http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/grizzlies/article/0,1426,MCA_475_3193680,00.html


Griz boss West says slow offseason not a bad sign
Status of Gasol, Swift remains to be decided

By Ronald Tillery,
Contact
September 19, 2004

Grizzlies president Jerry West remains convinced that his team can continue to make noise despite a relatively quiet offseason.

NBA training camps begin in less than three weeks, and the Griz are expected to prepare for the 2004-05 campaign with a group almost identical to the one that won 50 games last season.

"Our question is still, are we going to be able to rebound enough?" West said. "We think we're going to be a competitive team. There will be a different expectation level here. And there are teams behind us that helped themselves. But I'll tell you that we don't have many bad players on our team."

The Griz are preparing to play in a modern arena without a new center. And while West clearly is ecstatic about FedExForum, he isn't necessarily dwelling on a perceived hole in the Grizzlies' on-court foundation. West conceded that the search for a beefy big man is all but dead.

"It's never completely over. But sometimes you just can't get things done," West said. "We tried very hard to do a trade and we just couldn't get anything done."

That's not to say the Griz will remain inactive before camp begins Oct. 5.

West said he must deal with several unresolved issues in the coming weeks.

As much as the center position has been in the forefront of the Grizzlies' summer dealings, West is now faced with the team's future at power forward.

Pau Gasol recently hired agent Arn Tellem to negotiate a long-term, lucrative contract extension with the Grizzlies. Insiders believe Gasol could receive a six-year deal worth the maximum amount allowed, but no less than $70 million.
"We've started negotiating with him, and we've made him a very hefty offer," West said. "I do anticipate that it will be done sooner than later."

Teams have until Oct. 29 to extend first-round picks from Gasol's draft class of 2001. West said the Grizzlies have no desire to play hardball with Gasol.

Gasol is under contract for the coming season, and would become a restricted free agent next summer if he doesn't agree to an extension before November.

Stromile Swift, meanwhile, appears ready to voluntarily take a similar route.

The Grizzlies have offered Swift, a restricted free agent, several deals. Swift and his agent, Mason Ashe, haven't agreed to those terms apparently because of multiple incentive clauses.

"I'm going to talk to his people again (this week)," West said, "but it would not surprise me if he would sign his one-year tender and become (an unrestricted) free agent next summer."

Asked if Swift would be in a Grizzly uniform this season, West replied: "Yes. Absolutely," before adding the team had no desire to trade Swift. In the same vein, West scoffed at the notion that the Griz made a mistake by matching Cleveland's ante for restricted free agent Jake Tsakalidis. The 7-2 center re-signed with the Griz for three years and nearly $9 million.

"We have no size," West said. "And I'd say that Jake helped us in a bunch of games last year. To me, it was a no-brainer."

West said he isn't worried about the possibility that Griz will have 17 players under contract when training camp starts. NBA rules prohibit teams from employing more than 15 players during the season.

"Those things take care of themselves," West said. "We'll keep the best 15 players. We're trying to get as many assets as we can."

-- Ronald Tillery: 529-2353


[Edited by - Bonn1997 on 09/19/2004 19:41:07]

Sounds like Swift won't stay in Memphis after this coming season.

Posted by crzymdups:

Posted by MaTT4281:

Sounds like Swift won't stay in Memphis after this coming season.

If he signs the one year tender offer, the Grizzlies cannot trade him, unless it's a sign and trade after July 1, 2005.

All I meant was, it sounds like he will stay there for the 1 year, but he will end up signing somewhere else after the year.

Posted by MaTT4281:


All I meant was, it sounds like he will stay there for the 1 year, but he will end up signing somewhere else after the year.

Yeah, I know, I wasn't trying to disagree. I should have added that Jerry is probably trying like hell to trade him. I bet he was trying that Curry trade all summer. But I didn't want to add that because I didn't want to see a bunch of 'how we can trade Shandon for Swift' threads popping up.

Does anyone know if there's a deadline for sign and trades? Is it before camp?

Also, I think if the Grizzlies don't make any changes, they may miss the playoffs...

Yeah, Jerry is an idiot! The dude is clueless!

Posted by Bonn1997:

Jerry is probably trying like hell to trade him.

He should be trying like hell to sign him to a long-term contract. When you have a young kid with that much ability, you've gotta keep him on your team. And once/if he signs him to a long-term contract, he should give him more minutes and Lorenzen Wright fewer minutes

[Edited by - Bonn1997 on 09/19/2004 20:16:34]

Wasn't the point of the article that he'd already tried that all summer and that the sides were light years apart? And that Swift would be taking the one-year qualifier which makes him a lock to leave in Free Agency, with the Grizzlies getting nothing? Wouldn't that make you want to trade him? He obviously doesn't want to be in Memphis.

Not all players are worth keeping. Sometimes you let players go for nothing. They got Brian Cardinal for nothing. Let swift go and let his salary fall off. Swift is athletic, but average in a lot of ways. He did not have a break out season and they might not think all that much of him. They may just yet try to trade him.

They let the market judge his worth. Face it, The grizz said they would match, but were never tested for it. Nor was any team else willing to step up and even make an offer, or try (at least publically) initiate a sign and trade.

West has done a great job with that team in two years. HE does not have Isiahs unrestrcited budget.