Memphis Grizzlies Blog – Page 71 – NBA Blog

Four-team trade sends Shawn Marion to Mavericks, Hedo Turkoglu to Raptors

The Orlando Magic have acquired a trade exception and cash considerations from the Toronto Raptors, and cash considerations from the Dallas Mavericks as part of a four-team trade, General Manager Otis Smith announced today. As part of a sign-and-trade deal, forward Hedo Turkoglu was traded to Toronto.

“This move allows us some potential flexibility in the future,” said Smith. “Hedo was a big part of our success and did a lot for our organization during his five seasons here. We wish him and his family nothing but the best.”

Also included as parts of the deal – Toronto sends Shawn Marion, Kris Humphries, Nathan Jawai and cash considerations to Dallas, while also sending a future second round draft pick to Memphis; Memphis sends Greg Buckner to Dallas; Dallas sends Jerry Stackhouse and cash considerations to Memphis, while also sending Devean George and Antoine Wright to Toronto.

TRADE SUMMARY

Orlando Magic get: Trade exception and cash considerations from the Toronto Raptors, and cash considerations from the Dallas Mavericks

Toronto Raptors get: Hedo Turkoglu, Devean George and Antoine Wright

Dallas Mavericks get: Shawn Marion, Kris Humphries, Nathan Jawai and cash considerations, Greg Buckner (from Memphis)

Memphis Grizzlies get: Future second round draft pick from Dallas, Jerry Stackhouse and cash considerations (from Dallas)

InsideHoops.com gets: Love and admiration from all basketball fans.

MORE ON EACH PLAYER

Marion (6-7, 215) is a 10-year veteran that holds career averages 17.8 points and 9.9 rebounds to go along with 2.0 assists, 1.83 steals, 1.31 blocks and 37.9 minutes in 745 games (730 starts). He has finished the season with a double-double average four times in his career with the most recent being in 2007-08 when he averaged 15.4 points and 10.2 rebounds in 63 games.

Marion has been named All-NBA Third Team two times (2005, 2006) and was a four-time All-Star with the Phoenix Suns (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007). He has appeared in 65 postseason contests averaging 17.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.52 blocks and 1.49 steals in 40.6 minutes. Marion has advanced to the Western Conference Finals two times and, in his most recent trip, fell to the Mavericks in 2006 as a member of the Suns. He was also a member of the bronze-medal winning Team USA at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Humphries (6-9, 235) is a former University of Minnesota standout drafted by the Utah Jazz with the 14th overall pick in the 2004 Draft. He holds career averages of 4.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in 288 games. He averaged 3.9 points and 2.4 rebounds last season before fracturing his right fibula on Jan. 18 vs. Phoenix. Prior to his injury, Humphries was coming off his best year as a pro in 2007-08 when he averaged career highs of 5.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 13.7 minutes in a career-high 70 games.

Jawai (6-10, 280) just completed his rookie season for the Raptors seeing action in six contests. The Australian center scored his first career field goal on Feb. 18 vs. Cleveland. Jawai, the 41st overall pick of the Indiana Pacers in 2008, spent most of last season with the Idaho Stamped of the NBA Development League where he averaged 11.1 points and 6.4 rebounds in 24.0 minutes a game. No stranger to Texas, Jawai played one season of college basketball at Midland (Texas) College in 2006-07 where he averaged 11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds in 23.9 minutes a game.

Buckner (6-4, 210), a 10-year veteran out of Clemson, will be returning to Dallas for a third time. Originally a second-round draft choice of the Mavericks in 1998, Buckner played in Dallas from 1999-2002 before signing with the Philadelphia 76ers as a free agent. The native of Hopkinsville, Ky., returned to the Mavericks in 2006 when he signed as a free agent before getting traded to Minnesota before the start of the 2007-08 campaign. The veteran guard holds career averages of 5.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 570 games.

Dallas Mavericks sign Quinton Ross

The Dallas Mavericks announced today they have signed Quinton Ross. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Ross (6-6, 193) joins the Mavericks after spending the 2008-09 season with Memphis. He averaged 3.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 17.1 minutes in 68 games (seven starts) with the Grizzlies. The five-year NBA veteran, who began his career as a rookie free agent with the L.A. Clippers, owns career averages of 4.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 20.4 minutes in 370 games (158 starts).

“Quinton has been part of the Dallas basketball fabric for many years,” President of Basketball Operations Donnie Nelson said. “He played his high school ball under Royce Johnson at Kimball before attending Southern Methodist University. We are happy and proud to bring him home. His athleticism, defensive versatility and experience will add depth to our backcourt.”

