The Memphis Grizzlies and guard Allen Iverson recently came to an understanding that things simply weren’t going to work out. Iverson was waived, and became a free agent.

There have been rumblings that the Knicks were strongly considering adding the former All-Star and league MVP, but apparently it isn’t going to happen.

Howard Beck of the New York Times reports:

The Knicks’ pursuit of Allen Iverson is dead.

In an abrupt reversal, Knicks officials decided late Thursday not to offer Iverson a contract, putting an end to their brief flirtation, according to a person close to the deliberations.

Although team officials were highly intrigued by Iverson, a four-time scoring champion, they finally decided that he posed too great a risk because of his long history of problems on and off the court.

Team officials spent three days weighing the potential merits and pitfalls of signing Iverson, and alternately talked themselves into and then out of making the move.

Iverson is obviously seen by most teams as more trouble than he’s worth right now, but it still made sense for the Knicks to consider adding him. Although he’s best as a scorer, Iverson could have been used as a starting point guard, since Chris Duhon and rookie Toney Douglas are best suited as reserves. The Knicks currently aren’t winning very often. And they don’t really have a lot of top-level youth that would be affected by Iverson being there.

But, Iverson reportedly won’t be heading to New York.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

The Memphis Grizzlies today released the following statement from General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace.

“The Grizzlies and Allen Iverson have come to a mutual agreement that because of personal matters that forced him to leave the team on November 7, Allen will step away from the game at this time, allowing him to focus on those matters.

“As a result, we will be ending our contractual agreement with Allen, which will allow both parties to move forward. We wish Allen the best.”

EARLIER MONDAY:

The Memphis Grizzlies experiment with disgruntled guard Allen Iverson will reportedly end.

According to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the two sides have agreed to part ways. The team will waive Iverson.

It has not been reported what the terms of the agreement are and how much money Iverson will come away with.

Iverson has been unhappy coming off the Grizzlies bench, behind young guards Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo. Though, he was still regaining health as the season began, and it’s possible he might have gained a starting spot in the near future. But even coming off the bench early on was simply more than he could take.

Iverson only played three games — all losses — for the Grizzlies this season, the last being against the Sacramento Kings on November 2. He came off the bench all three times, and averaged 12.3 points and 3.7 assists in 22.3 minutes per game.

NOVEMBER 17 UPDATE

The Memphis Grizzlies waived guard Allen Iverson, the team announced today.

The 6-0, 165-pound guard averaged 12.3 points and 3.7 assists in 22.3 minutes in three games with the Grizzlies this season after signing as a free agent on Sept 10, 2009.  The 2000-01 NBA Most Valuable Player and 10-time All-Star became the 16th player in league history to score 24,000 career points on Nov. 4 at Golden State, netting a season-high 18 points.

The 34-year-old holds career averages of 27.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 2.21 steals on 42.5 percent shooting in 41.4 minutes in 889 games (877 starts) over 14 seasons (1996-09) with the Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies.

The roster now stands at 14 players.

The Grizzlies will seek their second consecutive victory tomorrow when they host the Los Angeles Clippers at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at FedExForum.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:

Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley says Allen Iverson’s time is up.

Heisley told Iverson’s agent, Leon Rose, that his client must decide soon whether he’ll play or retire because the Grizzlies won’t deal with the uncertainty beyond this week.

Iverson, 34, has been away from the Grizzlies for the past 10 days on a personal leave of absence.

“I’ve treated this like Allen told me it was – a personal leave,” Heisley said. “But either he’s retiring or coming back to play. I’m not upset with Allen. We’ll be happy to accommodate Allen. If he retires, then he retires. If he wants to come back, we’ll gladly accept him back. But I have personally made it clear that there’s going to have to be a decision made. We’re expecting an answer in a couple of days.”

UPDATE: The Commercial Appeal reports that the team and Iverson agree to part ways. He’ll be waived: http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=5036

I think it’s amazing that a team has to actually still pay a player to take a personal leave like this.

