Memphis Grizzlies Off-Season Thread (NBA DRAFT #19)

[-BHZMAFIA-]

I'm not saying Paxson would want any of Memphis players, I was saying that maybe he'll accept a trade with Memphis for the right offer along with adding Bonzi or Swift. I understand what you saying about Paxson doesn't want to really mess with the team, so I'll make sure not to include Chicago in any more deals

I know Swift is unrestricted, but what I meant was that West can still outmatch any offer on the table, but Swift can sign to whatever team he wishes. It's not really all about who has the best offer because Swift can decide whichever team he wants to go to which I mentioned in my previous post. And I also think Bonzi is still an improved player (attitude wise). Look at Rasheed Wallace with the Pistons, I think he has been ejected one or a few times while he was on the Pistons. Sure, Bonzi got his share of techs, but that's like any other player in the NBA this season who has received techs. I would like to see a list of top 20 technical foul leaders in the league and hopefully someone can find that.

[AlwaysWhat,NeverWhy]

i'll reply to you when you're not calling me "kid" or calling me a homer.

I call my 35 year old uncle "kid". This is me generalizing by habit, don't take it as a degrading statement...
Well, homer you are my friend, and so is Mafia... Kind of hard to distance yourself from your team and see thing sobjectively, especially considering both of you live very near to where the games take place...

where are you getting this information of tyson and curry asking for "TOO MUCH money"? i haven't even heard anything from their agents about demanding the max! are you generalizing??

The agents are not stupid to start demanding the max from now, no need to scare potential suitors away... I said they may ask for too much money, MAY being the key word here... Given Chicago's history of not-so-deep-pockets and stinginess, my guess is they'll have trouble resigning the both of them to long term deals. A sign and trade is not out of the question.

[J@3]

Devean George for Pau Gasol.

[air gordon]

The agents are not stupid to start demanding the max from now, no need to scare potential suitors away... I said they may ask for too much money, MAY being the key word here... Given Chicago's history of not-so-deep-pockets and stinginess, my guess is they'll have trouble resigning the both of them to long term deals. A sign and trade is not out of the question.

not-so-deep pockets? was this before or after jordan got a 1 year $30million contract?

the stinginess followed krause out the door...

so now that thise points were shot down, what's next pessimists? murphy's law? lol

fyi: the bulls have over 20 some odd million $'s of cap space at their leisure. that's not including the MLE or veteran's exception. they have bird years on chandler & curry, who are both restricted FA's, giving the team the right to match any offer

[J@3]

20 cents a season and some free headbands each. Except for Eddy Curry. He'd look stupid in a headband.

[-BHZMAFIA-]

20 cents a season and some free headbands each. Except for Eddy Curry. He'd look stupid in a headband.

He's wore headbands plenty of times when he had his braids.


As for the draft, I would like to see Memphis go for Wayne Simien because he is nice rebounder with a nice size and his shot blocking ability is good along with his free throw shooting. He may be the PF the Grizzlies need if Swift ends up leaving. He already has an NBA body and got a mid-range jumper. He is injured prone though so it would be a risk for Memphis to take him, but I think he is their best choice.

[J@3]

He's wore headbands plenty of times when he had his braids.

Doesn't mean it'd look good

Picking Simien would be a bit of a waste, considering he's a bubble 1st rounder... unless they can trade down there's bound to be someone more suitable higher up. Joey Graham maybe. I don't know where you got the Simien shot blocking idea from, a quote from DraftCity...

He is not a shotblocker, even on the college level

[Riot]

fyi: the bulls have over 20 some odd million $'s of cap space at their leisure. that's not including the MLE or veteran's exception. they have bird years on chandler & curry, who are both restricted FA's, giving the team the right to match any offer

If my memory serves me correctly, which I think it does, then the Bulls do not have the MLE. Only teams with about $5 million dollars in cap room or less get the MLE. It's a way so teams over the cap can still sign some free agents. Teams that far under the cap do not recieve the exceptions.

[J@3]

Don't they get the MLE once they reach that point? So if they fill up their cap on whoever, they are then allowed to use the MLE.

[Riot]

oh...i dunno

[The X]

I think Grizzlies should look at grabbing a PG....there are many good ones available at their juncture....it would allow flexibility with relation to J-Will and Earl Watson....they'd probably be picking in late teens so at that pick you could get a pretty solid PG....

I don't think they'll touch a SF like Graham as they already have the likes of Posey and Battier locked up in deals....if Sean May fell, I think he would be a better pick than Simien, although he probably won't fall that far....

should be interesting though, whichever way it goes

[Riot]

I heard Grizzlies are so desperate to deal Jwill and to get some cap for next year that they are willing to trade Williams and their 19th overall pick for an expiring contract and some cash.

Rumors are Jason Williams and the 19th for Sam Cassell.

[J@3]

The only reason I mentioned Graham is that he can play PF too, and is the same size (if not bigger) than Simien.

[-BHZMAFIA-]

A point guard is out of the question because Memphis has Burks who has proven himself in the limited minutes he got this season. He will definitely become a backup next year and the Grizzlies will most likely automatically keep one of the two (Jwill, Watson). If both of them are gone, I'll be very surprised.

I see Graham more as a small forward than a power forward. He isn't the type of player Memphis wants (I don't think) because they have plenty of solid SF's. Graham can play the PF position, but he isn't the bruiser the Grizzlies are looking for. My bad on Simien being a shot blocker, I just looked at his stats and he didn't even average a block per game, but his rebounding ability and shooting touch is good. He can also run the floor. NBADraft.net has Memphis picking Warrick right now, but he is just another Stromile IMO with a smaller body.

Some articles have mentioned that the Grizzlies HAVE to get rid of Jwill even if they don't get nothing for him which I don't like that idea. Jwill showed he can step his game up by what he did in the playoffs which makes it hard to trade him right now. I think he has the discipline to play a slow paced game and he led the Grizzlies in scoring in the playoffs with a good shooting percentage.

[air gordon]

fyi: the bulls have over 20 some odd million $'s of cap space at their leisure. that's not including the MLE or veteran's exception. they have bird years on chandler & curry, who are both restricted FA's, giving the team the right to match any offer

If my memory serves me correctly, which I think it does, then the Bulls do not have the MLE. Only teams with about $5 million dollars in cap room or less get the MLE. It's a way so teams over the cap can still sign some free agents. Teams that far under the cap do not recieve the exceptions.

i'm not sure what you're basing this on but see see larry coon's site on cba/salary cap
http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm
specifically #17 & 18

lol jae... advertant or inadvertant, none of the bulls players wore headbands and/or braids this year

[J@3]

They didn't? That's the last time I listen to what Mafia says about player fashions.

[-BHZMAFIA-]

Well I thought you meant just anytime because Eddy Curry did wear braids and a headband. He cut it this season though and took the headband off.

http://cache.gettyimages.com/comp/34509 ... 171AD0A38E

[The X]

ahh, forgot about Burks Mafia....my bad

perhaps if they get rid of one of their PG's then they could use their 2nd Rd pick on a 3rd string PG behind Williams/Watson and Burks....I think in this draft you can pick up a solid PG capable of playing in the NBA in the 2nd Rd....

as for 1st Round pick....hmm....it's interesting....I think I'm gonna have to take a day off work on that day....Jae, you should sort out some draft shite or something

[J@3]

I'm taking a day off work too. In fact, I might take a week off. Or a month, I don't know but I'm determined to follow it live.

[-BHZMAFIA-]

From Grizzlies newspaper

Griz set to work quickly

As lockout looms, team talking trades

By Ronald Tillery
Contact
May 26, 2005

The possibility of an NBA work stoppage has the Grizzlies locked and loaded.

Team president Jerry West revealed Wednesday that the threat of a lockout could speed up the process of pulling the trigger on potential trades. The Griz, like most teams uncertain of what the summer will hold, would look to wheel and deal during the draft and the days following.


NBA owners are expected to lock out players July 1 if a new collective bargaining agreement isn't signed by then. The CBA between the league and its players expires June 30.

West called recent talk about a lockout "rhetoric," and expressed his belief that no games would be missed in the fall. But a work stoppage following the draft could disrupt the summer -- meaning the ability to make trades, sign free agents and essentially conduct offseason business may stall at a time when teams typically remake rosters.

"I'll believe it when I see it," West said of a possible work stoppage. "The less said about it, the better. But we feel that it's important for us, if a trade is to be made, to get that done before a lockout."

The Grizzlies have already discussed potential deals with teams. West wouldn't offer specifics but it is believed that guard Bonzi Wells has been a prominent figure in those trade talks.

"We've been talking to some teams," West said. "The (draft) lottery will have an awful lot to do with what some of the other teams will do.

"Teams will look at their position. They may get a duplicate player and be willing to talk about something (in a trade)."

Wells's departure is a sure bet. That the Griz will pass on his $8 million contract option for the 2005-06 campaign apparently isn't. The Griz may be inclined to pick up the option as one of many strictly business decisions the team will make.

The Griz have until July 1 to honor Wells's contract option or allow him to become an unrestricted free agent.

Although Wells struggled with injuries and performance, and had a public falling out with head coach Mike Fratello the veteran still has value. There are at least three teams willing to trade for Wells at $8 million.

Otherwise, the Griz would seek a sign-and-trade deal involving Wells and a long-term contract.

"We're examining everything," West said. "Everyone assumes we're not going to (pick up the option) but that's not the case at this point and time. We're contemplating what we need to do to try to improve our team.

"He's one of my favorite people on this team. He didn't have the kind of year he wanted last year and I know he got frustrated. But that's part of what makes professional athletes professional athletes."

Forward Stromile Swift and guard Earl Watson are also unrestricted free agents. Their futures with the Grizzlies aren't as clear, according to West. A sign-and-trade with those players is as possible as their return.

West, though, is working the phones. He's identified a nucleus and is looking to build around those players, who include Pau Gasol and Mike Miller.

"I've met with Mike (Fratello) about three different times about what we want," West said. "We have to be focused here, and he has expressed to me his needs. All of us feel we're on the same page.

"We're going to address some things during the draft and particularly if there's a chance for us to do something through a trade."

Looks like there are some teams looking at Bonzi and I figured that the team would be able to do a sign and trade with Swift and Watson more than both of them just leaving for anything because West never mentioned that it could happen if they leave wihtout getting anything from them.

[Air Jordon]

they should start Antonio Burks...

[-BHZMAFIA-]

Reported from realgm.com:

- Memphis has been very active and are trying to deal both Jason Williams and Bonzi Wells, but one source told me on Monday that he expects one of these two players to be moved during a Stromile Swift sign-and-trade later this summer.

There have been no shortage of reports this offseason suggesting that these two Memphis players would be dealt and it now appears that they will continue until late July at the earliest.

I didn't think that the Grizzlies would be that serious on moving Jwill because I thought West was going to give him another chance, but I guess not. They also have the Grizzlies picking Sean May on nbadraft.net, I hope we can really get him beacause I really consider him a sleeper. There has also been info on the Clippers, Lakers, Cavs and Pistons looking at Bonzi.

[Riot]

I told you Mafia, Grizzlies want Jwill out and not a lot of teams want him in.

[-BHZMAFIA-]

I told you Mafia, Grizzlies want Jwill out and not a lot of teams want him in.

On the radio today, I heard that Memphis was discussing serious trade talk with 4 different teams before the draft so I'm hoping something can be done then.

[Its_asdf]

The Grizz just drafted Warrick. Pretty good pick for the Grizz