Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies announced Thursday they fired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and reassigned general manager Chris Wallace and vice president of basketball operations John Hollinger within the organization Thursday. 

"In order to put our team on the path to sustainable success, it was necessary to change our approach to basketball operations," owner Robert J. Pera said in a statement. "I look forward to a reenergized front office and fresh approach to Memphis Grizzlies basketball under new leadership, while retaining the identity and values that have distinguished our team.

"I want to thank Chris and John for their long-term service and dedication to the Memphis Grizzlies and for their considerable contributions to our past successes, and look forward to their contributions to our future ones. I also want to thank J.B. for his leadership and commitment to our organization in his time as our coach."

Per the team's release, Wallace will take on a scouting role with the Grizzlies, while Hollinger will take a "senior advisory" role.

Bickerstaff, 40, went 48-97 as the Grizzlies' head coach after taking over for David Fizdale 19 games into the 2017-18 season. 

Wallace conducted exit interviews with reporters earlier Thursday and said Bickerstaff would be retained. He seemed to be under the impression he would return next season as well. Bickerstaff also handled player exit interviews for the team before being fired, per Shams Charania of The Vertical. 

The organizational upheaval represents a recognition from the ownership group that it's time to rebuild. Memphis, which entered the 2018-19 straddling the rebuild/playoff push line, began the process in February by shipping Marc Gasol to the Toronto Raptors. 

It's likely longtime point guard Mike Conley will follow him out the door over the summer. Conley admitted to reporters Thursday at exit interviews that he has no interest in being part of a rebuild.

"I want to win a championship, number one," Conley said. "I love (Jaren Jackson Jr.) I've done a lot of that, been a part of it. At some point, you have to pass that torch."

Conley has two years and $67 million remaining on his five-year, $152.6 million contract he signed before the 2016-17 season. His high cap number will limit his number of suitors, but enough teams have max-level cap space available that the Grizzlies should be able to find a taker once free agency settles.

No Grizzlies coach has lasted five full seasons in franchise history. Their next coach will be the 15th (including interim) coach to lead the franchise since its inception in 1995. 

Wallace has been with the Grizzlies since 2007 but seen his role change on multiple occasions. This is the second time he's served as the team's general manager, taking over the role in 2014. Hollinger, who joined the Grizzlies after a long stint at ESPN as an analytics guru, had no experience running a basketball organization before being hired. 

Entering an offseason of uncertainty, Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley doesn't want to be part of another long-term rebuilding effort. 

Per The Athletic's Omari Sankofa II, Conley explained what his goals are as he prepares for the 2019-20 season. 

"I want to win a championship, No. 1," he said. "I love Jaren Jackson Jr. I've done a lot of that, been a part of it. At some point you have to pass that torch."

Conley was the subject of trade speculation before the Feb. 7 deadline, but the Grizzlies hung on to him for the entire season. 

With one more guaranteed year left on Conley's contract, his future figures to be a hot topic of discussion this summer. The Grizzlies seem likely to move on from their all-time leading scorer after they went 33-49 in 2018-19. He's due to make $32.5 million next season, per Spotrac.

Jaren Jackson Jr. will likely be Memphis' centerpiece after he averaged 13.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 58 games as a rookie. The team's first-round pick this year is top-eight protected; otherwise it will go to the Boston Celtics from a three-team trade in 2015 that included the New Orleans Pelicans. 

Conley, 31, is coming off one of his best seasons. The Arkansas native averaged 21.1 points and 6.4 assists per game and shot 36.4 percent from three-point range. 

The Memphis Grizzlies improved by 11 wins from 2017-18 to 2018-19 and will keep head coach J.B. Bickerstaff as a result.

General manager Chris Wallace told reporters at his exit interview as much, saying, "Yes we do," when asked if the team plans to retain Bickerstaff. "We think J.B. and his staff did a terrific job."

According to Omari Sankofa II of The Athletic, Wallace said the goal is to be competitive in 2019-20, and the team has "no buyer's regret" regarding Bickerstaff.

Memphis fired David Fizdale following a 7-12 start in 2017-18 and gave Bickerstaff the reins. While the coach went just 15-48 the rest of the way, Mike Conley was out with injury as the team's go-to option, primary ball-handler and facilitator. He was largely healthy in 2018-19, and the Grizzlies improved to 33-49.

