Memphis Grizzlies: 4 reasons the 2016 draft could come back to bite

The Memphis Grizzlies recently let go of two players in the 2016 NBA draft class. It’s a situation that only magnifies the Grizzlies’ draft struggles.

After the 2016 NBA draft, things were promising for the Memphis Grizzlies. They selected Wade Baldwin (17th) and Deyonta Davis (31st) — two players that slipped from the lottery. They traded a pick to nab both Davis and Rade Zagorac — an European prospect that’d be on the main roster eventually.

In the 2016 draft, it was easy to see Baldwin and Davis as the replacements for Conley and Gasol and the ushers to a new era in Grizzlies basketball.

When grading first-round picks, Sports Illustrated gave the Grizzlies an ‘A’ for the Baldwin pick with this analysis:

"Memphis probably just got the grittiest, grindiest player in the draft. This is a terrific fit. Whether Mike Conley returns or not, Baldwin’s ability to play both guard spots will be a help. His impressive physical tools make him a pretty good bet to be a great NBA defender. Offensively, he will have some development to do, but he makes for a nice value pick here for the Grizzlies. He can learn from Tony Allen. Can we be the first to dub him the Grind-son?"

Bleacher Report gave them a ‘B+’ as they highlighted Baldwin’s ability to lead on both ends of the court and Davis’ potential to expand his range.

CBS Sports graded the Grizzlies draft as an ‘A+’ and called it “the best draft of the evening in terms of doing what you can with what you have at your disposal.”

How does that fare now? Well Wade Baldwin didn’t show anything and is now looking for a new team. Deyonta Davis hasn’t done anything to move up the rotation as he’s the third-string center. Draft-and-stash prospect Rade Zagorac was brought over too early, and he didn’t pan out, forcing the Grizzlies to release him — instead of keeping him in Europe and retaining his draft rights

The early returns of the 2016 draft can come back to the bite the Grizzlies. After such high praise, it could’ve been a defining draft for the team’s future. Now, that “defying” draft can now hurt the Grizzlies’ future.

Why does it hurt so much? They weren’t in the lottery, so it couldn’t have been that bad, right?