Where is the loyalty? That is the question Zach Randolph is asking himself after trade rumors surfaced regarding his future in Memphis. The veteran is set to become a free agent this summer, but has noted he has every intention of re-signing and staying a member of the Grizzlies. However, the team may not have the same intentions and Randolph is not thilled.
Since Memphis is a smaller market team, the idea of having two large contracts on the books does not fit well with the luxury tax situation. Randolph has a player option of $16.8 million next season. He can easily take that and stay for another year or he can opt out and sign a long-term deal either in Memphis or elsewhere. Considering his age, it is assumed Randolph will want longer security.
Memphis is ready to rid themselves of that high-priced salary and have explored trade deals. The latest rumor has the New Orleans Pelicans in play for a trade with Ryan Anderson. Randolph was not too happy about this.
"Go figure," Randolph said, via NBA.com. "Memphis is a place that I've come to love and call home and it's where I would definitely like to retire. I haven't made any secret of that. Everybody out there knows how I feel. I look at it like this: I understand it's a business. I really do understand that. This is a small market team and money plays a factor. I understand all that. It's different now. I don't know if it's just changes in (salary cap) rules or just a change in the way of the world. Like I said, it's a business."
Randolph has said multiple times that he intends on ending his career in Memphis. He has no interest in making a jump to another franchise. However, like Randolph said, the NBA is a business and getting Anderson in a deal is not a bad option. The forward is averaging 21.8 points this season along with 5.8 rebounds. He is young and could be productive alongside Marc Gasol. Randolph is simply just asking for some loyalty on Memphis' side.
"The truth is there ain't no loyalty or love, except in certain organizations where they keep players around, value them. Only a very few organizations seem like they want to keep players around to retire there," Randolph said.
If the right deal comes along, Memphis will not hesitate to dump the veteran. That is just the nature of the league. At least for Randolph, if he continues to play well, a pay increase could be in his future.