Bickerstaff was an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets before his time with Memphis and earned the interim head coaching position with Houston in 2015-16 after Kevin McHale was fired. He went 37-34 in that role and lost in the first round of the playoffs.

This season's Grizzlies traded Marc Gasol and were not stacked with talent in the loaded Western Conference. Still, they were apparently competitive enough for stretches to convince the front office to keep the head coach in place.

Conley is under contract for next season, and there is a young building block in Jaren Jackson Jr. Memphis selected Jackson with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 draft, and he averaged 13.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per night in 58 games.

With a healthy Jackson, Conley running the show and continuity with Bickerstaff, the Grizzlies will look to compete for a playoff spot in 2019-20.

The Memphis Grizzlies are reportedly set to sign center Tyler Zeller for the remainder of the 2018-19 season.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Grizzlies are waiving guard Dusty Hannahs to make room for Zeller.

The 29-year-old Zeller signed a 10-day contract with the Atlanta Hawks this season and appeared in two games, but he has not been on a roster since that contract expired in March.

Zeller is a well-traveled journeyman who is set to join his sixth NBA team in seven seasons. The Dallas Mavericks selected him with the No. 17 pick in the 2012 draft out of North Carolina and flipped him to the Cleveland Cavaliers on draft night.

After a two-year stint with the Cavs, Zeller played for the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Hawks.

His best season by far came in 2014-15 with the Celtics, when he averaged career highs across the board with 10.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 21.1 minutes per game. Since that season, Zeller has primarily been a bench player.

With Jonas Valanciunas out for the remainder of the season and Joakim Noah nursing a knee injury, Zeller has an opportunity to log big minutes at center along with Ivan Rabb over the final four games of the season.

Even though the 31-47 Grizzlies are well out of playoff contention and have little to play for down the stretch, the games will be meaningful for Zeller since they could make or break his NBA future.

Memphis Grizzlies center Jonas Valanciunas suffered yet another injury and will miss the rest of the season.

According to Michael Wallace of the team's official website, Valanciunas suffered a Grade 2 ankle sprain during Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. The big man will not need surgery but will sit out the team's final five games.

The 26-year-old also suffered a thumb injury that required surgery and a cast earlier this season and will play a total of 49 games in 2018-19.

While recovering from the ailment, Valanciunas was dealt from the Toronto Raptors to Memphis along with Delon Wright, CJ Miles and a second-round pick for center Marc Gasol.

When healthy, Valanciunas has been productive this season, averaging 19.9 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks a night in 19 games for the Grizzlies.

Toronto selected Valanciunas with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft, and he became an instant starter in the frontcourt.

The Lithuania native has been a consistent double-double threat since entering the league and a decent scorer who is usually in the area of around 12 points per game.

His role changed a bit this season, though, with Pascal Siakam entering the starting lineup alongside Serge Ibaka in Toronto.

Valanciunas rarely came off the bench during his first six seasons, but that was primarily his sweet spot this season before getting traded to Memphis.

With the Grizzlies, Valanciunas has taken on a greater role since he is essentially serving as Gasol's replacement for the remainder of the season.

Look for Ivan Rabb to see more time in the frontcourt following this injury.

Memphis' immediate depth will take a hit, but since the Grizzlies seem to be looking ahead to next season and beyond, it won't have much of an impact on them from a big-picture perspective.

Every once in a while, Mike Conley will look up, thinking he has spotted a figure from his not-too-distant past inside the Memphis Grizzlies' locker room.

"I'll just see somebody walking in and I'm not really looking at who it is, and I swear it's Tony [Allen]," Conley said. "Or I swear it's Zach [Randolph] moving real slow, going through the locker room, and it'll be like Bruno Caboclo or somebody like that instead."

Oh, OK. Never mind, Conley tells himself as he refocuses on the present and the players that are around him: Kyle Anderson. Jaren Jackson Jr. Tyler Dorsey. Dillon Brooks. There's also a sprinkling of veterans who have arrived via trade or free agency. All are trying to build some sense of cohesion, quality quarter by quality quarter, to build confidence, but Conley is the last of the Grit 'n' Grind Grizzlies—the lovable, rugged squad that he helped guide to the playoffs seven consecutive times from 2010-11 through 2016-17.

Allen last played for New Orleans in 2017. Randolph signed with the Kings as a free agent in 2017, fell out of their rotation and was eventually traded to the Mavericks, who waived him last month. And after a promising 15-9 start to this season unraveled, the Grizzlies shipped Marc Gasol to Toronto for Jonas Valanciunas, CJ Miles and Delon Wright as well as a 2024 second-round pick.

Conley remains. He's started all but six games this season after missing most of last season with Achilles and heel injuries. And despite the new cast around him, he's directed the Grizzlies to a 8-12 mark since the trade deadline. That wasn't enough to get them back into the playoff race, but it was enough to cobble together some hope for a team that looked to be careening deep into the draft lottery. 

"He doesn't waver because of outside circumstances," Grizzlies head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "Wins, losses, Mike is still the same human being and treats everybody the same no matter what. He gets pissed off and he gets upset, but that doesn't change who he is or how he treats people."

He'll tell his younger teammates that today matters and to worry about tomorrow when the day arrives. He'll see a challenge in his rookie teammate Jevon Carter, a second-round selection from West Virginia, and try to match his energy because "I'm trying to make sure that I'm competing at that level that I know that he's going to compete at."

It's the mentality he's carried since he arrived in the NBA a dozen years ago. Every drill, every practice, every game counted for a young point guard vying for minutes and respectability.

"Nothing was ever easy coming out of college for me," Conley said. "There was competition at the point guard position for my first five years in the league. Every year, we'd draft a point guard, and I was always having to fight for every minute I got on the court. So, every day was important to me."

It's becoming a rarity for NBA players to carve out long careers with one franchise. Players are looking at free agency years in advance. Teams are more apt to trade centerpieces soon after they sign long-term contracts, like the Clippers did with Blake Griffin. Conley, 31, has spent almost 12 seasons in Memphis, which stands as the NBA's third-longest active streak, trailing only Udonis Haslem's tenure in Miami and Dirk Nowitzki's in Dallas.

That the streak has continued this season surprised many, not least of all Conley himself.

---

The night before the Feb. 7 trade deadline, Conley tried to remain calm during what many around the NBA assumed would be his final hours with the Grizzlies. I don't feel any stress, Conley told himself. I'm good. I'm just going to go lay down and go to sleep. Instead, he spent the night sleepless and continually checked his phone.

"Like somebody's going to call me to say, 'Oh, you've just been traded,' at 4 in the morning," he said. "I couldn't control that and I still couldn't turn my mind off."

He eventually found out he was staying. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies sent Gasol north of the border and packaged JaMychal Green and Garrett Temple in a deal to the Clippers for Avery Bradley. While his teammates were headed to chase playoff berths, Conley had a game to play that night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, playing for a team that likely won't be in the playoffs anytime soon.

Conley thought relief would wash over him once he found out the deadline had passed. He felt some comfort, but also something else.

"It's like an empty feeling," Conley said. "A weird feeling, like, So, now what? That kind of feeling. What am I supposed to think? What am I supposed to do going forward? You really do feel like for a split-second that everybody you know is gone. The whole team that you started the year with is gone. All the guys that you're used to playing with are gone. Not saying that you don't love the guys that we brought in. I love every one of them, like Avery [Bradley], and all those guys we brought in have been fantastic and I love the team we have, but there's just a weird feeling knowing that all my guys are gone. Where do I go from here?"

So he went back to work, as he's always done in Memphis. And though the Grizzlies lost to OKC that night, Conley has played on, steadily taking on more and more since the trade deadline. In March, he even earned Western Conference Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career.

The trade deadline may have passed, but that doesn't mean Conley has picked right back up where he was with the franchise. He is in Memphis for now, but he's had to become comfortable with the idea of being traded from a city he has spent more than a decade in, one he loves and one in which the community embraces him. Still, the possibility of being traded looms large over the approaching summer.

"In this day and age in the NBA, talent moves around so much that it's almost like there's no value to that identity that you have with the city," said Mike Conley Sr., Conley's father and agent. "So that part is tough, but that's part of the business now.

"So, if the Grizzlies are in a rebuild, Mike can't be around for that. It's unfair to put him in that situation. He's given too much to the program and to the city for him to have to be put through that. So, I hope whatever they end up doing, they do the right thing by him."

