DeAndre Liggins, the No. 56 overall draft pick for the Orlando Magic, considers Tony Allen a mentor.

They met in Chicago – the city where they both grew up – after Liggins freshman year at Kentucky while hanging out in some of the same basketball circles. These days they exchange text messages often, and they hung out earlier this week in Chicago before Liggins flew to Orlando to meet with his new team.

“He tells me the NBA is not easy,” Liggins said of Allen. “Defending the best player every night is not easy, especially in the NBA. You just have to continue to be tough.

“We’re real close,” Liggins said.

The Memphis Grizzlies extended a qualifying offer to restricted free agent Hamed Haddadi, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

Haddadi, a 7-2, 265-pound center, completed his third NBA season with averages of 2.4 points and 2.2 rebounds on a career-high .517 shooting in 5.4 minutes in 31 games. The 26-year-old appeared in nine postseason games, posting 1.2 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.56 blocks in 3.4 minutes.

The Memphis Grizzlies have exercised their third-year contract option on Sam Young, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today. Young’s contract is now guaranteed through the 2011-12 season.

Young, a 6-6, 220-pound guard/forward, averaged 7.3 points and 2.4 rebounds on .472 shooting in 20.2 minutes in 78 games (46 starts) in his second NBA season. After Memphis finished the regular season 29-15 with him as a full-time starter, the 26-year-old posted 7.5 points and 2.3 rebounds on .448 shooting in 19.7 minutes during the Grizzlies’ 13-game playoff run.

The Memphis Grizzlies extended a qualifying offer to restricted free agent Marc Gasol, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

Gasol, a 7-1, 265-pound center, posted 15.0 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.15 blocks and helped lead the Grizzlies through a 13-game playoff run that included a first-round upset over the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs and a seven-game series with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 26-year old finished second in rebounds per game and third in blocks per game during the playoffs.