The Miami Heat have agreed to trade Mario Chalmers and James Ennis to the Memphis Grizzlies for Beno Udrih and Jarnell Stokes.
This is a tough day for myself and the organization in trading Mario Chalmers and James Ennis, said HEAT President Pat Riley. Mario was a part of two championships with us and Ennis is a solid young player, but it is part of the business and it was a move necessary to make because of our crowded backcourt. We feel that it is in the best interest of Mario and we want him to be successful and be a part of a good team. We wish them nothing but the best. We would also like to welcome Beno Udrih, an accomplished veteran and someone that has playoff and championship experience, and the addition of Jarnell Stokes, a young player that we would like to develop.
The Heat have been trying to deal Chalmers for weeks in an effort to trim payroll. Chalmers spent his entire eight year career with Miami, winning two NBA championships. He is second all-time in steals and third in assists for the Heat. Interestingly, he will be headed to the city of Memphis where Tigers’ fans still know him for hitting the game tying three-pointer for Kansas with 2.1 seconds left in the 2008 NCAA Championship game. The Jayhawks would eventually go on to defeat the favored Tigers team in OT, 75-68.
We’ll see if Memphis fans can find it in their hearts to forgive and forget. Winning should help in that effort.
