Griz down by a single point, 1.4 seconds left in the game, Mike Conley throws the in-bounds pass to Rudy Gay who then, wait, dribbles the ball?

Exactly one month before the NBA trade deadline, the Grizzlies lost to the Indiana Pacers at FedExForum, 82-81. There is no shame in losing to the Pacers, of course. The Pacers are an excellent team. But at what point is it reasonable for Pera to watch games like Monday’s and conclude that the Grizzlies just aren’t good enough as presently structured? At what point is it reasonable for him to conclude that his new team might actually be improved by the right deal?

None of this means that Pera and the Grizzlies should ship Gay off for a sack of potatoes, or anything. My position on that remains the same. Memphis fans would never forgive a pure salary dump. If the Grizzlies deal Gay before the deadline, it can only be as part of a trade that improves the team, not just going forward, but this year.

via Geoff Calkins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal