Chris...
Assuming this trade happens and Buckner is bought out and Warrick is renounced. What do you think the possibility is that the Grizz will go after Carney and Luther Head?

Conley/Head
Mayo/Carney
Gay/Young
Randolph/Arthur/Carroll
Gasol2.0/Thabeet/Haddadi

How many games can that team win?

Jaric can just be bought out...

Chris - do you expect them to go after anyone else besides a backup guard?

This is disaster. Heisley is going to say that he is spending money but this a worthless signing that is not going to help us in the long run.

Why do the Grizz hate us, when all we do is try to love them?

Randolph is selfish, with a I'll get my stats mentality.

He is better than Q, but come on.

I'll just keep telling myself "he's a 20-10 guy" "he's a 20-10 guy". and just hope that Zach doesn't think this is his team.

This is a disaster. The Griz essentially made their free agent signings for the next two seasons by trading for a guy who is probably the most notorious cancer in the NBA. They can't pick up anyone over the MLE at this point and, of course, they won't - they will sign a back-up at the 1/2 for low salary, maybe let Warrick go and then, when Randolph gets hurt/breaks the law/whatever, Heisley will claim that, hey, it's not his fault - he committed to a big salaried player and it didn't work out. But he showed commitment to the city and they didn't come out to support his team.

Heisley is the only owner in the league who could take the hope of the offseason - 2nd pick and huge amount of cap space - and turn it into Thabeet (who will mark the end of a good center - Gasol - in Memphis) and Randolph. Hell, they could've gone after Villeneuva for less!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Chris for all your insightful information.

A Mike Heisley sighting tonight: sipping a martini at Cafe 1912 bar, reading WSJ. Alone.

seriously?

I'm hearing Heisley is no longer in town. Maybe he has a local doppelganger?

I think the motivation behind this is that big money comes off the books when it cones time to extend Conley and Mayo. And they will still be able to extend Gay. Signing Lee or Millsap to a multi-year, big deal limits the extensions of those three.

@Grateful Grizz
That doesn't make sense... you have to have a starting caliber PF in this league to be competitive. You can't compete in the playoffs with a journeyman PF.

puke

At least the sports guy will drop the whole dunlevy sucks deal for the ever popular Wallace sucks routine. Little does he know this probably is not Wallace's fault. Why Mike Why?

Michael Heisley is an embarrassment and should be run out of the stinking league. I've never wanted to punch someone as badly as I want to punch his Canadian _ _ _.

Here's what True Hoop says about the deal and our new starting PF/tumor:

"For the Clippers, moving Randolph isn't just about clearing minutes -- it allows the franchise to press rewind on what was a diastrous cultural acquisition in Randolph. Although Randolph's selfishness, disinterst on defense, and questionable off-court character were no secret, Mike Dunleavy felt he had to find a frontcourt scorer after the Clippers lost Elton Brand to Philadelphia. He pushed all in on Randolph, absorbing three years and approximately $45 million in exchange for a couple of 2010 expiring contracts (Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley). Randolph put up his usual solid offensive numbers, but the Clippers still finished the season with a horrendous 19-63 record.

Worse, the team descended into a lazy funk. Though the blame can't be attributed solely to Randolph, the Clippers had to endure Randolph's sucker punch to Louis Amundson (resulting in suspension), and a drunk driving arrest (also resulting in suspension). For an organization that did an admirable job reshaping their image the preceding half-dozen years or so, 2008-09 was a disheartening setback -- and Randolph was at the crime scene ...

... The NBA's salary cap structure is usually unforgiving of teams who made the kind of miscalculation the Clippers did on Zach Randolph last season. But the Clippers have been leading a charmed existence over the past six weeks. First Blake Griffin land in their lap, and now they find a willing sucker for Zach Randolph."

Yep ... we just got punked by the freaking CLIPPERS, folks. Just hope this jerk doesn't destroy any momentum and/or chemistry we had with our core.

