On Tuesday night, reports of a potential deal that would send Grizzlies center Marc Gasol to the Hornets heated up, with some combination of wings Malik Monk and/or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist as the chief return piece for Memphis.
But league sources told Sporting News that the Hornets and Grizzlies do not have an agreement in place, and that there is increasing skepticism on both sides that a trade can be brought to bear ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. The Hornets have had interest in Gasol for some time, but a deal has not progressed.
TRADE RUMORS: Raptors made offer for Mike Conley, Marc Gasol
Gasol sat out of Tuesday’s game against Minnesota, fueling speculation that he would be traded by night’s end. Monk played only 14 minutes in Charlotte’s loss to the Clippers, and he was seen leaving the locker room early, before he could speak to reporters. (It's worth noting Monk leaving the locker room before reporters enter is not uncommon.) But both were still on their respective rosters as Tuesday night became Wednesday morning.
Memphis kicked off the NBA’s trade season three weeks ago by telling teams around the league it was willing to part with Gasol and point guard Mike Conley. Each has been a foundation piece for Memphis over the last 12 seasons, helping form the backbone of the Grizzlies’ slow-paced, "Grit'N'Grind" style of play.
The Grizzlies reached the postseason seven straight times during that span, finally finishing in the lottery last season. Memphis is almost certain to miss the playoffs again this year — despite a two-game winning streak, the Grizzlies are 4-17 in their last 21 games.
Charlotte is 26-27 overall, with a front office eager for a playoff berth. But the Hornets are wary of taking on Gasol, who has a player option for next season at $25.5 million, which could be a heavy burden for the nearly capped-out Hornets, unless the Grizzlies were willing to take back some of Charlotte’s bad salaries.
That’s not currently the case, and ultimately, a trade involving Gasol to Charlotte could be torpedoed because of it.