In the interim, the story leaked out and it wasn't until much later in the night that all the steps were completed to allow the teams to officially announce the trade. So Commissioner David Stern announced that the Rockets were picking Gay, and the UConn swingman came out from backstage and donned a Rockets cap.
Gay was still there when it was time for the Rockets to pick, so the Grizzlies had a deal.īecause of the complex machinations behind getting a trade involving players already under contract approved, the deal could not be announced immediately. 7, the Grizzlies would send veteran Shane Battier to Houston for the pick. If LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Gay or Brandon Roy was available when the Rockets came on the clock at No. Tom Penn was an assistant general manager with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2006 when they struck a deal with Houston before the draft.
