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Austin Nichols to the Memphis Grizzlies?

By Mark Krebs

Nov 15, 2016; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers forward Austin Nichols (1) celebrates with teammates on the bench during the first half against the St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 15, 2016; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers forward Austin Nichols (1) celebrates with teammates on the bench during the first half against the St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports /
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With no draft picks, the Memphis Grizzlies will have to discover players under-the-radar. Could Memphian Austin Nichols be a possibility?.

Following the 2016-2017 season, the outlook hasn’t looked all that bright for the Memphis Grizzlies. They have very little cap space to play with, while key players Tony Allen, Zach Randolph, Vince Carter and JaMychal Green are becoming free agents. On top of this, Memphis has no draft picks in what seems to be a loaded draft.

To succeed in conditions such as these, a team must thrive by finding a diamond in the rough. Enter Austin Nichols.

Austin Nichols  – College Career

Let’s take a quick flashback to when Austin first joined the NCAA.

The year is 2012, “Call Me Maybe” and “We Are Young” are playing over and over again on the radio, while everyone is talking about movies like The Avengers and Batman The Dark Knight Rises. This is also the year that 5-star Gatorade Tennessee player of the year in and top-15 recruit Austin Nichols committed to the University of Memphis.

In his freshman year, Nichols averaged 9.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. In his sophomore year, he averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.4 BPG, leading Memphis into the NCAA tournament as the 8th seed. Following a loss in the third round of the NCAA Tournament, Nichols transferred to Virginia after his sophomore season at Memphis.

After sitting out for a year, Austin began his first year playing at Virgina in the 2016-2017 season. After only one game against St. Francis-Brooklyn (11 points and three rebounds), Nichols was suspended for “Violation of team rules” and wouldn’t play another game.

Austin Nichols Returns To Memphis?

As stated above, the Memphis Grizzlies don’t have any picks in the draft so a player like Austin would make sense. He clearly has the talent and size to play in the NBA, the question with him is his drive to play basketball. If he can prove that he still has a passion for the game, is it possible the Grizzlies take a chance on the power forward? Others could possibly look over him, but the Coach Fizdale and the Grizzlies shape him into a force to be reckoned with.

Next: The Trade that Cost the Grizz a 2017 Pick

Chris Wallace took a chance on a power forward years ago, and it worked out better than anyone else could have imagined. Could it happen again? Could Austin Nichols return to Memphis once again?

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