Grizzlies forward/center Lorenzen Wright would prefer to stay in Memphis but with the Grizzlies looking to cut their payroll and unwilling to discuss a contract extension, he has demanded a trade from the team.

"Don't get this twisted. I want to be here," Wright said, shortly after his afternoon press conference began. "I love playing for the Grizzlies. I love being here. I would love for the Grizzlies to sign me. I would love to sign here and be a Grizzly for the rest of my life. But when we went to them about signing an extension they didn't give me a chance to say what I wanted. They just said that we're cutting costs and we're not doing any business deals.

"I wanted the chance to say will you give me $5 a day? But they said we're not doing anything. We're not going to do it now. We're not going to do it in sixth months. We'll talk after this season. So now I know that at the end of my contract I'm not going to be here. ... I don't see how I can feel good about playing for the Grizzlies when I know they're not going to sign me at the end of the year."

Wright is entering the final year of his contracted valued at $7.7 million.

If the Grizzles were to try and deal him, it would not be hard to move him after his good showing late last season and the fact that expiring contracts are very valuable.