Mike Conley rebuffs East-preference rumor: 'I'll play anywhere'

SALT LAKE CITY — Memphis point guard Mike Conley rebuffed a widespread rumor that he doesn't want to play in Utah — or anywhere in the Western Conference, for that matter.

Hours before trade deadline Thursday, Conley told reporters at the Grizzlies' shootaround that he doesn't have a preference about which conference he'd like to play in. Reports from respected NBA media members surfaced Wednesday that the 11-year NBA veteran, whom the Jazz are reportedly trying to acquire in a trade before today's 1 p.m. deadline, wanted to head East not West.

Not true, Conley says.

"I’ll play anywhere," Conley said. "I never ran from a conference or any particular place. I don't know where that came from."

Con…