Heat send Pittman, pick to Grizzlies

And in return, the Memphis Grizzlies got a big man.

The Heat sent backup center Dexter Pittman and a second-round pick in this year's draft to the Grizzlies on Thursday for the rights to center Ricky Sanchez. The teams struck the deal not long before the NBA's 3 p.m. trading deadline, with the Grizzlies using a trade exception to make the deal a reality.

"I want to thank Dexter for his hard work and professional attitude," Heat President Pat Riley said in a release distributed by the team. "Unfortunately, in order to gain roster flexibility we had to trade someone. We wish him nothing but the best."

Miami now has 14 players on its roster, one under the league maximum. Sanchez, who is playing in Argentina, will not count against the team's roster unless the Heat bring him to the team — which is not expected to happen.

Having the extra spot could allow Miami to add someone later this season, possibly another inside player to get minutes now or a project for future years. The Heat could also simply do nothing with the open roster slot. In past years, Miami has used late-season roster flexibility to add players like Mike Bibby and Ronny Turiaf for playoff pushes.