NBA Trade Rumors: Mike Conley Could Be On Trade Block As Grizzlies Talk To Miami Heat
The NBA trade rumors are moving into hyper speed just one day before the NBA trade deadline, including new reports that Memphis Grizzlies star Mike Conley may be on the block.
There had been whispers around the league that the Grizzlies were willing to shop their point guard, and on Wednesday, the Detroit Pistons were identified as a potential landing spot. The report first came from HoopsCritic, claiming that the teams were in discussions on a deal.
Sources tell https://t.co/aPhi5p6MSL that Memphis and Detroit are discussing a deal centered around Mike Conley Jr….
— Brian Geltzeiler (@BGeltzNBA) February 17, 2016
Those rumors didn’t last long, however. Within a few hours, several reports emerged that the two teams were not in any discussions on Mike Conley. As SB Nation noted, the trade would not make sense in light of Detroit’s recent deal with the Orlando Magic.
“It had scarcely been a rumor by the time the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic agreed to a trade of Tobias Harris for Brandon Jennings and Ersan Illyasova. Now, the Pistons are rumored to be in discussions with the Memphis Grizzlies for point guard Mike Conley.
“Wait, what?
“Yeah, it makes almost no sense.”
NBA Trade Rumors: Pistons, Grizzlies talk Mike Conley trade; rumor almost immediately denied https://t.co/ULIsVSMHwV pic.twitter.com/ttzclLQBxc
— Detroit Bad Boys ? (@detroitbadboys) February 17, 2016
But the Detroit Pistons were not the only team rumored to be interested in Mike Conley. ESPN’s Dan Le Batard reported that the Miami Heat are also looking into Conley, and at the same time are considering a deal for Dwight Howard.
It’s not clear how related the two potential trades may be, but the Heat are in a bit of a holding pattern over Dwight Howard. Chris Bosh recently went down with a potential blood clot in his calf, and details on the severity of the injury are still coming to light. It could be serious enough to bring Bosh’s season to an end, and if that’s the case then the Heat wouldn’t be too interested in leveraging some of their young assets to land Dwight Howard for what might otherwise be a lost season.
Report: Heat question potential trade target Dwight Howard’s character and fit https://t.co/0tNsSueFDY
— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) February 17, 2016
There could also be some stiff competition for Dwight Howard. There are about half a dozen teams with some level of interest, and the Houston Rockets appear to be increasingly aggressive in shopping him.
As Fansided pointed out, Mike Conley could make more sense for Miami and would be an upgrade over their current point guard, Goran Dragic.
“Conley is averaging 15 points and six assists this season. Statistically, adding a player like Conley wouldn’t be THAT much of an upgrade over Goran Dragic for the Heat. Though, it would make a whole lot more sense.
“Considering that Dragic simply hasn’t fit perfectly next to Dwyane Wade during the last year, it could be in the best interest of the team to at the very least entertain such offers.
If any of the NBA trade rumors regarding Mike Conley pan out, it appears that he would be something of a rental for the team acquiring him. Last week, a separate rumor claimed that Conley was interested in signing with the Brooklyn Nets when he becomes a free agent this summer.
The Nets are shaping up to be a buyer this summer, with Joe Johnson and his $24.9 million contract expiring.
There isn’t much more time for the NBA trade rumors to pan out. The trade deadline is Thursday afternoon, so if the Memphis Grizzlies want to move Mike Conley, they will need to move quickly.
[Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images]