Have a reaction? Share it or read other fan opinions in this forum topic.

The Memphis Grizzlies signed free agent guard Jamaal Tinsley, an original draft pick of the club in 2001, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are pleased to add a veteran playmaker with Jamaal’s credentials to the team,” Wallace said.  “He will add experience and high-level passing ability.”

One of the NBA’s most prolific playmakers over the last decade, Tinsley ranks seventh among active players and 24th in league history in assists per game (7.0).  In his last NBA season, the 6-3, 195-pound guard averaged a career-high 8.4 assists in 39 games with the Indiana Pacers in 2007-08.

Tinsley, 31, is expected to bring his playmaking abilities to a Grizzlies team that finished 30th in the NBA in assists (17.4) in 2008-09 and ranks 21st in the category this season (18.8).  The Brooklyn, N.Y. native holds career averages of 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.66 steals in 30.2 minutes in 398 games over seven seasons (2001-08) with the Pacers. He was waived by Indiana on July 22, 2009.

Originally selected by the Grizzlies with the 27th overall pick in the first round of the 2001 NBA Draft, Tinsley’s draft rights were traded in a draft-night deal to the Atlanta Hawks along with Shareef Abdur-Rahim in exchange for the draft rights to Pau Gasol (No. 3 overall), Brevin Knight and Lorenzen Wright on June 27, 2001. Tinsley’s rights were acquired later that night by the Pacers for a future first round pick.

Tinsley had an immediate impact in his rookie season with Indiana, posting a triple-double (19 points, 11 rebounds, 23 assists) in his 14th career game on Nov. 22, 2001 vs. the Michael Jordan-led Washington Wizards.  Tinsley’s 23-assist performance established a new Pacers record and was two shy of the NBA rookie record, shared by Tinsley’s then-head coach Isiah Thomas (1981-82) and Ernie DiGregorio (1973-74).  Tinsley was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month twice (Nov. 2001, March 2002) and earned 2001-02 All-Rookie Second Team honors.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Now the Grizzlies should sign Stephon Marbury, Dennis Rodman and J.R. Rider. But seriously, this Tinsley signing suggests that Allen Iverson probably isn’t ever coming back to Memphis. Anyway, it’s curious and a bit questionable that the team would choose to add another player with a reputation as a malcontent. The Pacers wanted literally nothing to do with Tinsley anymore. And, his last NBA action was 39 games in the 2007-08 season. Still, if Tinsley works hard and focuses on being a good teammate, he can help them a little.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Scott Cacciola of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:

Rookie center Hasheem Thabeet suffered a ridgeline fracture in his mandible — a bone in his lower jaw — when he appeared to collide with Zach Randolph’s head going for a rebound late in the first quarter.

Play was stopped with 57.4 seconds remaining as Thabeet rolled around near the basket in obvious pain.

He will not make the trip to Houston for the team’s game against the Rockets tonight, but his status will be day-to-day after that.

Thabeet is off to a very quiet start in his rookie season, playing just 6.0 minutes per game and averaging 0.6 points and 1.6 rebounds. He’s extremely raw and may not be able to contribute much for most of the season and possibly beyond.

The AP reports:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is being treated for a rare form of leukemia, and the basketball great said his prognosis is encouraging.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer was diagnosed last December with chronic myeloid leukemia, he told The Associated Press on Monday.

The 62-year-old Abdul-Jabbar said his doctor didn’t give any guarantees, but informed him: “You have a very good chance to live your life out and not have to make any drastic changes to your lifestyle.”

Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports:

Abdul-Jabbar, 62, revealed during an interview Monday that he has Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow that produces cancerous blood cells.

The disease was diagnosed in December. But Abdul-Jabbar said his condition can be managed by taking oral medication daily, seeing his specialist every other month and getting his blood analyzed regularly. He said he expects to lead a healthy life.

Abdul-Jabbar acknowledged he was scared after visiting his doctor and learning of the diagnosis.