Someone ... PLEASE make me feel better about this. Somehow. Please.

lo and behold.....via Twitter
Dunleavy turns Z-Bo into Q's expiring deal for 8 mill less + copious 2010 cap space? All is forgiven! Red Auerbach lives!

Ok... as far as talent goes, Randolph is as talented a PF as there is in the league. Does this mean he won't be a selfish nightmare? No. But you can't say the guy is a bad signing when it comes to the talent-level. IMO, he is a big step up from Lee or Millsap in that regard. Character-wise? Ummm...

And if the question is either Randolph or Quentin Richardson, I think I would rather have Randolph. He may become a headache... but he is capable of putting up huge numbers. Richardson would give you maybe 8 pts a night. Randolph can give you 20+ pts.

And I wouldn't disregard the theory that putting Randolph next to a legitimate center, like Marc, will help cover up his deficiencies. Is he the perfect fit? No. Does the idea of watching he and O.J. and Rudy have me interested in next season? Yes, very much. This is a big gamble for sure... but at least they pulled the trigger. We will see soon enough whether or not it pays off.

I recall that Randolph played well under Mike D'Antoni in NY. Indeed, NY beat Memphis by about 40 points - granted, that is not saying a lot. But he might be okay with an up tempo pace. Coach Hollins is the key to making it work. If the Grizzlies are more competitive, and Hollins keeps the ship afloat, then it could turn out to be a positive for the franchise.

He is an extraordinarily talented player who does things no other Grizz player does: (1) score like a crazy man, and (2) rebound like a crazy man. I remember having crazy guys like that on my HS squad. I remember hating them, and making sure my locker wasn't next to theirs. And they made our team much, much better.

When was the last time someone like that played for the Griz? Shareef? I realize that he might put the "Con" in Mike Conley, and that hiring him might lead to a misdemeanor pot charge for one of our asst coaches (Nate Newton was just spotted on I-40 in a large van, headed this way).

He might also give everybody a lesson in being a cut-throat scorer. Not everybody can be an unselfish, cool and collected motherscratcher like Battier. We need someone to put the damn ball in the bucket.

He comes off the book when the kids need to get resigned, and that's better than taking the chance that David Lee will be a Brian Cardinal in three years' time.

Maybe they can trade Darrell and Lakers 2010 for a decent combo/backup 1 who can shoot treys. If they do that, I'll be content. The team will be better on paper, maybe even on the court, with no long-term contract tie-ups. I like that.

To GrizzlieGM:
agreed, you do need a legitimate PF to be competitive in the league and especially in the playoffs. This move allows the team to groom a young PF or find the proverbial "lightning in a bottle" on the cheap.
This is a money-motivated move, as all things Grizzlies have become.
I'm not saying this is good or bad, just my opinion on the motivation behind the move.

gdark23: You've been a good commenter here, but you need to watch the language. Had to remove that last comment on those grounds.

gdark23 is the man!

Seriously, when every Clipper fan is thrilled about the trade, when the league laughs at the Griz for acquiring ZBo, when Mike Dunleavy is compared to Red Auerbach...the Griz have problems.

ZBo will promote the "every man for himself" attitude that will kill this team.

yeah -- I certainly don't object to gdark23's sentiments. Feel free to repost in a profanity-free manner.

My apologies, Chris. I have always respected you, but this is the last straw. I apologize for using such language. I respect you, but this is the last time I'll be on your site. I wish this weren't the case, but this is disgraceful. Heisley is dispicable.

I'll say this profanity-free. I've been a season ticket holder since the '04-'05 season. I have watched in person at least 95% home games since then. I am Merriam-Webster's definition of an NBA geek. I will not go to another Grizzlies game as long as Michael Heisley is owner. This is the last straw. Heisley might as well have bent me over as to take the knucklehead of all knuckeheads Zach Randolph over David Lee. Mr. Heisley, we are done. Refund my deposit for the the '09'10 season. Hell, I might become a Scrub Love fan over this. You just killed legitimate pro sports in this town, Heisley. Now all I have to look forward to is C-USA basketball.

