Larry Kuzniewski
The guy we’re all waiting on.
There’s so much that’s already happened this offseason—one of the craziest free agency periods in a long time—that it can be hard to remember who has done what and what has happened where. The Grizzlies have been very busy so far this summer, and the moves aren’t done yet.
Here’s what’s happened so far:
June 24: The Grizzlies trade the rights to Janis Timma of the Latvian league to the Orlando for Luke Ridnour. (Original post)
June 25: Ahead of the NBA Draft, the Grizzlies flip Ridnour’s unguaranteed deal to Charlotte for veteran forward Matt Barnes. (Original post)
June 25: With their first round pick, the Grizzlies select big man Jarell Martin from LSU. Jon Leuer is traded to the Phoenix Suns for a second-round pick, which is then used to select Andrew Harrison from Kentucky. I didn’t like the moves at the time, but Martin is starting to grow on me. (Original post)
July 1: The Griz extend a qualifying offer to point guard Nick Calathes, making him a restricted free agent. Signs are still that they don’t expect Calathes to return, but making him restricted means they have the opportunity to match any offer sheet he receives from another team. (Original post)
July 1: The Grizzlies sign free-agent big man Brandan Wright to a three year deal at the full mid-level exception (3 years, $17mm+), bringing in some much-needed athleticism and elite roll-man capabilities to the Griz bench. Wright is a Nashville native, and the return to Tennessee seems to have factored into his decision. (Original post)
Larry Kuzniewski
July 6: Marc Gasol (finally) agrees to a 5-year deal worth either $108mm or $110mm depending on which reporter you follow on Twitter. Gasol’s deal reportedly has a player option after the 4th year (similar to Zach Randolph’s recent deal which he opted out of to take a 3-year $30mm new contract with the Griz). With Gasol locked up for the next five years, the Grizzlies’ offseason and future plans start to fall into place a little more clearly. (Original post)
I’ll be updating this page with each new trade, signing, or waiver that the Grizzlies make throughout the offseason. Let’s get weird.
