When it comes to player transactions, teams are in a difficult spot.

If you reveal too much about your intentions, it can sink an acquisition, whether you're operating in free agency or trying to execute a trade. When it comes to the latter, there are so many reasons for secrecy. You don't want to seem so desperate to deal someone that it lowers the player's value, on the market as a whole or with a counterparty in serious conversations.

And yet, once word leaks that you are shopping a particular player, it's important to address it in-house, so that the player's performance isn't affected. That serves two purposes. One, for as long as he's on the team, you want him contributing in a positive way. And two, you want him to have the highest value possible, if you ultimately choose to pull the trigger.

This brings us to Mario Chalmers.

It's no secret that Chalmers' name has been been circulating for months -- available to a team that will take him off the Heat's payroll, and thus reduce the Heat's tax burden. In fact, I wrote about it just Saturday, when I made the case for keeping him (and Chris Andersen) around.

Chalmers isn't oblivious to this. No player is, not when in this situation. He kept tabs on it over the summer, but came to came believing that the team had a role for him, that nothing was imminent.

Then came Tuesday's report, from ESPN's Marc Stein -- one of the league's better-sourced reporters -- that the Grizzlies considering trading for Chalmers. There's no reason to doubt this. ESPN has plenty of ties to the Memphis organization and, with Beno Udrih struggling, it's not a surprise that the Grizzlies would seek a potential upgrade at backup point guard. And, it probably wouldn't cost them much, because Chalmers in in the last year of his contract, and it doesn't seem as if Miami is motivated by getting premium talent in return. It just might need a third team, to take a small salary off the Grizzlies' hands, so they comply with salary cap rules. Or it might take a little time, since players signed last offseason can't be traded until at least December 15.

The report, however, was a bit open-ended. It says that Memphis has "discussed trading" for Chalmers, but doesn't say with whom. With themselves? Or with the Heat directly? Further, it's not clear, if talks with the Heat have occurred, exactly when they occurred. Often, reporters get information -- raising my hand -- that is correct but late. The Heat's financial circumstances haven't really changed, but a change of direction is conceivable. Maybe talks with Memphis were happening. Maybe now they're off.

So the ESPN report may be nothing. Chalmers might be going nowhere. Or he might be going to Utah, or any number of teams that could use backcourt depth.

It's not incumbent upon the Heat to tell us, the media, the public. That's not the team's policy nor, as noted above, would it be smart policy. Denying and deflecting is fine. It's part of the deal. Still, it seems time for someone in management or ownership to give Chalmers some general sense of where he stands.

That, as of late Tuesday night, had yet to happen. Chalmers said he heard about the ESPN report after he arrived to the arena, but not from anyone in authority.

"It goes how it goes," he said. "It's the nature of the business."

That diplomatic answer belied how much it's bothering him.

Since Chalmers came to Miami in 2008, many have hailed his confidence, his unwavering belief in himself, even at those times when logic dictates otherwise. That's been an plus, for sure. It's allowed him to withstand the constant berating he received from The Big Three during the championship years. It's allowed him to sink big shots. It's allowed him to keep a prominent role, even as the Heat kept adding point guards, from Carlos Arroyo to Rafer Alston to Mike Bibby to Norris Cole and now to Goran Dragic.

But there's another side too. Think back to the 2014 NBA Finals, when several teammates spoke of how he'd been turned sideways by some personal issues, as he endured the poorest playoff stretch of his career.

Tuesday, he was 1-of-9 in 22 minutes. And while two of those shots were desperation heaves, and one was a failed slam dunk attempt -- which he didn't want to watch again -- his demeanor after the game didn't hide how much this is bugging him.

While I've made the case that he can be an asset to the Heat this season, it's the team's right to decide otherwise. For as long as he's here, though, his happiness helps the Heat.

Miami can't soothe him completely. Can't make any promises. Business is business. Trades get discussed. Sometimes as seriously as the media suggest. Sometimes nowhere close. Sometimes they get done. Sometimes they don't.

Chalmers gets this.

He isn't a kid anymore. He's 29, a two-time champion. He doesn't deserve a lifetime contract. Few in the game do. He just deserves better than to keep hearing things from us, in the media. Some straight talk would be a healthy start.