“The word ‘leukemia’ is a very frightening word,” he said in a phone interview from New York. “In many instances, it’s a killer and it’s something that you have to deal with in a very serious and determined way if you’re going to beat it.”

More from the Los Angeles Times:

Abdul-Jabbar said he wasn’t feeling particularly ill last year, but was having frequent hot flashes and was sweating constantly. He said his doctor told him to get some blood tests.

“By having the hot flashes, I knew something was up. But I didn’t think that it was going to be something as serious as leukemia,” Abdul-Jabbar said.

Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:

The Allen Iverson saga has taken another turn as the veteran guard asked for and was granted permission to leave the Grizzlies to deal with a personal matter, according to an NBA source.

Iverson, 34, met with Griz owner Michael Heisley Friday night following the team’s 114-98 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The pair met again this morning, and Iverson was expected to depart for Atlanta this afternoon.

Atlanta is where Iverson lives during the offseason.

But things were going so well! Seriously, I wonder — and this is just logical guesswork — if there’s a chance the team and Iverson will part ways, either now or in the very near future.

I say the Grizzlies should have a final discussion with Iverson and explain to him what they see his role being for the rest of the season. And if the two sides can come to some sort of agreement, end the disputes and agree to start again. But if the Grizzlies still see Iverson as a super-scorer off the bench rather than one of the team’s core top two or so guys, and Iverson simply cannot stomach that, they should immediately discuss a buyout.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in the InsideHoops NBA forum.

The Memphis Grizzlies waived forward Trey Gilder, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

In two regular season games with Memphis, the 6-9, 205-pound forward collected two points, one rebound and a steal in a total of five minutes of action.

After signing with the Grizzlies as a free agent on Aug. 27, the 24-year-old appeared in six preseason games, averaging 4.3 points and 1.5 rebounds in 9.8 minutes.

The current roster stands at 14 players.

Yahoo reports – Negotiations between the Memphis Grizzlies and Rudy Gay ended on Monday without a contract extension, and the forward will become a restricted free agent at the end of the season, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. League sources said Gay wanted a $12 million annual deal – either over three or five years – because because that’s what Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger received last season. But Memphis never raised its offer beyond approximately $10 million a year.

The Memphis Grizzlies are a young team built around just a few players, two being guard O.J. Mayo and small forward Rudy Gay. Last season there were rumblings of some disagreements between the two players. Nothing too serious, though. But yesterday the two guys tossed some heated words at each other.

Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:

The scoreboard wasn’t all that provided fireworks in what turned out to be a shootout Sunday night between the Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets.

The Grizzlies had to douse an explosive shouting match between O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay on their bench before the end of a 133-123 loss in a wildly entertaining affair at the Pepsi Center.

Mayo tossed in a career-high 40 points only to have the performance overshadowed by Nuggets’ forward Carmelo Anthony’s 42-point outburst, and somewhat marred by an incident during a late fourth-quarter timeout.

The Commercial Appeal continues:

“We’re both competitors. We just felt that defensively we weren’t communicating,” Mayo said. “Our energy was going down and we said some things. But we got it situated, and continued to play the game.”

Gay said the incident was “nothing” and his hope is that people won’t blow it out of proportion because of rumors he didn’t get along with Mayo from last season.

“It’s not what people think it was,” Gay said. “Me and O.J. were together all summer. We’re fine.”

It’s probably nothing. Competitive players are prone to get annoyed at their teammates once in a while, whether they’re buddies or not. Now, if they start punching each other in the face some day, that’s something. Still, we’ll keep an eye on this.

The Memphis Grizzlies today exercised the fourth-year team option on guard Mike Conley and picked up the third-year team options on guard O.J. Mayo and forward Darrell Arthur.  Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed. All three players are now signed through the 2010-11 season.

Conley, the fourth overall selection in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Grizzlies, owns career averages of 10.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 28.8 minutes in 136 games (108 starts). The third-year 6-1, 185-pound playmaker showed vast improvement last season, averaging 14.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists on 45.4 percent shooting in 36.3 minutes in 39 games after Lionel Hollins was named the team’s head coach on Jan. 25, 2009.

