The Memphis Grizzlies are trying to talk tough, saying they’re unafraid to draft Ricky Rubio with the No. 2 pick in the NBA draft, but no one believes them.
Nevertheless, Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace finds himself in a tough spot. He has a volatile owner, Michael Heisley, puffing out his chest, and a player agent, Dan Fegan, threatening to embarrass the franchise should it try to take Rubio.
Apparently, Heisley has been as impatient as ever with Wallace. This ebbs and flows, but league sources say Pau Gasol’s marvelous play in the Los Angeles Lakers’ championship run has Heisley coming down on Wallace all over again for last year’s trade. Of course, Heisley pushed for the lousy Lakers deal, but that’s been lost in the revisionist history.
The Sacramento Kings had been the most likely team to cut a deal with Memphis to move into the second spot to take Rubio, but league sources say the Kings’ motivation to do so has waned. The Kings don’t want to give up Jason Thompson and their fourth pick to get to No. 2, especially considering there’s a chance Rubio could drop to Sacramento anyway. Fegan has no issues with Rubio in Oklahoma City or Sacramento, but he’ll be difficult if the point guard ends up in Memphis.
Minnesota’s offer of a package that includes Kevin Love and a first-round pick intrigues Wallace too, sources say.
Wallace is enamored with University of Memphis freshman Tyreke Evans but thinks he could move down and still draft him. Nothing happens in this draft until the Grizzlies make a decision; then the dominos will start to fall.
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