Memphis, Tn – Following the most successful season in franchise history, the Memphis Grizzlies will tip-off their 11th season in Memphis (17th overall) with two rematches against Western Conference Playoff opponents. Fans who believed in the Grizzlies during last season’s NBA Playoffs can relive the team’s first-round upset of the San Antonio Spurs and the thrilling, seven-game semifinals series with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Memphis will open it’s 66-game regular season in San Antonio on Monday, Dec. 26 at 7:30 p.m. (all times Central) at the AT&T Center, followed the home opener against Oklahoma City on Wednesday, Dec. 28 at 7 p.m. at FedExForum.

Memphis will be featured on national television a franchise-record 10 times this season (three on ESPN, two on TNT, five on NBA TV), including the 10th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Game against the Chicago Bulls on ESPN on Monday, Jan. 16 at Noon at FedExForum. The Grizzlies also are slated for nationally-televised home tilts with the New York Knicks on Thursday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. on TNT and the Utah Jazz on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Starting with the home opener versus Oklahoma City, Memphis will play seven of its first 12 contests at FedExForum, including a four-game home stand (Jan. 10-16) which will feature the return of the Thunder on Tuesday, Jan. 10, the New York Knicks’ only visit to the Bluff City on Thursday, Jan. 12 and the MLK Jr. Day Game on Jan. 16 against Chicago. This marks the second consecutive year and third in the past five that Memphis will host Chicago in the MLK Jr. Day Game.

The Grizzlies will welcome the reigning NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks to Memphis twice this season, on Wednesday, Feb. 29 and then on Saturday, April 7. FedExForum will also host several other marquee matchups throughout the season, including when the Los Angeles Lakers (March 13) and the Los Angeles Clippers (April 9) make their only visits to Memphis. The Grizzlies will close out the regular season with a Fan Appreciation Night home finale versus the Orlando Magic on Thursday, April 26.

The Grizzlies will also play host to two back-to-back home series this season. The first will feature two Western Conference Playoff teams from last year, the Spurs (Jan. 30) and Denver Nuggets (Jan. 31). The second will include the return of the Nuggets (Feb. 17) and the Golden State Warriors (Feb. 18). In their only back-to-back-to-back series this season, the Grizzlies will travel to take on Oklahoma City (April 2), return home to play Golden State (April 3) and hit the road again to face Dallas (April 4).

Overall, the Grizzlies will play 13 of their 33 home games on weekends – including seven games on Saturday, four on Friday and two on Sunday – and have 20 back-to-back sets, one shy of last season’s total. Memphis will enjoy a season-long five-game home stand from Feb. 6-14 (the club’s longest since Dec. 12-22, 2008) and will play a season-high four consecutive road games twice in the upcoming season (Jan. 23-28, March 20-25).

The 2011-12 regular season local broadcast schedule will be released at a later date.
 

By Bob Finnan
RFinnan@News-Herald.com

Rumors have been swirling that the Cavaliers are interested in trading for Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay.

Those rumors can stop swirling.

Yes, the Cavs have a $14.6 million trade exception at their disposal. No, they don’t appear to be interested in the 6-foot-8, 230-pound Gay.

Gay, 24, averaged 19.8 points and 6.2 rebounds in 54 games this year for the Grizzlies. But it wasn’t until Gay underwent season-ending surgery to repair a left shoulder subluxation that the Grizzlies meshed and took off in the playoffs.

They lost in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The website DraftExpress reported that the Cavs offered their No. 4 overall pick to the Grizzlies for Gay, and Memphis said no thanks. The Cavs were going to use their trade exception to fit him into their salary cap.

A league source said the report wasn’t true.

From afar, one can see why the Cavs might be interested in his services. The Cavs don’t have a starting-quality small forward on their roster.

The fifth-year forward from UConn might be paid like a superstar, but he has never been an All-Star or appeared in a playoff game.

Gay has roughly $69 million remaining on his contract, including $15 million in 2011-12, $16.5 million in 2012-13, $17.9 million in 2013-14 and $19.3 million in 2014-15. Continued…

Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley told the Memphis Commercial Appeal that Gay isn’t going anywhere.

“Would you please make it clear that we’re not trading Rudy Gay?” he said. “(The rumors), quite frankly, (tick) me off. I think it’s cruel to the guy. He ‘died’ during this period. That’s how much he wanted to play. And to now have to hear that we’re trading him? There’s nothing more untrue than that.”

In other news, Cavs guard Daniel Gibson was married to singer Keyshia Cole recently. Over the weekend, Gibson tweeted: “It’s OFFICIAL!!!!! #Done & #TrulyBlessed.. Mr. & Mrs. Gibson. We appreciate all the Well Wishes!” Gibson also posted wedding photos on his Twitter account Monday evening.

By Bob Finnan
RFinnan@News-Herald.com

Rumors have been swirling that the Cavaliers are interested in trading for Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay.

Those rumors can stop swirling.

Yes, the Cavs have a $14.6 million trade exception at their disposal. No, they don’t appear to be interested in the 6-foot-8, 230-pound Gay.

Gay, 24, averaged 19.8 points and 6.2 rebounds in 54 games this year for the Grizzlies. But it wasn’t until Gay underwent season-ending surgery to repair a left shoulder subluxation that the Grizzlies meshed and took off in the playoffs.

They lost in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The website DraftExpress reported that the Cavs offered their No. 4 overall pick to the Grizzlies for Gay, and Memphis said no thanks. The Cavs were going to use their trade exception to fit him into their salary cap.

A league source said the report wasn’t true.

From afar, one can see why the Cavs might be interested in his services. The Cavs don’t have a starting-quality small forward on their roster.

The fifth-year forward from UConn might be paid like a superstar, but he has never been an All-Star or appeared in a playoff game.

Gay has roughly $69 million remaining on his contract, including $15 million in 2011-12, $16.5 million in 2012-13, $17.9 million in 2013-14 and $19.3 million in 2014-15.

Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley told the Memphis Commercial Appeal that Gay isn’t going anywhere.

“Would you please make it clear that we’re not trading Rudy Gay?” he said. “(The rumors), quite frankly, (tick) me off. I think it’s cruel to the guy. He ‘died’ during this period. That’s how much he wanted to play. And to now have to hear that we’re trading him? There’s nothing more untrue than that.”

In other news, Cavs guard Daniel Gibson was married to singer Keyshia Cole recently. Over the weekend, Gibson tweeted: “It’s OFFICIAL!!!!! #Done & #TrulyBlessed.. Mr. & Mrs. Gibson. We appreciate all the Well Wishes!” Gibson also posted wedding photos on his Twitter account Monday evening.