When his son arrived in Memphis as a rookie, Conley Sr. recalled the organization had no identity or playoff series wins.

"There was nobody in the stands, and they didn't believe in Grizzlies basketball. Then for the team [to take] the culture of the city, and they felt that those players were extensions of themselves, it was just remarkable to watch the community rally behind them," Conley Sr. said. "Zach Randolph and Tony Allen and Marc, they'll always be beloved in the city because the city felt that they were a part of them.

"Michael has done the same. He's the least imposing of the crew, but he'll sacrifice his body for the team and for the city. When he broke his face and was laid up in the hospital and then shows up on the court to help the team win, that was appreciated by the city, and I know he appreciated them."

That injury personified those Grizzlies teams. Conley sustained three fractures in his face after inadvertently colliding with CJ McCollum's elbow during Memphis' first-round playoff win over Portland in 2015. He returned in Game 2 of the second round against Golden State with a face mask and estimates he played at only about 75 percent of full strength.

"It just so happens it was too much stress on the body coming off of surgery and just not getting any rest and losing weight, not eating and all the things that's just kind of hard to recover fully from in that little, short period of time," Conley recalled. "Had we not had that injury, history might be different."

Instead, it wasn't enough to stop the then-emerging Warriors, who took the series in six games. Two first-round exits against San Antonio followed before Conley lost last season to Achilles and heel injuries.

"There were a few moments through his tenure with the Grizzlies that you look on and you feel that they didn't capitalize on the moment, all the way from making it to the Western Conference championship and then getting rid of [head coach Lionel Hollins] to having the team that comes back that has a chance and [then] trades ... a couple of other key players ... when they actually had a shot at it, right?" Conley Sr. said. "So...you look back and go, 'Man, those were those times,' and in this league, they don't come around very often. You got to take advantage of them while you can."

---

The faces in the locker room may be mostly different. Conley is the same.

He employs a mental clock for each of his teammates, keeping in mind who needs a touch when and where. Once, that meant knowing when Randolph needed the ball or how to get Gasol going. Now, he watches film of his new teammates, trying to find their rhythms, while keeping in mind that he is now a focal point of the team's offense.

"You have to learn on the fly," Conley said. "For me, I'm out there just trying to figure out who likes the ball where. Where somebody's more comfortable than others. And meanwhile, I try and continually stay aggressive for myself to keep myself engaged in the game so that I don't go four or five minutes without looking at the rim. My role has changed so much that I can't afford to not shoot the ball and not be aggressive because our chances of winning go down a lot if I'm not able to be aggressive."

Rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. added: "He knows the game so well that if you have a question, he can answer it. But even if you don't have a question, you watch what he's doing on the court and you definitely can learn something."

Chris Wallace, the team's general manager, said Conley has arguably been at his best this season and is long overdue for an All-Star nod.

"This is my 12th year here in Memphis," Wallace said. "I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him. The high-level play and leadership that he has been demonstrating throughout his career, we would never have survived [without it]."     

Conley prefers to be in the present, and he is playing that way. The Grizzlies won't make the playoffs, but he's performing as though they're fighting for seeding.

"He's doing it for the person next to him, and for the people in the stands," Conley Sr. said. "I'm more proud of that than anything. That takes character. He's not out there going, 'I better not get injured, or I better not do this.' He's putting it on the line."

It's all he can do...for now.

"If we're going to rebuild or whatever it may be, all that stuff, I can't control," Conley said. "I can't control what direction management wants to go and what team is going to offer trades. ... For my mindset, it's just best to lock in and control what I can. Control my attitude every day when I come on the court, when I'm in the locker room. Not being bitter. Not being upset. Not having any kind of animosity toward the situation that I'm in. I've got to come in and be the leader that I'm normally accustomed to being, having fun every day, competing every day and just being a role model. Being a leader for the younger guys on our team and helping them become the best players that they can be. In the time that I'm here, whether I'm here for the rest of the season only or for the foreseeable future, I've got to be that guy."

But at the age of 31, it would be hard for him to return to the beginning.  

"It's just really late in my career, and I want to have a chance to win," Conley said. "I want to be able to contend and compete or have an opportunity. Whether that's here or anywhere, I'd love to have that opportunity, but I love Memphis. I love being here. I love all of the things we've created and still are creating. But if they're willing to trade me to help force that rebuild, then I am all for competing for championships and other things like that elsewhere."

