Marc Gasol to the Boston Celtics … who says no?
Well, the Memphis Grizzlies for one.
In the wake of head coach David Fizdale’s firing Monday, there were rumblings Memphis could enter full rebuilding mode, moving both center Gasol and All-Star point guard Mike Conley before the trade deadline. Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace splashed cold water on those rumors Wednesday, though.
“We have no intention to trade Marc,” Wallace told ESPN.com’s Tim MacMahon. “We never seriously considered that at all. We never placed any calls to any teams in that regard. So, that’s not happening.”
Fair enough. What about Conley, though?
“It’s not just Marc that this whole equation is about,” Wallace added. “It’s also Mike Conley, when he comes back. We’ve got two guys among the elite in the league at their respective positions that are still very much in their window with an awful lot of tread left on their tires.”
In fact, Wallace insisted the Grizzlies are “full speed ahead” and want to compete for a playoff spot despite a nine-game losing streak that’s dropped them to 12th in the Western Conference.
That’s unfortunate news for teams like the Celtics, who reportedly could have interest in Gasol if he becomes available. Both Gasol and Conley would cost a pretty penny — Gasol is set to earn $24.1 million next season and has a $25.6 million player option in 2019, while Conley inked a five-year extension last year worth $152 million — but are solid talents who probably would be worth the price for a contender.
Wallace and the Grizzlies are holding onto their cards for now. Still, we’re not ruling anything out if the losses continue to pile up.
