Troy Bell, the Griz's first-round rookie draft choice obtained in a trade from Boston, said he got hints of what the Grizzlies were seeking last month during his individual workout with the team.

"They were already emphasizing being aggressive and getting into a guy defensively, so I thought this would be their style of play," said Bell, a combo guard from Boston College. "I didn't think, though, that it would be this aggressive from the beginning."

Both Bell and Dahntay Jones, the team's other first round draft pick, signed three-year deals on Saturday. Terms weren't disclosed, but under the NBA's rookie scale for the 2003-04 season, Bell's contract is worth about $3.45 million, while the one for Jones is worth around $2.86 million.