Matt Barnes Traded to Grizzlies for Luke Ridnour: Latest Details and Reaction
The Memphis Grizzlies flipped point guard Luke Ridnour, who was acquired Wednesday from the Orlando Magic, to the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday to receive forward Matt Barnes.
The Grizzlies confirmed the deal via a team release, while Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports first reported the trade. ESPN.com's Marc Stein noted the Grizzlies are planning to keep Barnes, but Wojnarowski adds the Hornets can opt to drop Ridnour, who has a non-guaranteed contract for next season.
The Ridnour trade never made much sense from Memphis' perspective. The team already had Beno Udrih on the roster to back up starting point guard Mike Conley. The fact it quickly shipped him off for another asset doesn't come as a surprise.
Likewise, Barnes didn't fit in with the Hornets after spending last season with the Los Angeles Clippers before getting dealt. Instead of releasing him, the team traded him for a non-guaranteed contract to save some money if it does decide to waive Ridnour.
It sounds like Barnes will stick with the Grizzlies, though. Zach Lowe of Grantland sees potential in this deal:
The 35-year-old outside-shooting threat and hard-nosed defender averaged 10.1 points in 76 games for the Clippers last season. He should see minutes at multiple positions for Memphis.
The deal kicks off what's shaping up to become an extremely active draft day. The rumor mill has been spinning rapidly for the past couple days, and this minor trade only scratches the surface as front offices start building their rosters for next season.
