In an interview Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley detailed his thoughts on the Gasol trade in an interview with the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
“We had conversations with Chicago which were non-satisfactory. They didn’t want to take on the luxury-tax situation and Los Angeles was,” Heisley said. “I know right now people are saying we’re crazy. We got everything we could get out of the Lakers. We got draft choices and cap relief. That’s what we wanted. They weren’t going to give us Kobe.”
Heisley suggested in the interview that the Lakers offered Kwame Brown and Vladimir Radmanovic, but the Grizzlies didn’t want Radmanovic’s contract of three more years for $19 million. A key part of the deal was apparently the substitution of rookie guard Javaris Crittenton instead of Radmanovic on Thursday night. The Gasol deal was officially struck the next morning.
“We held out,” said Heisley. “They finally sweetened the pot.”
Heisley also said former Grizzlies president Jerry West was not involved in the talks.
“Not at all,” he said.
Loading ...