Mayo, the third overall selection in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, was the runner-up to the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose for the 2008-09 NBA Rookie of the Year Award after leading all first-year players in scoring (18.5 points, 28th in NBA) and minutes (38.0, 11th). The 6-4, 210-pound guard, who was acquired by the Grizzlies in an eight-player deal on draft night, owns career averages of 18.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 38.0 minutes in 83 games (all starts).

Arthur, who was originally selected by the New Orleans Hornets with the 27th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, was traded three times on draft night before he eventually landed in Memphis. In his first NBA season with the Grizzlies in 2008-09, Arthur ranked in the top 10 among NBA rookies in rebounds (4.6, 8th), blocks (0.68, 7th) and steals (0.68, 10th) and added 5.6 points in 76 games (64 starts). The 6-9, 235-pound forward is slated to miss up to four months after undergoing surgery to repair a partially torn right pectoralis muscle on Oct. 23.

For most of his short NBA career, Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley has merely been solid.

Entering the league in the 2007-08 season, Conley didn’t shoot particularly well and averaged 9.4 points and 4.2 assists per game.

In his second season the 6-1, 185-pound Conley improved his three-point shooting range and free throw shooting, but the rest of his game didn’t show much improvement.

The time has come for him to make a strong impression on Grizzlies management.

Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:

Conley has received a strong message. The coaching staff is demanding he be more assertive and in charge of a group that features strong personalities and offensive wills.

Under Hollins, Conley already proved he is a credible NBA point guard. The pressure this season is for Conley to build on his personal gains and prove his position isn’t in need of an upgrade.

“I don’t want to be the weak link,” Conley said. “You want to be a key part of why a team is winning. It forces me to look at the game differently. I’ve got to be a force so that guys can’t sag off me or take me for granted.

“I know people may have given up and lost interest in me, but I use all of that as motivation. The people who doubt me, I try to go out and prove them wrong. I know I can help make this team better. I’m at the point now where I feel like people are going to realize that I belong in this league.”

Conley’s shooting has been good this preaseason. But he must soon prove that he’s capable of being a starter on a winning team.

Memphis Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins and Charlotte Bobcats head coach Larry Brown have each been fined for improper conduct towards game officials, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

Hollins has been fined $25,000 for publicly criticizing game officials following the Grizzlies loss to the Orlando Magic on October 12 at FedEx Forum.

Brown has been fined $35,000 for verbally abusing game officials and failing to leave the court in a timely manner following his ejection with 3:23 remaining in the third quarter of Charlotte’s game vs. Atlanta game on October 12 at Philips Arena.  Brown has been fined an additional $25,000 for publicly criticizing the referees following the game.

The Charlotte Bobcats have also been fined $60,000 for Brown’s actions.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Allen Iverson will miss approximately three weeks after an MRI today revealed a partial tear in his left hamstring, the team announced today.

Iverson suffered the injury during the Grizzlies’ training camp, held in Birmingham, Ala. last week.  The 6-0, 165-pound guard did not play in the team’s preseason opener on Oct. 6 against the Washington Wizards.

A four-time NBA scoring champion and a 10-time NBA All-Star (2000-09), Iverson signed with the Grizzlies as a free agent on Sept. 10, 2009.  The 2000-01 NBA Most Valuable Player ranks second among active players in career scoring behind the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Shaquille O’Neal and 16th in NBA history with 23,983 career points in his 13 NBA seasons.

The Grizzlies host the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7 p.m. tonight in the team’s home preseason opener at FedExForum.

The AP reports: Gilbert Arenas had 10 assists in 24 minutes, and the Washington Wizards beat the Memphis Grizzlies 101-92 on Tuesday night in the preseason opener for both teams. The anticipated matchup of Arenas and Allen Iverson didn’t happen. Iverson, the Hampton, Va., native whose presence helped sell out Virginia Commonwealth University’s Verizon Wireless Arena, sat out with a strained left hamstring… After the game, Arenas declined comment. “I don’t talk anymore—next training camp,” Arenas said. Antawn Jamison led Washington with 20 points. Caron Butler added 15. Mike Conley scored 12 for Memphis.

