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Memphis, Tenn. — The Memphis Grizzlies have agreed to trade former Kansas University guard Josh Selby, Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington and a future first-round draft pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Jon Leuer.
Associated Press
In this Nov. 28, 2012, file photo, Memphis Grizzlies guard Josh Selby (2) works the ball against Toronto Raptors forward Dominic McGuire (1) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Memphis, Tenn. The Grizzlies have agreed to trade Selby, Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington, and a future first-round draft pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Jon Leuer on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013.
The trade Tuesday is the first big move by the Grizzlies' new ownership and clears about $6 million in salary in getting Memphis under the luxury tax threshold this season. The Grizzlies rank fourth in the West and are 6-4 over their past 10 games after the NBA's best start this season.
The deal gives the lottery-bound Cavs another first-round pick to improve a team entering Tuesday night's home game against Boston with a 10-32 record — second-worst in the Eastern Conference. Speights also will help replace center Anderson Varejao who will miss the remainder of the season after developing a blood clot in his right lung.
Varejao remains hospitalized at The Cleveland Clinic.
The ownership group led by Robert Pera took over the Grizzlies on Nov. 5, and they had been scheduled to pay about $4 million in luxury tax this season with a payroll more than $74 million. This should help Memphis keep its starters Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Tony Allen together the rest of this season for another postseason run.
"It's a trade that had to be made from a business decision, so we have a chance to keep our core together and we move forward," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "Hate to lose Mo and Wayne or Josh, but it's part of the business of basketball and you have to do things. You have to make some tough decisions, and tough decisions were made and we live with them and move forward."
Speights is earning $4.2 million this season, while Ellington's salary is $2 million. The Grizzlies also get a $6.4 million trade exception good for a year to help sign a free agent or use in a trade.
The 6-foot-10 Speights, whose contract expires next season, will help ease the loss of Varejao, who was leading the NBA in rebounding. Speights averaged 6.6 points and 4.7 rebounds as one of the Grizzlies' top reserves but had been averaging only 14.5 minutes this season coming off the bench in Memphis. The return of forward Darrell Arthur from an early-season injury diminished Speights' minutes even further. Arthur, in his fourth year out of Kansas, has averaged 7.9 points and 3.9 rebounds in 20.4 minutes in 12 games this month.
"Marreese will strengthen our front court, while Wayne and Josh will add depth to our back court," Cleveland general manager Chris Grant said in a statement. "At the same time, we are adding a valuable asset with another future first round pick, while also maintaining our future flexibility."
The Cavaliers also waived Jeremy Pargo to create room for the trade.
Selby had played in just 10 of the Grizzlies' games this season, averaging 2.2 points in 5.9 minutes during mop-up time. The second-year pro from KU averaged 22.0 points, 7.0 assists and 6.5 rebounds in 34.0 minutes when he was assigned to the D-League for two games in late December.
Julian Wright talks about his first ring (an NBDL title) and also says he's confident he can play in the NBA June 12, 2012
Legends of the Phog postgame presser, pt. 4 September 24, 2011
Legends of the Phog postgame presser, pt. 3 September 24, 2011
Legends of the Phog postgame presser, pt. 2 September 24, 2011
Legends of the Phog postgame presser, pt. 1 September 24, 2011
Comments
Hawk90 3 months, 3 weeks ago
I'm still upset the Josh jumped after 1 year. Look at B Mac, gets one year of practice only. Goes from a 4 star high school recruit to top 5 projected pick.
CaliHawk33 3 months, 3 weeks ago
ya, that was a terrible decision by Josh. With another year he would have been a lottery pick - and would have an actual role on an NBA team (not to mention a longer pro career- and MILLIONS more $$). Instead he's going to be border line NBA/D-Leaguer/possible Euro player. That move to jump right away was so stupid I can't believe. One extra year in college and your family and kids don't have to work again, instead he took a bird in the bush, he woulda had two birds in the hand if he stayed.
Hawk90 3 months, 3 weeks ago
These high school kids need to see that unless your name is Carmelo, Durant, or Kyrie Irving, being a one isn't the right choice.
mpann1818 3 months, 3 weeks ago
No guarantees
drgnslayr 3 months, 3 weeks ago
You can bet no one is more upset about it than Josh.
