The Memphis Grizzlies need to make good use of their #4 pick in this year’s draft. Whether that’s by using the pick on a young prospect or trading the pick, they better make sure it works out.
Some Memphis Grizzlies fans have strong opinions about this. Some strongly feel that the Grizzlies should keep the pick, while others feel strongly that they should trade it. I’m sure that the Front Office will consider both options and do what is best for the team.
What would the Grizzlies want?
The Grizzlies have a few pieces that they could want in a potential deal with Boston. For starters, in any deal, you would expect for the Grizzlies to want their 2019 first rounder back. The Celtics likely would try to keep that from being a piece of the deal but the Grizzlies shouldn’t consider any deal without either that pick back or Jaylen Brown.
Jaylen Brown is a special player who had a great season in Boston. He was a solid role player who showed flashes in his rookie season but he looked like a future star this season. He averaged 14.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game this season. His three-point shooting percentage improved from 34% to just under 40% this season. His free throw percentage being just 64.4% this season is a bit concerning but nothing that should keep the Grizzlies from trading for him.
The Grizzlies have some other options in potential trades such as Terry Rozier as well as adding future picks but the Grizzlies should only make a deal that includes Brown. “Scary Terry” was legit this postseason, there’s no doubt about that, but he is a free-agent after next season and I wouldn’t be confident in the Grizzlies being able to sign him with all the contract issues we already have.
No matter what Danny Ainge offers the Grizzlies, I wouldn’t do any deal that does not include Jaylen Brown. I don’t care how many picks or other players he puts into a deal. If Jaylen Brown isn’t in it, I would almost certainly disagree with the move.
What other pieces would the Celtics want?
The Celtics had interest in JaMychal Green in the past and maybe they still do even though he didn’t have the best season. He certainly is still capable of being a solid role player for any team, even a title contending team like the Celtics. He is a capable shooter which I’m sure the Celtics love.
JaMychal Green told @bostonsportsbsj that the #Celtics pursued him in free agency last summer. Details on that meeting, why a potential sign-and-trade didn't happen and more: https://t.co/5UipkuMK3c
— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) February 27, 2018
They also were rumored to have interest in trading for him at the deadline in February of 2017, so they have had interest in him for awhile. I’m not sure if that interest still exists, but it’s something that Memphis could potentially offer if needed to get a young star like Brown or to ensure they get better picks in the future from the Celtics.
Another player the Celtics could possibly want from the Grizzlies would be point guard Andrew Harrison. Marcus Smart is a free agent this season and has made it known how much he thinks he’s worth. Boston may struggle to get the money to keep him. Terry Rozier is going into the last year of his deal and may be on his way out of Boston.
Harrison has been better in Memphis than he gets credit for at times. He made some big plays in the playoff series vs the Spurs in 2017. His chase-down block was one of my favorite plays in Grizzlies history. He will battle for whatever team he plays for.
The Grizzlies like him as their backup to Conley, though, so they’d have to give a good deal to Memphis for them to add Harrison to any deal.
The Celtics could also consider acquiring Ben McLemore from the Grizzlies in a deal. They were interested in trading for him a few years back when he was a member of the Kings. The team has changed so much since then and McLemore’s stock has gone down, so they may not have any interest in him anymore. He is still a young player and could be a rotation player if he stays healthy.
What could a potential deal look like?
It all depends on how much the Celtics truly like Bamba. If they love his game as much as some of these rumors are speculating, then they might not have as much trouble putting Jaylen Brown in one of these deals as some may think. Both sides will need a really good offer to get a deal done.
A possible trade could become:
Grizzlies receive: Jaylen Brown, Celtics #27 pick, Grizzlies 2019 Top 8 protected pick
Celtics receive: Grizzlies #4 pick, Ben McLemore, Grizzlies 2020 second round pick