Sixers deal Marreese Speights
According to a league source, the Sixers will trade forward Marreese Speights today to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Sixers deal Marreese Speights
Bob Cooney
UPDATED: The three-team trade is official.
Here are reactions from those involved:
Marreese Speights: "I feel real good about it. I got a fresh start so just get back on the ground and be prepared to play. I know they’re (Memphis) a lot like us. They have a good coach in coach (Lionel) Hollins. I know them a little, they have coach (Henry) Bibby, who used to coach here a little bit.
Speights on what it will be like going to a new team: "I really don’t know. This is my fourth year in the league and I’ve been with the same core of guys, so it’s going to be hard to leave them, but it’s a job and I’m going to a new situation."
Doug Collins: "Any time you make a trade, for me as a coach, it’s a tough thing. I probably invested as much time and energy in Mo as any player. When I took over the job, myself and Michael Curry, we just really tried to connect and try to get the best of him because we know how talented he is. For whatever reason I just wasn’t able to get the best (out of him).
"He is incredibly talented. I want Mo to go to Memphis and I want him to play great there. I want them to sign him to a contract and I want him to do well and he knows that. Hopefully this will be a new start for him. I feel badly that I couldn’t get the best out of him. I think its fair to him to be able to go and get a new start.
"Hopefully he’ll get into the rotation. He’s going to a great spot, a playoff team. I feel good in that we piut him in a good position and I hope he does well."
Rod Thorn: “We wish Marreese all the best as he starts a new chapter in his career with Memphis. This trade will give us additional assets moving forward, including a trade exception, which will help us as we look to continue to improve our team.”
FROM EARLIER
NEW ORLEANS -- Sixers forward Marreese Speights will be traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team deal that would bring the Sixers a pair of second-round draft picks, a league source told the Daily News.
The deal has to be approved by the league, the source said, with a conference call likely taking place this afternoon.
The Sixers would trade Speights to the Memphis Grizzlies in return for their second-round draft pick in June's draft, provided it is pick 31-55. That means the Sixers wouldn't get the pick if the Grizzlies finish as one of the top four teams in the league. So it's a pretty safe bet they'll get that pick.
The Sixers would also get New Orleans' second-round pick in 2013 as part of the deal.
New Orleans would get guard Xavier Henry from Memphis. Henry has not appeared in any games this season because of torn ligaments in his ankle.
"I love my time in Philly. Y'all are some good fans I had a great time here. Love y'all. #showyaluv phillynation," Speights tweeted.
Said CEO Adam Aron via Twitter: "He wasn't getting playing time here and we got two draft choices back. We wish him well."
The Grizzlies have been looking for frontcourt depth and are in an even great need after news that Zach Randolph will be out 8 weeks. An MRI showed that he suffered a slight tear of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee when teammate O.J. Mayo fell on him during Sunday's loss to Chicago.
Speights has not seen any action thus far in the Sixers' four games. He played in only 39 games last season, averaging 5.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in 11.5 minutes. In his 3-year career, he is averaging 7.2 points and 3.7 rebounds.
A very good offensive player, Speights has struggled with his defense throughout his career. He was selected as the 16th pick in the draft out of Florida in 2008.
More to come
- Correct...some that come to mind quickly are Lou Williams,Marcus Thornton,Paul Milsap, and Landry Fields...or undrafted free agents like Anthony Morrow, Wes Matthews,and Chris Anderson..That being said, I'd rather have a warm body now, someone physical for the frontline,defensive minded...This was done to clear cap space...Hopefully, more to come.