Good NBA seats are expensive. Fans shelling out big money to sit near the court should expect a good view of the action.

But what about when players get off the bench and remain standing for a while? On the one hand, it’s nice to see guys cheer their teammates. On the other, these giants prevent fans from seeing what they paid to see.

The Cavs are one team with players who remained standing a lot, and now the league office has reportedly taken action.

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

The NBA has issued a memo to its teams directing players on the bench to remain seated during games. Game officials will be keeping a closer eye and will issue faster warnings and possible technical fouls if not followed. Players are permitted to cheer, but standing during regular-game action and blocking the fans’ views apparently isn’t going to be allowed.

That goes for Tuesday night’s first preseason game at The Q, where the Cavs will host the Charlotte Bobcats in the first of eight practice games before the season opener.

The Cavs weren’t exactly thrilled that their custom has been legislated.

“It is hard to take that out of the game,” LeBron James said. “Part of the game is emotions, your teammates are all you have. That was part of the reason we played great basketball, because we cheered each other.”

I support the league protecting the paying fan’s view.

Scott Cacciola of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:  Allen Iverson made his presence felt at training camp, and he was vocal. After the team had a sloppy mid-week workout, Lionel Hollins got the group together at center court and yelled at them. Then Iverson did the same, his mini-tirade laced with expletives. “C’mon, man!” Iverson yelled. “This ain’t punishment! This is how we’re trying to play.” Was Hollins encouraged to see Iverson take such a vocal role so early? He almost bristled at the question. “You know, I don’t care,” Hollins said. “The team has to take the onus, and it’s not just one person. It’s the team. They have to encourage each other, they have to chastise each other. … They have to say the right things and mean it the right way.”

InsideHoops.com editor says: I fear w hat happens when Iverson, Zach Randolph and maybe Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo start disagreeing about who should be shooting what shot, who ignored the open man or didn’t see the cutter, etc.

The Memphis Grizzlies today announced that they have mutually agreed to allow guard Marko Jaric to not join the team for training camp and the preseason, and have provided permission for Jaric’s agent to seek a roster spot with another team.

“With the offseason additions of Allen Iverson, Marcus Williams and Sam Young, our backcourt has become crowded,” Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace said. “Therefore, we have agreed with Marko Jaric and his representatives that he is permitted to seek out another situation that will provide him with a better opportunity to play. Marko is a proven NBA player and is deserving of such an opportunity.”

Jaric, a seven-year NBA veteran, owns career averages of 7.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 25.2 minutes in 447 games with the Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves and last season with the Grizzlies. Memphis acquired the 6-7, 224-pound guard, along with the draft rights to O.J. Mayo, Greg Buckner and Antoine Walker in exchange for the draft rights to Kevin Love, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal and Jason Collins on June 26, 2008. Jaric was originally selected by the Clippers in the second round of the 2000 NBA Draft (30th overall) and played six years professionally in Europe before making his NBA debut in 2002.

Atlanta Hawks rookie Jeff Teague is considered a scoring guard in a point guard’s body.

Memphis Grizzlies rookie Hasheem Thabeet is a giant defensive presence still developing the rest of his game.

InsideHoops.com had two very short “mini-interviews” with them. Hit our front page and you’ll see the links.

The Memphis Grizzlies have withdrawn their qualifying offer to guard Juan Carlos Navarro, making him an unrestricted free agent, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

In his only NBA season (2007-08), Navarro averaged 10.9 points and 2.2 assists in 82 games and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.  After his rookie season, the 6-3, 170-pound guard signed with his former Spanish club F.C. Barcelona.  Memphis now surrenders the right to match any future offer should Navarro decide to return to the NBA.

In accordance with the league’s collective bargaining agreement, in order for a team to retain its right of first refusal with respect to a restricted free agent, the team must tender the player a qualifying offer prior to June 30.