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The Grizzlies are now on the hook for Zach Randolph through the 2010-11 season, taking them out of the mix for next year's bumper crop of free agents.

It looks like the city of Memphis is slated to be the eyesore of the basketball world for the next two years.

Not coincidentally, that's how long Zach Randolph will be in town toiling for the Grizzlies when the latest stroke of genius from team management becomes official.

Like Al Pacino strolling out of dinner among a bunch of high-and-mighty socialites, here comes Randolph, stogie in tow, yelling out "Make way for the bad guy! There's a bad guy comin' through. Better get outta his way!"

You can't put the blame of the retched state of hoops in one of the NBA's smallest markets entirely on Randolph's massive shoulders. It's not his fault John Calipari bolted for Kentucky and took potential 2010 No. 1 pick John Wall with him. Randolph had nothing to do with fouling up the city's consolation prize, a perennial powerhouse of a college program now reduced to just another Conference USA team.

Randolph hasn't run the only big-four pro franchise in town into the ground with bad trades, frugal decisions and a parade of coaching changes, either.

So as Randolph takes a seat in Memphis' sports landscape for a few seasons, remember that all his arrival guarantees is the stunted growth of the Grizzlies, who won't be sniffing the postseason anytime soon. In that regard, don't paint him as the bad guy. He's just the messenger here, set to put the fun in dysfunctional because of yet another questionable move.

The franchise that paid Antoine Walker, Steve Francis and Darius Miles last season — though the Miles pickup was spitefully brilliant — has done it again.

Randolph is on board as the product of that aforementioned frugality, which seemingly set in after former GM Jerry West was done making sure guys like Jason Williams and Brian Cardinal were set for life. And even if swapping Quentin Richardson's bloated contract for the productive power forward doesn't sound like another bad trade, it's surely not a good one.

Richardson had an expiring deal. The Grizzlies are now on the hook for Randolph through the 2010-11 season, taking them out of the mix for next year's bumper crop of free agents.

Acquiring his services also ends any hope of picking up the top power forward available this summer - New York's David Lee - whom they didn't want to commit to financially. A personable, productive workhorse entering the prime of his career, the 26-year-old Lee is the type of athlete you sign and stash as part of the foundation for the next five years.

In a unique free agency period where the Grizzlies were in a rare position of strength to compete on an even playing field with everyone else in the league thanks to having more money to spend than most, they choked.

Instead of landing a franchise player, they rented Randolph, becoming the latest stop for a power forward who despite averages approaching 20 points and 10 boards the last six seasons, is always mentioned as a piece teams are willing to move. Portland couldn't wait to get rid of him, Mike D'Antoni shipped him out of New York after 11 games and the Clippers pounced on this deal so they can properly groom Blake Griffin.

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