The well-worn mantra is that the NBA is a business. Conley says it's different in Memphis. But is it different enough to spend what could be the final years of his prime teaching a team how to eventually become the kind of team he once was a part of years ago? 

"You're a part of the city," he said. "You're a part of the community. They embrace you. They love you and you love them back, and that's something that you don't get—that intimate relationship—everywhere you go. That's something that we've never taken for granted being part of the Grizzlies organization. So at the end of the day, it's going to be hard, just like how they had to trade Marc by the deadline. Marc's meant so much to this community and this city, but as far as the team is concerned, the business side of things, it was a move that they had to make. And there are going to be times where those moves happen, and it could be me next.

"That's something that diehard Grizzlies fans and myself, everybody included, will ... have to swallow if that point comes. So, we just try to enjoy the moments you have and the community like we have here in Memphis and know how much that you've meant and how much they've meant to you and [how much they've helped you develop] you into the man that you are today."

      

Jonathan Abrams is a senior writer for B/R Mag. A former staff writer at Grantland and sports reporter at the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Abrams is also the best-selling author of All the Pieces Matter: The Inside Story of The Wire—available right here, right now. Follow him on Twitter: @jpdabrams.

---

Yahoo! Sports' NBA insider Vinnie Goodwill joins Howard Beck to discuss what went wrong in L.A., who, if anyone, poses a threat to the Warriors in the playoffs and if he's leaning Luka or Trae for Rookie of the Year. All that and more on The Full 48.

Memphis Grizzlies rookie forward Jaren Jackson Jr. has suffered a right quad injury and "will be sidelined for the foreseeable future," ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday night.

The Grizzlies returned to action from the All-Star break Friday against the Los Angeles Clippers at FedEx Forum without Jackson, who participated in the Rising Stars Challenge showcasing the league's young stars during All-Star Weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Jackson didn't post gaudy numbers in his only season with the Michigan State Spartans—averaging 10.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game—but his potential was obvious nonetheless. Between his rebounding, defense and shooting—39.6 percent on three-pointers—he fits the profile of the NBA's modern-day big man.

Although the 6'11" Jackson is clearly a work in progress, he's a talented player on a team that has struggled for depth recently. The 19-year-old is an important piece of the Grizzlies' frontcourt.

Jackson has looked promising so far and ahead of schedule in terms of his development by averaging 13.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks through 58 games. He's also shooting 35.9 percent on three-pointers.

Memphis is staking a large part of its future on Jackson and has made it clear by trading away Marc Gasol as well as shopping Mike Conley that a rebuild is on the horizon.

Watching him go down with an injury is the last thing the Grizzlies will have wanted to see, but as Wojnarowski noted, the "organization will be cautious with its young star." At 23-36 heading into play Friday, the team is well out of the Western Conference playoff picture.       

The Memphis Grizzlies do not plan to hold back Chandler Parsons in his return to the team.

"He'll get minutes like everybody else," coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters Thursday. "Because of the layoff, he'll probably have to play through some bumps. But the expectation is for him to contribute and help us win. Those are the guys I'll always play."

Parsons, 30, has not played since Oct. 22. He left the team in January to train and rehab from knee injuries on his own while the Grizzlies explored a potential trade market.

The Grizzlies were unable to find a taker for the $25.1 million he'll be making in 2019-20, so Parsons returned to the team following the deadline. Despite the awkward situation, Parson said neither side holds any ill will toward one another. 

"We all like each other," Parsons said. "It's a little different now with some of these new guys that I haven't seen very often. But coaching staff-wise, it's one of my favorite coaching staffs. Teammates, we have great guys on the team. So I've never had any issues with anybody down here."

The Grizzlies, who have fallen out of playoff contention, traded longtime center Marc Gasol to Toronto at the deadline as part of the beginning of a rebuild. Parsons, who was supposed to be an offensive centerpiece with Gasol and Mike Conley, has seen injuries derail his career and turn him into a distressed asset.

It's unclear how many minutes Parsons will play, but it doesn't make much sense for the Grizzlies to give him heavy minutes. Parsons for his part seems ready to play the role of good teammate. 

"For me, it's always been health," Parsons said. "If I'm healthy, I can play. If I'm not, I'm not very good. I think that's it for me. If I can find ways to stay healthy and stay on the floor, I can find ways to help this team win, make shots, play make and do what I do. But that's up to J.B. I'm just here to help any way I can. I don't care if it's four minutes. I don't care if it's twenty minutes. I don't care if I don't play.

"I just missed my teammates and wanted to be back here."

The Memphis Grizzlies will have Chandler Parsons back in their lineup later this season for the first time since Oct. 22. 

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Grizzlies will integrate Parsons back into their rotation after the All-Star break. ESPN's Tim McMahon passed along a statement from Parsons on his return:

Chandler Parsons will play again Feb. 22 against the Clippers, the Grizzlies’ first game after the All-Star break, giving him practice time to get reacclimated to the team. His comment to ESPN on his return to Memphis: pic.twitter.com/OvFGiKyBHW

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 9, 2019

This comes after ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Jan. 8 that Parsons left the Grizzlies after the two sides were unable to reach an agreement on a plan for him to return to the active roster from injury this season. 

Parsons was a popular trade candidate prior to Thursday's deadline, but the veteran forward wound up staying with the Grizzlies. 

Since signing a four-year, $94.8 million max contract in July 2016, Parsons has appeared in just 73 games as he dealt with knee injuries.

The 30-year-old appeared averaged 5.7 points and 1.3 rebounds in three appearances for the Grizzlies this season before being sidelined once again. The Memphis News' Mark Giannotto reported in October that Parsons' knee had no structural damage but did have built-up fluid.

Parsons was cleared to return near the end of December. However, he told Giannotto that the team was not giving him the opportunity to play.

He was reportedly willing to rehab in the G League but was not given a timetable for when he might return to the active roster. Ultimately, that uncertainty led to the two sides parting ways.

Parsons told Wojnarowski:

"I am extremely disappointed that I didn't get to finish this season alongside my teammates and the Memphis coaching staff. Unfortunately, that option wasn't presented to me.

"The Grizzlies training staff medically cleared me to play 5-on-5 in mid-December, and I have been practicing with the team ever since. I will continue to work out and train until my agent and the team reach a resolution. I am ready to play and committed to getting back on the court."

Per Spotrac, Parsons is making $24.1 million this season and is owed $25.1 million in 2019-20.

With the Grizzlies turning the page on their previous era after trading Marc Gasol to the Toronto Raptors, they are still in need of players who can help them get through this season before potentially making more moves over the summer. 

Parsons' salary would seem to make it difficult to move him, but teams will take big swings if they believe in a player or are looking for salary relief since with his contract expiring after next season.

If Parsons shows he can be an effective player down the stretch for the Grizzlies, it will only help his trade value heading into the offseason. 

The Memphis Grizzlies plan to honor three-time All-Star center Marc Gasol by retiring his number when he wraps up his NBA playing career.

"Marc has been a dedicated teammate, star player and pillar of this team for the past 11 seasons," Grizzlies owner Robert Pera said in a statement on the team's official site Friday. "He plays with a heart and a passion for the game that helped carry this franchise to seven straight playoff appearances, but what Marc has done for this organization is about more than just basketball. He was a part of a core group of players that helped shape the identity of this franchise on and off the court and were embraced by the City of Memphis."

The statement came in the wake of the team's formal announcement that it had traded Gasol to the Toronto Raptors for Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, C.J. Miles and a 2024 second-round draft pick.

While the trade was an emotional blow for the Grizzlies, it likely hastened the inevitable as Gasol can opt out of his contract in the summer. Rather than watching him leave in free agency, Memphis at least got some assets in return for the 34-year-old.

Gasol's name is all over the Grizzlies' record book. According to Basketball Reference, he is first in points (11,684), rebounds (5,942), blocks (1,135) and win shares (77.6). He's also second in assists (2,639) and third in steals (708).

As Pera noted, Gasol was also instrumental in Memphis' seven straight postseason trips between 2011 and 2017. The Grizzlies reached the Western Conference Finals in 2013, with Gasol averaging 17.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in the postseason.

Even though the "Grit and Grind" era didn't result in a title, fans will always remember the time fondly. The franchise has also recognized the significance of that run, retiring the jerseys of Tony Allen (No. 9) and Zach Randolph (No. 50).