Thanks!! Appreciate ya!!!!

I have to disagree with Grizzly Adam. There is a perception that Randolph is a more talented player than Lee or Millsap, but I believe that perception is driven by most NBA reporters' fixation on points per game as a measure a player's value. Furthermore, I believe that perception is dead wrong.
Yes, Z-Bo scores more than Lee or Millsap, but look at his true shooting percentage. Its lower than both Lee and Millsap, suggesting that he scores inefficiently and at the expense of the proper functioning of an offense. Also, look at his pure-point rating which is among the worst in the league for a power foward. This suggests that his reputation as a black hole is well earned. Watch a game and tell me if Z-Bo is a better defender than Lee or Millsap. Finally, check their rebound rates. Lee and Millsap are as good or better than Z-Bo here as well. Lee and Millsap are better/more talented at everything except insuring that they score 20 points a game.
By opting for Z-Bo over Lee and Millsap, our front office has demonstrated a shocking lack of basketball sophistication. This is before you even consider the fact that Z-Bo is more expensive, more selfish, has a criminal history, has never been a winner, and is generally regarded as a destructive force in a locker room. Making this gamble on him over better players who have none of the off the court issues, is absolutely crazy.
The Griz got killed for the Pau trade, but this move is dumber.

I'm with Grizzly Adam on this one. It could be a bad move, but it has a chance at succeeding (more so than Lionel at coach).

Keep in mind that David Lee rebounds with...well I can't remember their 5's name, and neither can anyone else. Paul Millsap plays when the almighty Boozer is off the court, and their big men frequently run around a mile from the basket shooting threes. So the rebound rate of those guys is a tad bit inflated.

Randolph plays with a very good frontcourt, and still manages to rebound well.

As to pure-point rating, I'm sure that's correct. I'm also sure there are very few scoring PFs, and even fewer who are asked to score and rebound. Most scorers (Hedo last season) don't rebound that well. Randolph is something else.

And, in a worse case scenario, we could get him to leave the Grizz and run for Congress.

Oh, and as Chris pointed out D. Lee and P. Millsap would both be better fits for our preferred style of play and the three year plan. This move is asinine.

I can see why everyone is worried about Zbo being a cancer to a young team, but so can loosing back to back to back seasons. How many more of those can OJ, Rudy, Marc and company take before it becomes a culture that they accept. Attitude already sucks now and I fear there is no hope if we have another 20 win season. I would have liked to see Lee or Milsap, but Z is the "get wins now" option.

I don't see how Z-Bo helps us get wins now. I think going with better players such as Lee or Millsap would have been a better way to get wins now. The fact that Z-Bo is a cancer just makes this deal worse.

It's all been said. I have season tickets, but I'm probably gonna give them away. I can't cheer for a despicable human being like Randolph.

Craig makes a good point: When I wrote that Randolph is "more talented" than the other options, I meant he has more raw talent in terms of size, strength, and skill, not that he has actually been a better, more effective basketball player, which is much more debatable for the reasons Craig mentions.

Matt send some my way. I am not behind this trade, but I am still behind the team.

Of course I'm also 4+ hrs away.

Craig...

How can you say a 20-10 guy will not get us wins? We essentially traded Darko ( avg what 10-8 plus 30 missed dunks per night) for Randolph and filled a very large deficit at the 4. Besides, I think we have some smart guys on the team who will not let Z be a distraction.

It's just sobering and sad to see other teams planning and building for the future and then the Grizzlies spend 33million FOOLISHLY for a 2 year rental at the Power Forward spot.

Can't Heisley just sell the team and ship them out, they have to be getting closer to their FedEx Forum buyout. If he is going to continue to make financially foolish business decisions in regards to this team I wish he could just get rid of them.

I hate when he talks about "losing" money too by spending it on the Grizzlies. I WISH I was a billionaire in position to lose a few MILLION every year playing around with a hobby like a professional sports team.

