In case the results of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 42-point loss to the Pacers didn’t already tell you, being the subject of trade rumors is not easy for players to handle. Mike Conley is proof of that.
Conley was placed on the trade block by the Memphis Grizzlies, but he made it through the deadline without being dealt after teams did not meet the Grizzlies’ asking price for him. This was the first time in his career that he’s dealt with these kinds of rumors, and he said on Thursday that he was unable to sleep while part of the rumors.
Conley said he hadn’t slept in “two or three days” as the deadline neared: “I don’t even know how I played [tonight] to be honest with you.” pic.twitter.com/tMOmTtlPFO
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) February 8, 2019
Memphis ended up making several deals though none involved Conley. They traded Marc Gasol to the Toronto Raptors; Shelvin Mack to Atlanta; and Garrett Temple and JaMychal Green to the Clippers. Conley must be relieved that the stressful time is over.
