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.
Yeah, but West would have taken Melo. That was pretty clear at the time.
Wade and, I'd argue, Bosh, would have been the best picks.