I don't care what anyone says in here... BMac should stay one more year and round out his game. Basketball is more than a highlight film and BMACulate needs to take his time in college (while enjoying his life) and round out his game.
kuilander 3 months, 3 weeks ago
couldnt disagree more. bmac needs to go as long as hes a projected lottery pick, period.
HottRod 3 months, 3 weeks ago
If McLemore had played last year and had NBA draft value he would have left too. These kids strike while the iron is hot. I think 99% of people given the choice would take a guaranteed million(s) dollar paycheck over a college career, its probably the best decision a college athlete can make. Hopefully the Cavs work out for Selby, I had high hopes for him coming out of high school.
CaliHawk33 3 months, 3 weeks ago
You make that decision as a guaranteed first rounder... Not as a late 2nd rounder making less than $800,000 a year. If he would have taken out an insurance policy and gotten hurt he would have ZERO risk. Not a smart move. A lottery player or first rounder, yes you take the money. A probable 2 year NBA career, and now will be lucky to receive a Qualifying Offer in his 3rd year- likely league minimum/free agent, not a good decision. Beyond my allegiance to KU this was a terrible decision. I said it the day he declared and still feel the exact same way.
CheckTheStats 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Tyshawn stayed 4 years and he is in the same position. He had late 1st round projections and so did Selby, but Selby slipped further than expected because doctors flagged his knee during the process. $800,000 a year isn't something to sneeze at for a 21yr old. Who's to say it is a bad decision to take the money and go when you are on the NBA radar for averaging 7 ppg? Its a bigger risk for him to have come back to KU and not live up to lofty expectations as a #1 recruit while splitting minutes with Tyshawn and EJ.
drgnslayr 3 months, 3 weeks ago
$800k ends up being nothing after taxes, handlers, and living expenses for a year. Endorsements make the difference and those kick in with high exposure.
Typically... players in this range end up in huge debt and bankruptcy because family members and entourage all think $800k is big. These guys always go right out and buy new cars and homes for their moms. Then they have to get a place for themselves, usually in a big city.
addlime 3 months, 3 weeks ago
I don't understand your logic. Tyshawn was not a 5 star, top five, hs recruit that would have been drafted at all after one year. He developed through four years to become a second round draft pick. Selby played 2/3 of a season and didn't develop at all. You're comparing apples to oranges. Selby wasn't ready and he's lost millions possibly because of his move. Bmac has two years of development and I suspect his nba career trajectory will be much different than that of Selby.
eku757 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Felt the same way about Josh leaving way too early.. Where is Julian Wright? X, and others? A few million, minus agent fee and taxes. That will give you $20,000-$30,000 a year not touching the principal to live a 50 year life on. Most will be broke by age 30.
mgolany 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Yea bust unfortunetly! Should have stayed he would have been on a championship team but the money talks to these guys. Hope they are smart and don't blow it all but it's looking like Josh will be out of the league soon.
KU_alum_2001 3 months, 3 weeks ago
First off, like most of you, I disagreed with Josh leaving. However, many of the comments on this board are either just irrelevant, ignorant, or naive. Within the first three posts, I see people saying 'unless you're Kyrie Irving...' or 'look at Julian Wright...'. Let's get something straight. Selby was just as highly regarded as Irving coming into college. Irving had no guarantee he'd make it in the NBA. Nobody does. We've seen plenty of flameouts. Josh clearly didn't put up the numbers that Irving did but he also wasn't the focus of the offense the way Irving was. Selby was turned into a role player and left that way.
And don't beat up on Julian Wright whom left after his sophomore year. Hell, Cole left after his junior year. How's he doing? Are we going to sit here and say that every guy that leaves early and doesn't succeed made a mistake? For some of these guys, it's a business decision. Cole left because his draft value had peaked. The same with TRob. They weren't going to be drafted higher by staying another year. The same might be true for Wright. He left because he saw his value as having peaked. We can't say that we knew Carmelo would be an All-Star after his freshman year but that J Wright would be out of the league after his sophomore year.
Third, Selby is a Jayhawk. When he hit the game winner over USC, you cheered him. Now so many of you turn on him because he didn't stick around to entertain YOU for another year. He made his bed. Support him as a fellow Jayhawk. The same goes for Xavier.
We have no idea what would or wouldn't have happened to Josh had he stayed. He's clearly talented. That doesn't mean it would have been demonstrated or that he would have fit into Self's system. Who knows? There's no crystal ball.
