Grizzlies GM upset over ‘unfathomable’ botched trade

Memphis Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace is upset over the way a 3-team trade fell apart on Friday night.

The Grizzlies were a part of a 3-team deal involving the Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards that would have sent Trevor Ariza to Washington and Austin Rivers to Phoenix. Washington was also going to send Kelly Oubre to Memphis, while the Grizzlies were going to trade Wayne Selden and another player to Phoenix. The problem is there was confusion over who the second Grizzlies player would be.

Phoenix was insistent that they were getting Dillon Brooks in the trade, while Memphis said they were trading MarShon Brooks.

Speaking on Saturday, Wallace made it clear that they were only ever trading MarShon, not Dillon.

Wallace: “We were very clear about who was in the trade. Contrary to reports, it was not Dillon Brooks. Individuals from one or both of those teams leaked the deal. We were very clear on what we communicated. We don’t have any issues with how we conducted this."

— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) December 15, 2018

One more from Griz GM Chris Wallace on the non-trade: “What happened last night was unfathomable. I’ve never experienced this before. We were very clear with who was in this deal. From our standpoint, we made it very clear it was not Dillon Brooks.”

— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) December 15, 2018

After that deal fell apart due to the Brooks confusion, the Wizards and Suns made a trade directly. Ariza went to Phoenix for Rivers and Oubre.