To answer Tjatsd's question, I can only refer to my previous post addressing the fact that Randolph plays no defense and gets his 20 points in a way that hurts his team.

Well, I guess I could also refer to game footage of the Trailblazers, Knicks, and Clippers from the past 6 years.

I have no problem with this deal...seems like Zach has matured a bit and if he has family here, maybe he will settle in.

The stlye of the team will be interesting now. With Gasol, Thabeet and Randolph, you definitely have more of a half-court team. With Conley, Mayo and Gay, you have an up-tempo team. There is definite versatility ...it's up to Hollins to mix and match properly.

Also, as far as the three year plan, signing Zach is not such a bad idea...Chris has it right. Next year we draft a big man, and he's Zach's understudy for a year. Besides, Zach in a contract year is a good thing. He will be hungry for a new deal, and an expiring contract is always good to have in your pocket.

zbo is a great player he does have what anyteam need power in can shoot the rock i wish he would of came to the magic in help out howard please peep this orlando peace superstar randolph bless ran

All of the character issues aside, Randolph is what this team needs. If you take his name away from it, you have a guy that will get you 20 points, 10 rebounds and can also hit the occasional three (32 last season). He shoots over 45% from the field and over 73% from the line, and for a guy who shoots as much as he does, that is impressive. He is the perfect complement to a young defensive-minded center duo (Marc and Hasheem). Speaking from a pure basketball perspective, that is everything we could have hoped for in a PF to complete the roster. And, as Chris said, when he comes off the books, we will have either Carroll, Arthur or a young stud PF out of next year's PF-heavy draft ready to step in and contribute. He makes the Grizz competitive and exciting to watch until our young guys develop into their own. If Hollins can keep him in check, that is.

zbo is a great player he has all that a power forward needs n he can shoot the rock things will look up i wish the magic would of grab him n howard would of repeat orlando pay attention in for the record zack randolph does have family in memphis tenn. he has became the 1 you cant stop n 20/10 shows it all with playoff expirence memphis can contend now let go zbo

Heisley thinks he is King Silas from "Kings". And Wallace is Thomasina!!!!

Randolph is a career 46% shooter, which sounds good on the surface. But with his unique gifts in terms of size, strength, and soft touch, he should be even more efficient than that.

Compare him to Al Jefferson, who might have the most similar skill set. Jefferson is a career 50% shooter. The difference is shot selection. Randolph forces his offense too much and that leads to too many bad shots, especially on the perimeter.

Listen, I am not 100% sold on Randolph. I never said that. What I said was he is an extremely talented PF, and "in my opinion" more talented than Lee and Millsap. Could he turn out to be a cancer in the locker room? Sure. But I don't think this team is that susceptible to the "bad apple" theory. We keep referring to them as this young and impressionable team, but next year will be Rudy's 4th year, Conley's 3rd, and Mayo is not your average sophomore player. I think O.J. is far too poised and mature to be influenced by a bitter/selfish older player, if that is what Randolph turns out to be. In fact, I think all of these guys have been through too much together to let that happen.

Oh, and while I think Lee and Millsap are really good players, I also think their numbers are over-inflated a bit. Especially Lee's. He is playing on a D'Antoni team. Look back at Marion, Stoudemire, and even Nash two years ago vs last year. They are all great players, but they put up league-topping hall of fame numbers under D'Antoni. His system increases stats across the board. Lee will be a good player on his next team, but don't expect him to continue leading the league in double-doubles without D'Antoni's system around him.

So, to finish my point, I think Randolph is a gamble. But... I think this team needed to take a bit of a gamble. The worst case scenario is he turns out to be every bad thing we have heard about. Even if that takes place, it is really only one year of that headache. After next season, he will become a massive trade-able expiring contract. Consider this next year an experiment. If it fails, it fails... and the Grizz trade him next summer. But... if it succeeds, the Grizz have the PF they have been needing from day one.