Fifth, as HottRod said, this is a system where kids come in and make millions for the university and get little for it in return. Some of these guys come from backgrounds of pure poverty. How dare we judge them for wanting to live a dream they never thought possible a year earlier than WE think appropriate.
Sixth, championship team, mgolany? Uhhhhmmm... they lost to UK. There was no championship. Don't speak of hypotheticals as if everything would have been the same except for the final score of the final game of the season if Josh had stayed. That's absurd. Ask Sullinger or Harrison Barnes how that worked out for them.
Finally, don't compare him to BMac and say "there's your proof." BMac is clearly a superior athlete (Self even says he's the best athlete he's ever had), is tall, is older (despite being a "freshman"), and may not be here today had he been eligible last year. You cannot simply make that kind of irrelevant statement and call it fact.
Selby, I think it was a mistake for you to leave early but I sure as hell pull for you to make it everyday, and I hope the Cavs give you a chance to prove yourself. Good luck and Rock Chalk. The same for you, X.
CheckTheStats 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Well said!!!!
You can say the same for other guys like TRob who everybody was sure would star in the NBA on a young team like Sacramento and he hasnt been given nearly as many opportunities as an idiot like Cousins has to show his talent. In fact he is just another guy on the bench.
Josh Selby barely played in Memphis because their coach has veterans he goes to before he trusts young players. Look at what happened to Xavier when he went there. Not the right environment for developing young kids. Everytime Josh was away from Memphis in the D-League he puts up impressive numbers in each stint and in the Vegas summer league he was co-MVP with Lillard, who is going to win Rookie of the Year this season. I still say just give the kid time to find his role and he may last in the NBA.
Everyone should stop criticizing these kids for taking their talent and making a profit and career off of it in the NBA or overseas. Its more of a sign of a great basketball program to rattle off names of guys who played at KU now in the pros compared to any other Big 12 program. K-State only wishes they could name someone other than Beasley in the NBA right now. Julian Wright is surely making a very good salary playing in Israel. He's earned more than most of the members of the class of 07 have earned so far by a wide margin counting his previous NBA salary. Former players from Roy's days arent doing too bad for themselves either.
kranny 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Agree. This is America the land of opportunity and if it knocks you'd better answer. I feel that most people who post on here against leaving early are speaking selfishly and simply wanted to them to stick around to help KU get a championship. I'd bet that if there was no "one-year" rule, these OAD kids would be going league anyway and would probably end up with same amount of playing time.
Kirk 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Yeah, people are dissing Selby so hard by suggesting that if he'd stayed, he would have learned a lot more about basketball and improved his stock.
Oh and yeah Selby is reading this. Yah.
addlime 3 months, 3 weeks ago
I agree with most of what you said but you're wrong about Irving. Irving proved himself elite at the college level. Selby showed flashes of greatness, but never really did. That's why irving went early and is successful and Selby fell and is now struggling. I am with you, though, Selby is young and I will continue to pull for him.
jhawkrulz 3 months, 3 weeks ago
If I could have got my "NBA" in a year, I would have. Instead I had to settle for an Accounting, Business Administration, and a MBA in five. I graduated about 15 years ago, and in his two years, he has made about as much me. And I would guess more than most people that have posted on this site.
The problem isn't the kids leaving early, the problem is the way they structured the NBA Labor Agreement. I'd love to see the NCAA actually do something about it, they are the only organization that has the capability to change the system.
drgnslayr 3 months, 3 weeks ago
There is a 30-for-30 covering the financial problems these kids get in to and everyone in here needs to watch it before commenting in here.
These kids have no experience dealing with money. $800k a year sounds like a fortune... until all the taxes and handlers are paid. Everyone in the family (or distant wannabe family) all lines up for a new car or house. Momma comes first.
It is rare to find one of these kids not in total debt and on course for bankruptcy... even if they continue to play because their issues with money just get magnified by the continuance of staying in the league.
These kids need to stay in school and grow up, and in the process, make some quality friends to help for the challenge ahead.
And no one talks about what a disjointed lifestyle it is playing in the pros. Seasons are long and life is out of a suitcase and living in hotels. If you interview any of these freshmen they will tell you how homesick they are at KU (early on). What do you think happens when they join up in the big boys league?
Life moves too fast for these kids and they need to stay in school. Period!
jhawkrulz 3 months, 3 weeks ago
So if they went to school and made $50k a year, they would be smarter with their money?
