"It's a blessing and a great feeling to go back home and train in my hometown of Birmingham," Carroll said. "It's where I grew up and where I first started playing basketball. This will be a great chance for our players to get to know each other and gel on the court."

--Grizzlies G O.J. Mayo likes the Grizzlies' offseason moves, topped by Allen Iverson's acquisition.

"It's going to be interesting because he's such a great player," Mayo said. "I definitely know he's got a chip on his shoulder this year. I'm just happy to have him on our side. For (team management) to make the moves they've made this offseason makes me a lot happier."

DRAFT PICKS:

Hasheem Thabeet, C, 7-3, Connecticut (first round) -- Blocked 417 shots in three seasons at UConn. Still raw offensively, but can do enough on the offensive boards to contribute points to the lineup.

DeMarre Carroll, F, 6-8, Missouri (first round) -- Averaged 16.6 points as a first-team All-Big 12 selection. A sheer blood, guts and sweat guy who simply outworks a lot of his opponents.

Sam Young, F, 6-7, Pittsburgh (second round) -- Could be underrated second round steal. Not only played in a a school-record 143 consecutive games and finished as Pitt's fourth all-time leading scorer (1,884 points), but can score inside and out.