Oh, and one more thing. David Lee and his agent are apparently looking for a deal in the 5 yr/65 mil range. I was ok with offering him at most 5 yr/50 mil. But 65 mil? I think that is too much and too big a commitment for him. Randolph is making a lot over the next two years, but at least the Grizz aren't tied down for half a decade if things don't work out.

I don't like the trade but when you accept the fact that Heisley is going to do everything in his power to keep costs down I can't really think of a better deal that would improve the team. All we can do now is hope Z-Bo tries to use Memphis as a place to restart his career.

Also am I missing something? Something seems odd about the trade. I know Memphis is under the cap and out of the 125 percent rule and the Clippers would do anything to offload Randolph but 9 million vs 16 million still seems off.

I'm not super excited about Randolph, but I am excited about next season.

This is the first time that the Grizzlies will field a team that has a legitimate starter at all 5 positions on the floor!

This is not kudos to Wallace or Heisley (I would like to see Wallace run the personnel side of things without Heisley involved), I just am excited not to have a glaring hole at a position on the floor.

Saying David Lee's agent is looking for a 5 yr. 65m deal is like saying I'm looking to marry a supermodel. Equally plausible scenarios.

We are now locked into our team. The "flexibility" that Wallace has been peddling since the Pau trade has netted us Zach Randolph. Enjoy.

The more i think about Zach, the more comfortable I'm becoming.

I think Memphis is exactly what he needs. being in the small market will take the spotlight off of him, i think he'll get a more personal treatment, get someone to kinda be an off-the-court mentor...have some closer people/ family to stay on him. And i think his on-the-court play will be a great upgrade from Darko (seeing how this trade went Darko=>QRich=>ZBo).

plus, some folks are talking like he's already driven into town drunk and punched out the coach or something. I mean lets give the guy a chance, we still have at least a week before he gets here, no use running him out of town already.

If the Grizz drop Hakim, which is expected, they will still have decent flexibility this year. And Randolph's expiring contract will be trade-able next year, if need be.

This is not a situation where the team is locked into a long-term deal with an untrade-able asset. They didn't give up any major pieces to get him, only cap-space. If Randolph is a bust, Heisley wasted some money... and ONLY Heisley wasted money.

You can certainly argue the "Randolph is a cancer" side of things, but his contract isn't some albatross dragging the team down for years to come. It is Heisley gambling with his money on the player he wanted. We will see the results in a few months time.

Matt that flexibility is still in play. His contract is only 2 years. Signing Lee or milsap for 5 to 6 years would have committed that flexibilty completely.

this is the one positive from the trade. Its a low risk contract in terms of cap space. We are still probably going to be in the lottery next year. We will draft our pf. (even if we have to trade up)

Randolph will either be a good fit and get an extension in two years, will be traded as an expiring next year, or will simply be cut.

Either way we are still in a much more flexible place than we would have been signing either Lee or Milsap.

qdark23, I understand your frustration. After the exciting Hubie Brown era, Jerry West made terrible trades. Michael Heisley created a major distraction and put the team on hold when he tried to sell the team to a non-viable investor. And Mark Ivaroni and his teams were a disaster. You are a true fan to have endured all of that. However, consider hanging in there - at least keep an eye on things from afar. In a very short period of time, the change in the demeanor, effort, and function of the team under Lionel Hollins was encouraging. He seems to be a solid tactician, and he commands respect. Things may work out...

Chris, any thoughts on bringing in Iverson? Sounds like he wants to play here for a change.

Chris,

You point out that Randolph gets his numbers with poor shot selection. Given this and his troubled past and coming to Memphis for redemption story, is he basically the big man version of Bonzi Wells?

Wells did give us a couple of good years though, but it took the right coach... can we bring back Hubie Brown?

Look -- I'm not saying the Randolph thing won't work out. It might. I certainly hope it does. But his track record is unlike any other significant NBA player. His track-record — on-the-record problems on the court and off — makes guys like Bonzi and J-Will look like model citizens.

I think there's much more risk with Randolph than there was with Bonzi.