Report: Grizzlies to shelve Evans as trade talks heat up
Like the Chicago Bulls are doing with Nikola Mirotic, the Memphis Grizzlies will sit out shooting guard Tyreke Evans until they can find a trade for him, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Evans, thriving in Memphis on a cheap one-year contract, is one of the league's most hotly pursued trade targets, and with the deadline just over a week away, discussions with other teams have begun to intensify, Wojnarowski reports.
By most measures, this has been the best, most efficient season of Evans' roller-coaster career. The 28-year-old is averaging 19.5 points - most since his Rookie of the Year season in 2009-10 - along with five rebounds, five assists, and a steal across 46 games. He's shooting 45.8 percent from the field, and a career-high 39.2 percent on a career-best 5.4 attempts from 3-point range. He's got a career-high usage rate and a career-low turnover rate.
There are a handful of teams reportedly bidding for Evans, including the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Miami Heat, and Houston Rockets.
The Grizzlies are reportedly holding out for a first-round draft pick.