com Tommy Dee

    what if they spun the first round pick with jeffries? or part of a curry package?

  • young hova

    I’m not 100% but since Memphis is under the salary cap I think the numbers don’t have to add up as they normally do, but I could be very wrong on the subject

  • Mucha

    No match with the Grizzlies

  • trenttucker

    Well, Chris Wallace did trade Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown, so maybe someone will give us a 1st round pick for Jefferies and Nate.

  • Boots

    I’d rather give them something to get our pick back. Then the playoffs wouldn’t be important and they could play the kids.

  • italian stallion

    Thanks. I didn’t know that. Either way we are screwed.

  • BiggieSmalls

    yes Nate can sign with us after July 15th if he gets traded this season and then declares UFA.

  • ds2488

    Unless the deal involves Al Buckets and Jeffries/Curry, Im not really sure its desirable at all. Nate and Dlee will both veto so it can’t involve them. It would be nice to get a first round pick though.

  • traps9

    Your editorial comment perplexed me, Tommy, and I’m wondering why this post was even written. Do you think he’ll reconsider or something? He vetoed; we’re not getting rid of him, as nice as it would be to get a pick.

  • CircleLimit4

    Can the Knicks threaten to sit Nate the rest of the year if he didn’t accept a trade to Memphis that included a first rounder, or does the CBA prevent such a loophole? It would be a scummy on the Knicks part but I think a first rounder would be a key pickup. I don’t think Nate has a future here anyway.

  • Knicks4life

    I really like the way Memphis is building their team. Connely, Mayo, Gay, ZBo and Gasol/Thabeet is a really nice young starting lineup. They could use an upgrade at starting PG but they have multiple 1st round picks, are under the cap, and are playing good exciting basketball. They also paired the ball hogging no defense ZBO with two centers who don’t need the ball and block shots and play D. Taking notes NY GMs?

  • DaGawD_KnowLedge

    THEY DON’T NEED TO TREATEN HIM THEY COULD DO IT
    remember last year with marbury?

  • Matty_Pickles

    Have you watched Duhon lately??

  • DaGawD_KnowLedge

    they could do whateva
    then it will turn into

    a he say she say

  • Mucha

    Rudy Gay : 8th pick – Aquired in the Shane Battier trade.
    Marc Gasol : Aquired in the Pau Gasol trade.
    Mike Conley : 4th pick in the draft
    OJ Mayo : 3rd pick in the draft – Aquired in the Kevin Love trade (5th pick)
    Hasheem Thabust : 2nd pick in the draft

    The Knicks never had assets like the Grizzlies, it was easier to rebuild for them. They should have never drafted Hasheem Thabeet though, it was obvious at the time that they needed either Tyreke Evans or James Harden (Brandon Jennings was apparently not on the radar).

    I like the Grizzlies though, they are underrated. I love Gasol, Mayo and Randolph.

  • Jeff Cykiert

    How does it work with trading players for draft picks, in terms of salaries matching. For example, how much would we have to take back in 2009-2010 salary if we were trading nate and JJ for a draft pick?

  • Jeff Cykiert

    Of all players in the league to average at least 18 points, Lee has the highest FG percentage.

    He has the 6th best FG% in the league over all, but all 5 players above him (perkins, marc gasol, howard, horford, and Nene) pretty much only the dunk the ball, and score less then him.

    Is he a better player than dwight? No, obviously not.

    just pointing out that we have one of the most potent offensive players in the league right now… even if his defensive capabilities don’t live up to that.

    nash won 2 MVPS under d’antoni and nobody ever thought much of his defense either.

    And this has nothing to do with my Lee point, but i think nash is one of the best point guards of all time. Just sayin.

  • BiggieSmalls

    draft picks dont have any value in a trade froma financial standpoint..

    you still have to use players or exceptions or cap space to match up.

  • NoVaCaInE

    Great post! It’s so much easier to rebuild when every year your team is in the lottery…

  • NoVaCaInE

    All of the guys you mentioned actually play defense. I would much rather have a defensive minded Center then one who pads his rebounding stats and shoots jumpers….

  • BiggieSmalls

    Nate’s agent would file a grievance in a heatbeat if he was given such an ultimatum.

  • HaS

    Jeff, everyone here knows you love Lee and that he just may be your favorite player in the NBA (I’m starting to think, ever.).

    No one here ever questions his offensive capability. Ok wait… let me speak for myself, I have never questioned his offensive ability. I’m hard on him because he can do better on the defensive end. Period.

    Nash imo is not one of the best point guards of all time. His defense is so bad imo that you have to specify that he is one of the best OFFENSIVE point guards of all time. I would even expand that to him being one the best offensive players of all time. I don’t think he should have ever won an MVP though. The fact that he has TWO and Stockton and Kidd both have none is a joke. Just sayin.

  • CircleLimit4

    I figured as much.

  • Mal

    Tim Duncan got it the one year Kidd deserved it or should have been a co-winner. For Mike D’s system Nash is perfect, his court vision and shooting BUT his defense is definitely a liability.

    Yeah the Grizzles have built a nice little team through the draft and trades, the reason they probably didnt take Evans was because they had Connely but Evans and Mayo at guards would have been a big set.

    I want to see us get built nice, D Lee, Nate, Ill Wiil, Gallo, Hill, and Douglas

    Rudy Gay/Marc Gasol/Mike Conley/OJ Mayo/Thabeet/
    ZBO has made this team better

  • Knicks4life

    Well it would have been a “great” post except he forgot to mention that the Knicks should have been in the lottery every year that the Grizz were except the Knicks foolishly traded away all of their picks. Its not like we are the Lakers and have been winning so their was no opportunity to rebuild.

    So as I said “taking notes”.

  • Mucha

    OK but in fact NY GMs = NY GM Isiah Thomas from your perspective.