Adios, Chris Mihm

Chris Mihm, originally uploaded by Vaguely Artistic.

Mike Bresnahan is reporting that the Lakers have dumped back-up Center Chris Mihm on the Grizzlies to save some luxury tax dollars:

The Lakers took another bite out of their bench, sending Chris Mihm to the Memphis Grizzlies for a very conditional second-round draft pick in 2013, a move that saves the team another $2.5 million in luxury taxes.

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said he hoped Mihm could find more minutes in Memphis and alluded to the need to decrease in-house tax ramifications.

I always liked Mihm. Like Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones, he one of those rare Lakers who played their best on teams that were going nowhere. Those guys always have a warm spot in my heart.

It is a sign of the times that Mihm was dispatched to save $2.5 million in luxury tax dollars. He certainly didn't help matter by getting punchy with DJ Mbenga in practice. Mbenga gives the Lakers similar productivity for about a third the money. If one of them had to go, then it was not going to be Mbenga.