The Mavericks might as well scratch Scottie Pippen's name off their shopping list.

The free-agent swingman who played for Portland the past four years met earlier this week with Memphis Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley, who wants Pippen to join his team and help develop its young players. Would Pippen, who has six NBA championship rings from his days with the Chicago Bulls, truly consider playing for a franchise that has never made the playoffs?

"It'll give me an opportunity to be close to my family," Pippen told The (Memphis, Tenn.) Commercial Appeal. "Having an opportunity to come back and play that close to home is great."

Pippen, from Hamburg, Ark., must take a huge pay cut from the $19.7 million he made last season to play for the Grizzlies, who are dangling their $4.9 million mid-level exception. Pippen also wants a guarantee that once his career is over he'll be able to move into an ownership or management role with the Grizzlies.

But because of salary-cap rules, teams can't put into writing promises of future management or ownership positions to players. However, Heisley has said he's looking to sell at least 17 percent of his 70 percent share of the Grizzlies.

Pippen is also being courted by the Bulls.