— bearsfriend - One thing i trust is doug collins ability to evaluate a player, and if doug collins can't get this guy to be productive, then he just flat out cant play. yes, maybe he has a decent offensive game, but he is a slug otherwise.— CosmoK
- He was useless anyway. Has anyone on those Univ of FL teams done anything in the NBA? Even Noah sucks with the Bulls.— AvoidSundanceVacations
- At pick #16, Mo Speights...1st round bust maybe, but lets look at the 2008 draft and see who was drafted after Mo that the Sixers passed on. Ryan Anderson of the Magic is 13th in the league in scoring (19.2ppg). He was drafted by NJNets at #21 but even the Nets gave up on him. JaVale McGee of Washington was 2 picks after Speights and he's 4th in rebounds at 11 rpg (ironically right behind Spencer Hawes). McGee also averages 2.4 blocks per game. Roy Hibbert, taken directly after Mo is 8th in rebs at 9.6 per game (1.6 blocks pg). Other defensive bigs who contribute are DeAndre Jordan (1st in blocks at 3.75), a 2nd round pick, and Serge Ibaka (pick #24) and Luc Mbah a Moute (2nd rounder). No real backcourt talent has emerged from this draft after the Speights pick with the exception of 2nd round pick Mario Chalmers of Miami who is 12th in steals and 1st in 3-pt pt% (lots of open-look 3's in that offense). Maybe Speights was a bust, but so were so many others from that draft. Let's try again with these 2 2nd rounders. They have just as much of a chance of panning out as any late 1st rounder.— Yonkersphilly
- The way I look at it the organization valued the salary cap relief more than trading Speights for another player who could bang and rebound. Do I think they could have gotten more for Speights? Yes. But we have to see what the 76ers do with the cap space and future picks to determine what kind of trade this was.— blah
- I agree with you whole heartedly...howeveer remember the last time we heard that it was ol Eddie Stefanski's first move...the trading away of Kyle Korver(cap relief)...Until these first four games...the Sxers have been incompetent from three ever since that deal...the key is making the right move with the money. — bearsfriend
- two second rd picks??? that's it for a player drafted #16 overall. Sounds like Sixers got too little or (likely) they over valued Speights on draft day.— IrishJoe
- Not much to be concerned about here, other than a waste of a mid first rounder -- given the drafting of Thad, Lou, Jrue, Vuc as mid-first picks, that can be excused. But don't be howlin' when Speights goes to some team that doesn't care about defense as much as Collins does, gets real minutes, and puts up 16 points a game. He has the talent to do that, and someone will let him.— jmk1512
- Sixers are going to Dwight Howard! They have some young players & some extra draft picks to make it happen! Dwight is coming to Philly!— ChangeISNeeded
- trust that another shoe will drop in order to get a tough defensive-minded big. Clearly, Speights was not going to play under Collins this season, although the love shown by some posters for Lavoy Allen is perhaps misplaced as he was a disappointment for Temple. I doubt that Allen will see the floor this season unless there are several injuries. Agree with one poster that Nocioni should be moved as well and then next season exercise the amnesty on Brand and his $18 million.— chuckw
- His contract is up after next season. Wouldn't it be to the teams advantage to trade his expiring contract or just let it run its course here?
- This the NBA draft folks, not the NFL. Huge difference, its very hard to find talent that sticks, a lot of times youre lucky to get a role player, like a Noah who is a good player. Great post yonkersphilly.— peteike
- I really wanted Hibbert in that draft. I didn't think Hibbert would be as good as he is but I did see him as a solid back up center. Speights pretty much turned out just as I thought he would. If you have a tough time being motivated in college when you are young and wanting to make the league why would it change when you are being paid in the NBA?
I also kept hoping the Sixers could have traded Speights to Denver for Faried.— Iron Giant - Why would anyone be unhappy about this? You trade a guy playing ZERO minutes and get two second round picks. Just do it and you get rid of the salary as well and take none in return.— matty177
- Don't take this trade at face value just yet. These picks can be part of a trade package (plus a player or 2) to get someone REALLY GOOD - current player or draft pick - with a more complete game than Mo.— guitarman
Bob Cooney has been at the Daily News for more than 20 years, working in the sports department for the past 15. This is his third season on the Sixers beat. He has covered just about everything, but mostly college basketball, where he was the La Salle beat writer for six seasons. E-mail Bob at cooneyb@phillynews.com and follow him on Twitter.