A native of Dallas, Ross averaged 14.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 119 games at SMU. He finished his four-year career as the school’s fourth all-time scoring leader (1,763 points).

InsideHoops.com editor says: Perfectly good backup to play limited minutes off the bench as a 9th – 12th man.

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

Allen Iverson likes Grizzlies

The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports: Several NBA sources have confirmed to me that controversial and wildly popular guard Allen Iverson – through representatives – has made the Grizzlies aware that he would like to play in Memphis. The veteran, prolific scorer is a free agent for the first time in his professional career. While no deal is imminent and conversations have been only cursory, Griz brass are said to be internally weighing the pros and cons of possibly adding Iverson to the team’s youth movement. Iverson would certainly have to take a major pay cut from the $21 million he earned last season with Detroit. The Griz would only entertain Iverson with what they’d deem a reasonable price, and if the 34-year-old agreed to play off the bench.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Adding Iverson would spark some team interest, ticket sales and maybe a few wins for the Grizzlies, but not really accomplish much more than that. It would probably wouldn’t help the development of the young players Memphis is actually building around. Adding Iverson would be a small temporary boost.

Clippers trade Zach Randolph for Quentin Richardson

The Los Angeles Times reports: Clearing the way for No. 1 pick Blake Griffin, the Clippers have agreed to trade power forward Zach Randolph to Memphis for former Clipper Quentin Richardson, The Times learned today. Because of salary-cap rules, the deal can’t be completed until next week… With Richardson under contract for only this season, the deal gets them out from under Randolph’s contract, which has two seasons, worth $33.3 million left on it.

JULY 17 UPDATE: TRADE IS OFFICIAL

The Memphis Grizzlies acquired power forward Zach Randolph from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for guard/forward Quentin Richardson, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

“We are pleased to acquire a player of Zach Randolph’s caliber,” Wallace said. “Zach is one of the best low-post scorers in the league and a force on the boards as well. He will also bring much-needed experience to the team.”

The 6-9, 260-pounder averaged 20.8 points, 10.1 rebounds and shot 47.5 percent from the field over 35.1 minutes in 50 games (45 starts) last season with the Knicks and Clippers. The 27-year-old was one of four players in 2008-09 to average over 20 points and 10 rebounds, joining Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh and Al Jefferson.

It marked the third 20-10 campaign in eight NBA seasons for Randolph, who has recorded 19.8 points and 9.8 rebounds in 388 games (368 starts) since becoming a full-time starter (2003-09). In the Grizzlies’ 14-year history, only Shareef Abdur-Rahim has posted a 20-10 season (20.3 points, 10.1 rebounds in 1999-00).

The winner of the NBA’s 2003-04 Most Improved Player Award has averaged 16.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in 30.0 minutes on 46.6 percent shooting in 506 games (379 starts) in eight NBA seasons with the Clippers, the New York Knicks and the Portland Trail Blazers.

Randolph, who was previously acquired along with Mardy Collins by the Clippers from the Knicks on Nov. 21, 2008 in exchange for Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas, is one of only five players to average at least 17 points and eight rebounds in each of the last six seasons (Tim Duncan, Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol). He’s averaged a double-double in each of the past three seasons, despite playing for three different teams, and has recorded 191 double-doubles since the 2003-04 season (eighth among NBA players during that span).

The Marion, Ind. native was originally selected with the 19th overall pick in the first round of the 2001 NBA Draft by the Trail Blazers after his freshman season at Michigan State University. Randolph, nicknamed “Z-Bo,” scored a career-high 43 points on March 29, 2007 vs. Memphis as a member of the Trail Blazers.

Richardson was acquired by the Grizzlies from the Knicks on draft night (June 25, 2009) in exchange for center Darko Milicic. The 6-6, 235-pound swingman averaged 10.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 72 games (51 starts) last season, his fourth with the Knicks.

A nine-year NBA veteran, Richardson holds career averages of 11.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 601 games (390 starts) with the Knicks, the Phoenix Suns and the Clippers, who originally selected him with the 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2000 NBA Draft.

