Marc Gasol doesn't understand why the Grizzlies want to trade Mike Conley

Mike Conley and Marc Gasol both received phone calls on Tuesday from Memphis Grizzlies owner Robert Pera, alerting them that the team is actively exploring trade options for the franchise cornerstones.

That news didn’t make a lot of sense to Gasol.

Except it’s not because he’s involved in the trade talks. He knows he doesn’t have control over that.

“Does it feel like it’s up to me right now? No,” Gasol told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “So why even think about it. It’s irrelevant. You go out there and do your job.”

The trade talks don’t make sense to him because Conley is involved in the trade.

“I don’t understand why Mike is in those talks either,” Gasol told the Commercial Appeal. “Mike is one heck of a player, and we’re going to need good players moving forward. I don’t understand why Mike is in this.”

Gasol has spent his entire NBA career with the Grizzlies, and averaged 15.2 points, 7,7 rebounds and 3.4 assists in Memphis. Conley is in a similar situation, having played his entire career there since they selected him with the No. 4 pick in the 2007 NBA draft. He’s averaged 14.6 points, 5.7 assists and 2.9 rebounds.

The two have been the cornerstones of the Grizzlies for more than a decade. Even though they are both near the back end of their careers — Gasol is 34 years old and Conley is 31 years old — they still likely have several years of good basketball left, and could provide key leadership for younger players in the years to come.

Memphis, though, is clearly going all out on a rebuild. The Grizzlies are currently 19-28 and just one spot out of last place in the Western Conference. This move is likely an effort to grab draft picks and younger players, a move to help bring the Grizzlies back to prominence — and it appears they want to do so without their two veteran leaders.

Unlike Gasol, though, Conley had little to say about the matter.

“It’s where we’re at, I guess,” he told the Commercial appeal. “It’s part of the business.”

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