NBA NEWS
Grizzlies Trade Greene to Portland For Arthur
Published by MoonDog on June 27, 2008
In another draft day trade the Memphis Grizzlies sent Donte Greene to the Portland Trail Blazers for Darrel Arthur and a second round pick next year. Earlier the Grizzlies traded the draft rights to Kevin Love to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the draft rights to O.J. Mayo.
Arthur is a 6-9 216-pound forward that helped Kansas win the national championship earlier this year. Some questions were raised regarding Arthur’s health when he refused to reveal the results of blood tests prior to the draft.
It’s a perplexing move considering the Trail Blazers drafted Arthur with the 27th pick and Memphis drafted Greene with the 28th pick. If Portland really wanted Greene why didn’t they draft him when they had the chance?
Perhaps Portland sensed the Grizzlies were interested in Arthur and used the pick to capture the player they really wanted and an additional pick next year.
The acquisition of Arthur brings another player to the Grizzlies that doesn’t fit an immediate need. The Grizzlies completely botched the Love for Mayo deal, trading away the one player that could have made an immediate impact.
With four guards on the roster and three forwards all fitting the same mold, the Grizzlies have amassed some potentially solid players but none that will help get the team back into the playoffs for at least two years.
Memphis still lacks a true power forward and a center to provide the interior presence needed to give the likes of Mayo, second-year point guard Mike Conley and second-year forward Rudy Gay an opportunity to produce effectively.
The Grizzlies do have the negotiating rights to Marc Gasol, Pau’s younger brother, and have been trying to work out a deal that would bring him to Memphis for the start of the 2008-09 season. The younger Gasol has been playing in Europe the past two years and some believe he is ready to compete at the NBA level.
Grizzlies fans have endured two consecutive 22-60 regular seasons and were hoping the organization would utilize the additional draft pick received from the Lakers as part of the Pau Gasol trade, on a player that could really help the team return to respectability. Moreover, the additional cap space that was created with the Gasol trade took a hit with the Love deal to Minnesota.
The Grizzlies rid themselves of the often injured Mike Miller and the two-year, $13 million contract of Brian Cardinal but took on the 3-year $21 million deal of Marko Jaric, whom they acquired along with Antonie Walker and Greg Buckner from the T-Wolves. The money involved on an annual basis is basically a wash, but why make that kind of deal?
The optimism heading into the draft was quickly erased with these two moves. The Grizzlies have some young talent but they don’t have the key pieces needed to get back into the playoffs. Unfortunately for Memphis fans they’ll have to endure another painful season watching the Grizzlies struggle.
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