Grizzlies Rewind: Kyle Lowry for Cash

[AggieRocketsFan]

Article over at a Memphis blog mentioning how they gave Lowry away for nothing.

Remember when backup point guard Kyle Lowry was traded to the Houston Rockets in a three-way transaction that included the Orlando Magic? The Griz received Orlando's 2009 unprotected first-round draft pick, injured-beyond-repair guard Mike Wilks, over-and-out center Adonal Foyle and cash considerations. Memphis then turned what was the 27th pick into DeMarre Carroll, who was essentially fired by the team Thursday and given about six months to clean out his work space. The Griz declined to pick up the third-year option on Carroll's rookie contract. Options are a formality when a team likes a player's productivity or still sees the potential. Instead, the Griz admitted that Carroll was their first-round bust from the 2009 draft. The organization drafted Hasheem Thabeet No. 2 overall as a project that would take time to develop. Carroll was supposed to be a junkyard dog defender at both forward positions; an energy guy. But he has shown little-to-no NBA skills and will seek employment elsewhere next season. But this space isn't intended to slam Carroll (as Hubie Brown used to say: "Sometimes players get drafted by the wrong team."). This is more of a reminder that the Griz flipped Lowry for dollar bills. Make no mistake about it: Lowry absolutely had to be traded. He became impossible to coach once Lionel Hollins took over and gave the reigns to Mike Conley. Lowry's reluctance to accept a backup role - something he even struggles with in Houston - became counterproductive to the Griz moving forward. Now that Lowry has officially been exchanged for nothing more than per diem, all hail former Griz president Jerry West. He didn't draft well. But when West screwed up in the draft (Drew Gooden) he turned @!#$ into salad (Mike Miller). When West had an ineffective player on the roster (Nick Anderson) he found someone who could play (Wesley Person). And when a player lost a step (Person) then West flipped him into a beast (Bonzi Wells). Lowry obviously has NBA value (see: 4-year, $24 million contract signed this summer). It's official now: the Grizzlies just gave him away for nothing.