Grizzlies make qualifying offers to Hakim Warrick, Juan Carlos Navarro

The Memphis Grizzlies have made qualifying offers to restricted free agents Hakim Warrick and Juan Carlos Navarro, club General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

Warrick, the Grizzlies’ longest-tenured and last remaining player from the club’s most-recent playoff appearance in 2006, averaged 11.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in 82 games last season. The 6-9, 219-pound forward has averaged 10.2 points and 4.3 rebounds in 307 games through four NBA seasons, all with the Grizzlies, who originally selected him with the 19th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft.

In his only NBA season, Navarro averaged 10.9 points and 2.2 assists in 82 games and was named to the 2007-08 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 retains the right to match any future offer should he 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. A restricted free agent may sign an offer sheet with any team but is subject to a right of first refusal with the team for which the player last played.

NBA team, D-League team affiliations announced

The National Basketball Association and the NBA Development League, the official minor league of the NBA, today announced the affiliation system for the 2009-10 season, including the announcement of a direct single-affiliation partnership between the Houston Rockets and Rio Grande Valley Vipers. For the fifth consecutive year, each NBA team has one NBA D-League affiliate to which it may assign players in their first or second NBA season.

The Rockets became the first NBA team to enter into a direct single-affiliation partnership with an NBA D-League team, granting the Rockets full control over the basketball operations of the Vipers. With the move, the Rockets will be the only parent-club of the team.

In a structure similar to other minor leagues, this new partnership model, previously referred to as the “hybrid affiliation,” allows for NBA teams to secure control over and cover the expenses related to the basketball operations of an NBA D-League team, while partnering with existing local ownership, who maintain responsibility for the off-the-court business operations of the team.

The list of affiliations is on our NBA D-League page.

Hasheem Thabeet worked as a bouncer

The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports: Hasheem Thabeet did what he could to help his family. His father, an architect, had died of complications from diabetes, so Thabeet, at age 17 and all of 7 feet, found work as a bouncer outside a nightclub in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He was an intimidating presence at the door, blocking ill-advised attempts to get inside — a skill set that, as it turned out, would prove invaluable in the not-so-distant future. But he also harbored a secret. “When a fight started,” Thabeet said, “you wouldn’t see me.” … Thabeet spoke five languages, but academic transcript issues landed him at three prep schools in three states before he settled for good at Cypress Community Christian School outside of Houston. He was a project — he was used to kicking the ball with his feet instead of shooting it with his hands — but UConn coach Jim Calhoun was willing to take the risk. Thabeet’s potential was immense.

Grizzlies trade Darko Milicic to Knicks for Quentin Richardson, cash

The New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that center Darko Milicic has been acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for guard/forward Quentin Richardson and cash considerations.

“When building a team, it is invaluable to have a skilled big man such as Darko,” Walsh said. “He is the type of player with strong high-post play that will complement Eddy Curry’s low-post game. He will thrive in Coach D’Antoni’s system.

“It is very tough to lose such a great veteran like Quentin who has meant so much to this team,” Walsh added. “We thank him for all of his efforts over the past four seasons.”

Milicic, 7-0, 275-pounds, was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the second overall selection in the 2003 NBA Draft. The Serbian center has career averages of 5.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.20 blocks in 337 career games (98 starts) over six NBA seasons with Detroit, Orlando and Memphis. Milicic averaged 5.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in 61 games for the Grizzlies during the 2008-09 campaign.

“I am very excited about the possibilities with Darko. He has great size and the skills to really help us.” Head Coach Mike D’Antoni said. “He can run the floor really well, shoot and has a load of talent.”

Richardson, 6-6, 235-pounds, was acquired by New York from Phoenix along with the draft rights to Nate Robinson on June 28, 2005 and averaged 9.7 points and 5.0 rebounds in 241 games (206 starts) in four seasons with the Knicks. Originally selected by the L.A. Clippers out of DePaul with the 18th overall selection in the 2000 NBA Draft, Richardson has career averages of 11.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in 601 career games (389 starts) with L.A. Clippers, Phoenix and New York. The Chicago, IL-native averaged 10.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 72 games last season.

Jerry West had huge impact on current Lakers

The San Francisco Chronicle (Scott Ostler) reports: Jerry West’s fingerprints are all over this shiny championship trophy, just like they’re all over the other nine. West hired Phil Jackson as Lakers coach. In ’96, West traded for just-drafted Kobe Bryant, a high school kid bypassed by 12 teams, including the Warriors. West has remained Bryant’s friend, confidant and adviser through some very hard times for Kobe, personally and professionally. It’s possible Bryant would have left the Lakers had it not been for West’s voice-of-reason counsel and friendship. The Lakers got Pau Gasol from the Grizzlies in ’08. West was the Memphis general manager from 2002 to ’07, and I know he has enormous respect for Gasol. You can bet that before that trade went down, West filled Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak’s ear about Gasol.

