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From reporting from Tony Jones of The Athletic and Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune we know that it’s a two horse race between the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz for Mike Conley’s services. The Grizzlies have been asking quite a bit, but both have remained in the bidding ... until possibly now. Vince Ells of the Detroit Free Press tweeted this out last night:
And I gather #Pistons aren’t expecting to land Mike Conley at this juncture. “Asking too much,” source says. Bullock trade would appear to be that realization.
— Vince_Ells56 (@Vincent_Ellis56) February 6, 2019
I gather #Pistons also working to add more picks.
— Vince_Ells56 (@Vincent_Ellis56) February 6, 2019
The Bullocks trade he’s referring to is the one where the Pistons traded their best shooter for Svi and and a 1st rounder from LA. It appears that the Pistons are moving from “Win Now” mode to “Get Assets” mode. It’s a shame for Blake Griffin as he’s isolated on an Eastern Conference team that might not make the playoffs, but it’s good news for Jazz fans who were hoping that Utah land Conley.
This now puts Utah in the lead provided no surprise team—IT CAN ALWAYS HAPPEN—comes out of nowhere with a better offer in between now and the deadline especially as Memphis’ top priority is unloading Marc Gasol and his expiring deal for some additional assets. I still think this goes until the deadline. So buckle up, still a ways to go on this deal.