Latest News, NBA, Pat's Sixers Blog / Jan 4, 2012 / 11:30 am

Report: Sixers, Hornets, Grizzlies Agree to 3-Team Deal

Marreese Speights

Marreese Speights

It’s been well-known that the Sixers and Grizzlies have been talking about a deal involving Philly big man Marreese Speights going back to last year. Now, pushed along by the Memphis injury caravan, it is being reported by ESPN.com’s Marc Stein that a three-way deal involving the Sixers, Grizzlies and New Orleans Hornets has been agreed upon.

Philly sends Speights to Memphis, Memphis sends Xavier Henry to New Orleans, and the Sixers collect two future second round draft picks. This seems like a win for everyone involved. The Grizz desperately need front court help, and in Speights, they get a young big who can score. The Hornets are in the business of adding young talent, and the thinking is that a new setting would be best for Henry, a guy who can shoot the ball, but hasn’t been able to put the rest of it together yet. And the Sixers get two draft picks to add talent to their young core.

As a Sixers fan, the Speights ride has been a frustrating one. As stated before, he’s a gifted scorer who puts up points every time he steps on the court. On defense though, he’s a complete debacle and looks completely lost for long stretches of game time. Put it this way: there’s a reason(s) a young, athletic, scoring big man can’t get on the court.

I think I knew this wasn’t going to work out for him in Philly when a few years back I interviewed Speights at his NBA Rookie Orientation in Tarrytown, New York. I asked him what his thoughts were about getting to play alongside and learn from Elton Brand. His dead-serious, not-joking-around response was, “Cool, but I’ve never seen him play.”

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  • heckler

    the Philly Sixers are the team in the NBA in most need of a STAR.
    even more than the Knicks were before they signed Amare.
    Ive said that on here before. Sixers need a STAR player BADLY.

    How come you don’t hear about Philly putting a package together for Dwight Howard? I’m sure Evan Turner, Andre Iguaodala and draft choices might be good enough for Orlando.

    In this deal, all the Sixers get are 2nd round draft choices. shitty. If you are trading for draft picks, you should ALWAYS look to acquire a 1st round draft pick. the only time you take a 2nd round pick, is when you’re already receiving a 1st too.

    as for Speights, in my dead serious, not joking around voice: Ive never seen him play.

  • Trev

    @heckler “as for Speights, in my dead serious, not joking around voice: Ive never seen him play.” = LMAO

  • Patrick Cassidy

    @heckler – that was awesome. well played.

  • nyk

    i heard iverson needs a job

  • http://www.zwani.com/graphics/funny_pictures/images/88funny-pictures128.jpg JAY

    That pic is horrible. It’s like The Game and Popeye Jones had a love child.

  • showydisplay

    heckler – are you kidding? The Rockets are the team without a STAR if that an All Star (check stats). I understand your frustration sir but you obviously must be a distraught Sixer fan. Wake up dude and look at the ENTIRE league and not just your team…

  • Tdot

    The Raptors need a star too….

  • heckler

    @ showydisplay–

    Im not Sixer fan. However, I am a distraught NBA fan.
    Philly has always been a team that has a TRUE STAR.

    Allen Iverson seems like another lifetime ago.

    At least Houston has had Steve Francis, Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming recently.

    As one of the (2nd tier) original NBA franchises, I just feel like Philadelphia needs a STAR player again.

    Not to say they are the only team. But based on their history, from Wilt to Julius to Iverson, they’ve always had an iconic star player. They need another……its about time they get another…..

  • heckler

    @ Tdot–

    no one cares about the raptors.
    They havent mattered since Vince Carter departed…..

  • beiber newz

    ^ha it’s funny only because there’s some truth to that.

  • doc

    Nobody gives a shit about the Rockets outside of Houston either.

  • Kudabeen

    Also The Rockets have a better pieces for a Star to come in. Kyle Lowry is playing like a top 5 PG (Rondo, Rose, CP3, then really Kyle) RIGHT NOW…(Jrue by comparison hasn’t been consistent, which is more systemic to the Sixers’ style of play than anything)

    Dalembert isn’t a lot of things, but he is a great athlete and he is a game changer defensively (Sixers don’t have that)

    They have productive wing players as well and they grind.

    Sixers’ have much of the same, but their problem is they are paying two guys star money without producing star results. Why they wouldn’t Amnesty Brand to free space at some point..I don’t get it…he is a good guy, but he is not playing up to his contract period. Iguodala has regressed a bit. I don’t know if he works with someone for skill development in the off season or if he just watches video of Kobe from 1997-1999?? either he needs to find out how trains Rose, BGordon, or any other guard in the L that has added to their games in the last 4 years or at least update his Kobe video collection to 2001 and beyond…

    Dwight to Philly?? Sixers don’t make those kind of moves…the lucked into Iverson and at that time they have much better and ballsy management thristy to be exciting and win. This new ownership group is probably going to wait until the off season to try to make a splash. Dwight would be a great one, but I don’t know if they are looking at being a championship contender or how to profit first. Everyone want operate with Spurs type of conservative manner, but getting a Hall of Fame talent in the draft really helps that.

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