Grizzlies, Cavaliers agree to trade

It looks like the Memphis Grizzlies have found a way to stay under the dreaded luxury tax, while keeping both Zach Randolph and Rudy Gay.

Per Brian Windhorst, ESPN:

“The Grizzlies would send big man Marreese Speights, guard Wayne Ellington and guard Josh Selby to the Cavs for big man Jon Leuer. Cleveland would also receive a future first-round draft pick in the deal.”

Cavs and Grizzlies agree to cash dump trade, will get Memphis below tax & allow them to keep Gay & Randolph for now: es.pn/11OgRIw

— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) January 22, 2013

This is exactly the deal Memphis has been looking to find. The Cavaliers are going to take cash (roughly $6 Million), which will keep the Grizzlies under the luxury tax. A goal they were willing to essentially blow-up their winning formula to attain.

After a tough battle in their loss to the Pacers at home on Monday, the Grizzlies must have been dead-set of reaching a trade agreement with someone that would guarantee they could continue to compete this season, and for the foreseeable future.

Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph are the two scoring anchors in the Grizzlies attack, and losing either would have posed it’s problems for a team looking to make a splash in the post season.

Speights has been a solid role player for Memphis since coming over from the Philadelphia 76ers, but should give the Cavs more of a presence as he’ll likely see more minutes on a team with considerably less depth.