The NBA community might soon learn whether court generals can swap armies and achieve their aims.
The Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz are in discussions over a trade which would involve point guards Mike Conley and Ricky Rubio, The New York Times’ Marc Stein reported Friday, citing NBA sources. The exact mechanics of the deal would be complicated, given the two years and $66 million remaining on Conley’s contract, but the teams still might be able to agree to a trade by the Feb. 7 NBA trade deadline.
The Grizzlies are 20-32 and fading fast from playoff contention, so they reportedly decided last week to field trade offers for Conley and fellow franchise cornerstone Marc Gasol.
Conley has bounced back from the season-ending injury he suffered in January 2018 and is playing at a high level again. He’s averaging 20.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game this season and could boost the playoff prospects of a Utah team that currently sits in seventh in the Western Conference standings.
Rubio is averaging 12.8 points and 6.1 assists per game and he’ll be a free agent this summer. Chances are he’d leave Memphis this offseason, allowing him to resume his career elsewhere and the Grizzlies to dive headfirst into their rebuilding operation.
