Grizzlies Owner Cuts Scouting Staff From Five to Nothing

Posted Aug 02, 2009 9:15AM By Tom Ziller (RSS feed)

Of all teams in need of a good scouting staff, the Grizzlies, who have had 10 top-six picks in 14 years of existence, are at the top of the list. The team had five amateur scouts last season (I'm not calling the scouts amateurs, they scouted amateur players). Next season, Geoff Calkins of the Memphis Commercial-Appeal reports, the team will have zero scouts. Zero.

It's an unbelievable concession, even in this economy. (Insert sad trombone sound.) The Bobcats declining to assemble a summer league squad -- that's unnerving. A team like the Grizzlies decided to detonate the entire scouting staff with the playoffs nowhere in sight? That's abominable.

Of course, given that a real estate mogul, team owner Michael Heisley, makes all the basketball decisions, maybe it's just as well.

Calkins also surmises in his Sunday column that Heisley and Heisley alone decided Hakim Warrick wouldn't be a proper fit going forward. Milwaukee, a cost-containing team in its own right, immediately saw fit to give Warrick the salary Memphis revoked. The basketball side of the operation in Memphis loved Warrick, and saw him as an important bench scorer next season. Heisley saw him as a $3 million paycheck he didn't really want to sign. So Warrick became an unrestricted free agent immediately.

Defenders of Heisley might point to Zach Randolph as an example of the team being willing to pay for talent. Except that without the Randolph trade (the Grizz sent Quentin Richardson's $8.7 million contract to L.A. for $16 million of Z-Bo) the Grizzlies would not have reached the league's minimum salary without signing a high-priced free agent. The collective bargaining agreement requires that teams spend at least 75% of the salary cap level on payroll. For 2009-10, that's just shy of $44 million. Lo! the Randolph trade put Memphis just above $44 million in salary.

This is all to say it's a shame what Heisley is doing to this team, and most importantly, the fans.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

8-02-2009 @ 9:54AM

depotrat said...

No wonder why Jerry West got the hell out a couple of years ago! All downhill since then for this franchise.

8-02-2009 @ 6:44PM

jerry said...

Will people stop with all the negativity on the grizzlies. People forget that Heisley spent a bunch of money listening to Jerry West and it got us nowhere! Yes the grizzlies salary is low but that is also because of the rookie salary caps. Gay,Conley and Mayo are extremely cheap right now but that will not last.Rduy is due for a big extension next year. The grizzlies starting 5 is set because of the randolph trade and drafting Thabeet. The bench is pretty much set so why go out and overpay for guys just to spend money. I like Warrick but you cant pay 3 million for a bench player who will actually play less next year. Yes I wish Heisley would spend his billions on the team but this is not New York or LA. Getting rid of all the scouts is interesting(to say the least) but dont refernece Geoff Caulkins articles becasuse the man hates the grizzlies and Heisley.

8-02-2009 @ 11:33PM

jdbreeze1 said...

They could have drafted a guy who can play basketball instead of Thabeet and kept Warrick around. The Grizzlies look more like a NBDL team every day.

8-02-2009 @ 3:08PM

steve breymaier said...

More and more Memphis "fans" are checking out. Yes Heisley owns the team and can do what he wants. But we as fans also "own" the seats and we can do what we want - which is exit stage left. Until new ownership comes in and , hopefully keeps the team in Memphis, the team revenues will continue to decline reducing funds for team improvement.

8-02-2009 @ 3:42PM

wstarhopper said...

This guy just bought last place in the NBA for a very long time. We wont see them oin the playoffs until 21??

8-02-2009 @ 3:52PM

mkinzer1 said...

I live near Memphis and follow the Grizzlies and there isnt a person around here that gives a flip about the Grizzlies and it is all because of their pathetic excuse for an owner. If the owner is not committed to owning the team and having a winner (which he isnt), why should the fans pad his pockets. I expect someone to buy the team within a couple of years, pay the relocation penalty to get out of the stadium contract, and get the team the hell out of Memphis. People here dont give a flip about anything except eating and Memphis Tigers basketball.

8-02-2009 @ 4:53PM

briancolding said...

Maybe he's trying to drive the team to 0 so he can justify moving the franchise.

8-02-2009 @ 5:22PM

Daslzzamann71 said...

I don't understand, Why people go into sports ownership then realize they made a bad decision, then kill the team with foolish cost cutting moves. And to think they were on the right path a couple of years ago. HE should sell the team.

8-02-2009 @ 6:03PM

Lakergregg said...

He ain't all bad...he did give the Lakers Pau Gasol.
And we Lakers fans thank him.

8-02-2009 @ 9:47PM

mybasketballgirl said...

I think The Lakers are planning on giving him a RING(at the ceremomy) for giving them Gasol!!!

8-02-2009 @ 8:32PM

DENNIS R PARNELL said...

As soon as I read the headline I knew it had to be my hometown team. This "TEAM" is a joke.

8-02-2009 @ 9:06PM

Lady Di 1086 said...

First time commentator. This is my home team, and I usually enjoy my season tickets regardless of record. But I have to say that Mr. Heisley is not the person who should be running this show. It has become painfully obvious that his basketball decisions are bottom-line oriented, period, and I'm surprised that the Stern and company haven't checked him on it. This is no way to run a business in good times or bad, and I truly hope that someone who cares about Memphis buys this team very soon.

8-02-2009 @ 9:25PM

cun0ct0ber said...

wow who cares about the nba

8-03-2009 @ 1:17AM

jpuzzlewhiz said...

Who, cunOctOber?

Evidently, you do, or you would not have clicked on the article.

8-03-2009 @ 9:34AM

lamwal said...

plenty of people. bigger question is who cares about you fool.

8-02-2009 @ 9:48PM

jmdry said...

I bet this a**hole is great friends with that prick Dolan.

8-02-2009 @ 10:26PM

john said...

heisley,is just running this team into the ground.he is just tring to bs the leauge,to justify moving them, so he can sale them.this franchise was growing.the stadium use to be almost sold out and the people in memphis shower great support for the team.well know look at the stadium now and the support.

8-02-2009 @ 11:42PM

Giles said...

Maybe he is just firing the incompetent scouts so he can hire hopefully competent scouts to replace them. And maybe Diekembe Mtumbo as an assistant coach, to develop the raw talent of Thabeet.