2011 NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles

Los Angeles, a city with a reputation for producing highly successful sequels, and STAPLES Center, considered one of the world’s best arenas for sports and entertainment, have been selected to host NBA All-Star 2011, marking the fifth time The City of Angels and the second time STAPLES Center will be the site of the annual celebration, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced at a press conference today in Los Angeles. AEG President and CEO Timothy J. Leiweke and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa joined Stern at the announcement.

The 60th NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, February 20 at STAPLES Center which will also host the Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam and NBA All-Star Saturday Night. NBA All-Star Jam Session, the hugely successful interactive basketball celebration, will return to the Los Angeles Convention Center. Additionally, the NBA has the ability to activate the great hospitality and event spaces across the street from STAPLES Center within L.A. LIVE including the new Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott hotels. Los Angeles becomes the first city to host five NBA All-Star Games.

“Its state-of-the-art facilities, passionate fans, and first-class hospitality and entertainment options make Los Angeles an ideal host for NBA All-Star,” said Commissioner Stern. “We thank the city and STAPLES Center for welcoming us once again.”

The 2010-11 season will mark the 27th year that Turner Sports will provide NBA All-Star coverage, and the ninth consecutive year the All-Star Game will be televised in primetime on TNT. The All-Star Game will be seen by a worldwide television audience in more than 200 countries and will be broadcast in more than 40 languages.

“L.A. LIVE was truly designed to be a home for great events like the NBA All-Star game,” said Leiweke, President & CEO AEG, owners of STAPLES Center and L.A. LIVE. “We are fortunate that this will be the second All-Star weekend STAPLES Center will host in the last ten years and our ability to incorporate one of the best weekends in all of sports into our 100-acre campus is exactly what L.A. LIVE was created for. We are privileged to be partners with the NBA and welcome them back to Los Angeles and L.A. LIVE.”

“There is no better place to host the action and drama of the NBA All-Star Game than the stage of so many award winning performances,” said Mayor Villaraigosa. “On behalf of the City of Los Angeles, we look forward to welcoming NBA fans and players from across the country and around the globe to the entertainment capital of the world.”

STAPLES Center last played host to NBA All-Star in 2004, when the Los Angeles Lakers’ Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant combined for 44 points as the West edged the East 136-132. O’Neal earned MVP honors with 24 points and 11 rebounds. L.A. also hosted the All-Star Game in 1963, 1972 and 1983. The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena hosted All-Star in 1963, while the Forum hosted the other ’72 and ’83 games. The 1972 classic saw the Lakers’ Jerry West thrill the hometown fans with a last-second jumper that gave the West a 112-110 victory and netted him MVP honors.

NBA All-Star competitions will get underway on Friday, Feb. 18, as the league’s top rookies and second-year players square off in the Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam. The following day’s festivities will feature an

all-inclusive skills showcase known as NBA All-Star Saturday Night, which is comprised of Haier Shooting Stars, a competition featuring NBA and WNBA players and NBA Legends; PlayStation® Skills Challenge, a contest of

top guards working against the clock to complete a series of passes, free throws, lay-ups and agility drills; the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, a long-standing staple of the evening; and the ever-entertaining Sprite Slam Dunk Contest.

During NBA All-Star 2011, the NBA will continue to celebrate its tradition and commitment to social responsibility with a schedule of NBA Cares events. NBA Cares will partner with schools, government, and local non-profit organizations in Los Angeles and surrounding areas to highlight the league’s grassroots and community initiatives that reach millions of young people and their parents while providing critical resources to community-based programs.

One of the event’s most popular attractions is NBA All-Star Jam Session, which will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. At Jam Session, fans can have the once-in-a-lifetime experience of participating in the NBA All-Star excitement, with the chance to meet and collect free autographs from NBA Players and Legends. Jam Session is nonstop basketball action, as fans can shoot, slam, dribble, and drive all day; compete against their friends in skills challenges; or get basketball tips from NBA Players and Legends. Young fans can hang out at Kids Zone – with hoops and interactive activities that are the perfect size for kids’ slam dunks, three-pointers, and jump shots. For fans who want NBA entertainment, Jam Session features the NBA’s favorite players, celebrities, mascots, and dance teams as they hit Center Court in a variety of basketball competitions, including the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and the NBA All-Star Practice.