Memphis Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace has stated that Mike Conley and Marc Gasol are untouchable. How long should this be the case?
A few weeks ago, Memphis Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon that he has “no intention” to trade Marc Gasol and Mike Conley. He says the team is still “full speed ahead.”
About two weeks later, and the team looks to be going full speed ahead towards the possibility of a top-five pick instead of a playoff spot.
Mike Conley coming back from injury will certainly make this team better, but is it really good enough to rally back into the playoffs? Even with Conley back, you should still expect to see guys like Mario Chalmers and Ben McLemore in the rotation, and that’s not a winning recipe. Over the past 16 games, they’ve only won one game. Since November 1st, the Grizzlies have one win at home.
Playoff teams don’t do that, even without their starting point guard.
While Chris Wallace says the team is still going “full speed ahead,” when should they consider trading one — or both — of their aging stars to ignite a rebuild?
When the time is right
For Marc Gasol, they might need to test the waters as soon as possible.
Given his comments to the media, Gasol seems displeased as he simply blames others for mishaps thus far. His recent play also suggests frustration and disinterest, as evident with his recent matchups against Steven Adams and Bam Adebayo.
He’ll be 33 next month, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to explore now before his trade value deteriorates anymore. At his age, it’s tough to know exactly what you’d get in return. However, there should be some options that should lure them into a trade. Any package involving a first-round pick, more importantly the coveted Brooklyn pick, should grab their attention for sure. If they can get any promising, young players in return (Thon Maker or Jabari Parker?), they should pounce as that could expedite a rebuild.
For Mike Conley, the Grizzlies should wait until at least the offseason to explore the market — unless the right deal comes along. It’s very possible for him to not be on the trade block until the 2019 trade deadline.
More so with Conley, the Grizzlies would need the ideal trade package to pull the trigger, one consisting of some sort of combination of young talent and picks. However, with the influx of point guards in the league, it’s hard to find the perfect deal. Most teams either have an untouchable point guard in the form of an All-Star-caliber guard or a rookie with such potential.
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Closing Remarks
Trading your star players is hard, especially when they’ve done so much for the team over the years. However, we’ve seen around the league when it’s time.
It’s scary to do so as you’ve seen how the Magic and the Pelicans haven’t really bounced back since trading away their stars.
We’ve also seen the success behind trading them as opposed to letting them walk for nothing.
The Pacers traded away Paul George but are reaping the star benefits of Victor Oladipo. Boston broke apart their Big 3 after they couldn’t get past LeBron’s Heat team. They capitalized on Brooklyn’s eagerness to win, and less than five years later, they’re a top team in the East and have one of the brightest futures in the league.
We’ve also seen times where teams waited too long to move on from a core. When the Hawks were on top of the Eastern Conference, they had the incredible starting lineup of Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, Demarre Carroll, Paul Millsap and Al Horford. Two-and-a-half years later, none of them are on the team, and three of them walked away in free agency with nothing in return. For Teague and Korver, they received the 12th pick (Taurean Prince), Mike Dunleavy and second-round picks.
The Memphis Grizzlies are going nowhere right now. They must do what’s best for the future, even if it means trading away Mike Conley and Marc Gasol.