Navarro Back to Barcelona
This afternoon various reports began to trickle out of Spanish media outlets that Grizzlies restricted free-agent Juan Carlos Navarro was returning to his home country to sign a contract with the pro team FC Barcelona.
Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace confirmed this report via text message tonight. According to Wallace, Navarro has signed a four-year deal with FC Barcelona for the equivalent of $20-$24 million, which is more money than he was likely to receive from the Grizzlies or any other NBA team.
The Grizzlies traded a protected future first-round pick to the Washington Wizards last summer to secure Navarro's rights, partly in a failed attempt to repair the team's relationship with Pau Gasol. With Navarro's departure, the Grizzlies essentially lost a calculated bet, giving up a minor future piece for a one-year rental of Navarro in a lost season.
The pick due to Washington is heavily protected: It can never be a lottery pick and there's a chance the eventual pick moved in the deal could be a second-rounder.
Even with Navarro's departure, the team has good depth in the backcourt, so this development shouldn't have much impact on the team's draft strategy next week.
