Hooped Up

The Grizzlies acquired the draft rights to guard O.J. Mayo, the third overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, in an eight-player trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced Thursday night.

Memphis also received guard Marko Jaric, forward Antoine Walker and guard Greg Buckner in exchange for the draft rights to forward Kevin Love (fifth overall), guard/forward Mike Miller, forward Brian Cardinal and center Jason Collins

NBA

Derrick Rose is going home, and a record crowd of freshmen are following him to the NBA. The Chicago Bulls selected Rose, who grew up on the city’s South Side, with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft Thursday night, choosing the Memphis guard over Kansas State forward Michael Beasley.  Below are the rest of the NBA draft results.

Round 1 NBA Draft Results

Second round results after the jump Read the rest of this entry »

According to a Spanish web site, the Grizzlies and Marc Gasol have agreed to a three-year, $9 million deal.
The Grizzlies can’t legally negotiate with or sign Gasol until July 1, under NBA rules, so no one is commenting. If Gasol is coming to the team, it will impact who they are taking with the No. 5 pick, as their need for a center won’t be such a priority. I

t’s possible that Gasol could be the starting center for the Grizzlies next season.

Memphis Commercial Appeal

Juan Carlos Navarro hit pay day but not with the Grizzlies and not in the NBA.

Spanish guard Juan Carlos Navarro’s chances of returning for a second season in Memphis were blown to pieces Wednesday afternoon when he decided to re-sign with FC Barcelona. Navarro, who earned $538,000 with the Grizzlies last season, was swayed by a deal that will pay him between $20million and $24 million over the next four years. Memphis Commercial Appeal

The Grizzlies are set to hire former Arizona interim head basketball coach Kevin O’Neill as an assistant to head coach Marc Iavaroni.

O’Neill, who also has NBA coaching experience, will join the Grizzlies’ staff as a defensive guru to help one of the league’s worst teams on defense the past two seasons.

The 51-year-old former University of Tennessee men’s basketball coach took over as interim coach when coach Lute Olson took a personal leave of absence last season. After Olson returned in March, he announced that O’Neill would no longer be a part of his staff.

Hooped Up

The Houston Rockets are set to send Bonzi Wells and Mike James to New Orleans for Bobby Jackson, the Houston Chronicle is reporting.

The deal has grown into a three team trade, the report indicates, with Memphis being involved but not appearing to be a major player. The trade has been submitted to the league, pending approval.

The Rockets will also receive rookie guard Adam Haluska and either their own or New Orleans’ second-round pick, whichever is greater.

Memphis will receive forward Marcus Vinicius.

The Sports Network

According to Sports Illustrated columnist Ian Thomsen, Mike Miller’s name has been linked to the Indiana Pacers .

According to Thomsen, the Pacers and Grizzlies have had discussions in which Indiana would send Ike Diogu and Marquis Daniels to Memphis for Miller.

SI

Guard/forward Mike Miller is reportedly being shopped as part of the Grizzlies’ clearance sale. As is the case with most good players on the trade market, the Mavs have been mentioned as a possible destination for Miller. Miller says the right things about just focusing on playing, giving the Grizzlies his all and trying not to get caught up in trade talk. But a huge smile breaks out on his face when asked what he’d think about coming to the Mavs.

Dallas Morning News

Also today, a Grizzlies source said that forward Stromile Swift has been traded to the New Jersey Nets for center Jason Collins.

Memphis Commercial Appeal

Stromile Swift may not work in a Grizzlies uniform much longer once he returns today from a team-imposed, one-game suspension. The on-again, off-again flirtation with potential trades involving Swift were on again Wednesday, although totally unrelated to the recent disciplinary action against the forward/center.

Memphis Commercial Appeal