Traveling occurs with many jobs, I've traveled anywhere from 90% to 10% with my job, and I would guess most people work year round on this site.
I understand the 30/30 saw it. But keep in mind this occurs to people that make 100MM+ in their contracts (e.g. spreewell).
drgnslayr 3 months, 3 weeks ago
No guarantee of that... I know I was smarter with my money leaving graduate school than when I entered college. For one thing... it was the first time I left my parents and had to budget my money every month.
One thing is for sure... the people around these athletes don't have the same expectations for a pay day if the player gets hurt in college and winds up with a degree and a normal job.
Just look at lottery winners. Most of those lucky ticket winners end up going bankrupt. If you aren't capable of managing money then the worst thing that can happen to you is you fall into a huge pile of it. I know it sounds illogical... but these people get targeted and end up investing poorly and buying huge piles of worthless stuff (which ends up needing more money thrown at it for maintenance and property taxes).
Iverson blew through $165mil! If he had made double that amount, he would have had double the debt.
Conclusion: crazy as it sounds... people who are bad decision-makers with money are much better off working their rears off for $50k a year! History and statistics prove this!
drgnslayr 3 months, 3 weeks ago
I think it's nuts for any of these kids to leave college early. I wouldn't trade any pile of money for the magic life I had in college and the esteem (and qualifications) I left it with. I don't need $165mil to be happy... and neither does anyone else because happiness isn't for sale. You earn happiness, partially from working through struggles.
Throwing a ton of cash on a kid isn't right. Life is an organic process, where things grow healthy at a certain pace and feasting on "steroid money" doesn't do people well in the long run. I'm not saying people can't find happiness and also be wealthy... but in order to get there it typically takes a drawn-out organic process, where the value of a dollar is learned, along with other character-building experiences.
These are just my beliefs... and I totally understand if you don't agree with me. Few people agree about issues relating to money and happiness. Everyone experiences different things that help form their beliefs.
jaybate 3 months, 3 weeks ago
This discussion is going the way most of them go.
Money vs. development.
I have always sided with the money now argument because I think injury is such a great risk.
But slayr's argument that these young players that jump early tend to have serious money management problems has changed my mind. I did not know that a lot of them wound up near bankruptcy; that right there is all the argument one needs to stay a couple of years and develop your mind and your game. If staying awhile will help them hang on to what they make and avoid sharks, then that off sets the injury risk to me. Or at the very least makes it a risk worth taking.
Still, I understand hawkrulz POV here, because it has been mine until just now.
jhawkrulz 3 months, 3 weeks ago
I should say that I wish they all would stay, but I understand why they leave.
Remember that Dragon's perspective is if they stay 4 years and go make money they will most likely go bankrupt as well. So whether they have 1 or 4 years of college a very high percentage of basketball (and football for that matter) end up bankrupt.
I guess I always get bugged by people that hate Josh Selby because he made a hard decision. Some of us would question, but here is a kid that dreamed his entire life to become an NBA player, and his dream was within grasp. How often have we all been that close to something that we wanted and just didn't get to fulfill it. In this case he did fulfill it.
PikesPeakSmitty 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Haven't a few projected top 3 picks stayed in school in the past? Seems like someone did it at UNC. In other words, do we have any hope for 1 more year with Bmac? He seem to be having a great time.
nostradavid 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Enjoy the Lawrence lifestyle while you can, kids. You'll have to work for a long, long time after you move on. Stick around and be The #1 pick in the draft if you're good enough. It worked for Danny.
jross1972 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Slayer: RE: "I don't care what anyone says in here... BMac should stay one more year and round out his game. Basketball is more than a highlight film and BMACulate needs to take his time in college (while enjoying his life) and round out his game."
Do not forget that BMac, though he will have only one year playing experience by the time he is drafted, was actually on campus and competing for TWO years. Not the normal one-and-done situation. That's twice the instruction most OADs receive. An extra year will not help him improve his stock.
No. No, it won't.
jross1972 3 months, 3 weeks ago
For SOME here there is a tension between our selfish desire as fans to have kids stay, and the inevitable conclusion that many of these kids reach; namely, that it's in their best interest to leave. It's obvious to at least me that some arguments highlight other "merits" of staying, when the truth is that we just don't want to give them up. We need to.
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