Christian Laettner will not play for the Grizzlies after all, the team announced Tuesday afternoon.

Before the bizarre twist, all signs pointed toward Laettner beginning a comeback following a one-year layoff from the league.

Potential majority owner Brian Davis dropped the breaking news of Laettner's return Monday during his introductory press conference.

By Tuesday morning, Laettner sounded confident and brazen while describing his plans on a local sports talk radio show. Laettner later repeated his desire to join camp by Friday to media at the Grizzlies' first practice in FedExForum.

The final word came from a statement written as Davis and Laettner left town.

"After speaking with Grizzlies management, we have determined that while the sale of the Memphis Grizzlies is pending, Christian Laettner will not play for the team," Davis said. "Both Christian and I are excited about the future of this franchise, but feel adding him to the roster could be disruptive at this time."