Memphis Grizzlies Should Have Fully Severed Ties with Chris Wallace

The Memphis Grizzlies shook the NBA world after exit interviews took place. Rather than demoting Chris Wallace, they should have sent him packing.

Now that Chris Wallace has been unexpectedly demoted to a scouting role with the Memphis Grizzlies, it is time for Grizz fans to be thankful, but still upset.

Let’s face it. J.B. Bickerstaff was not the guy for the job. He was okay for an interim head coach. Chris Wallace jumped the gun on promoting him to full-time status. He should have at least conducted a thorough search, but rather it was a quick decision to hand him the keys to the Grizzlies’ driver’s seat.

Even pushing the J.B. Bickerstaff storylines to the side, Wallace should have been removed from the General Manager position long before now. He has been the lead decision-maker in poor NBA Draft selections, free-agent signings, and coaching hires. Though he has had some successes, most of those within the past two seasons have been an “undo” button of sorts. Chris Wallace has been getting lucky in being able to reverse some of his terrible decisions.

Wallace should have never made it this far — the end of the 2018-19 NBA season. He was given too long of a leash leading up to his contract extension, which took place in December of 2016. Wallace has been in his General Manager role for 12 full seasons. Clearly, the Memphis Grizzlies were too tolerant for too long. They finally managed to make a change, just in time for the new era of Grizz basketball in Memphis.

Following the crazy and unreal series of events from the day after the end of the Grizzlies’ regular season, a major sigh of relief can be heard throughout the NBA world from Grizz Nation. Finally, Chris Wallace is not the man in charge of making basketball decisions. It truly is a new era at this point. A new head coach will be in the fold soon enough, too. Yet, Wallace’s presence still exists within the Grizzlies organization, and this fact should have Memphis up in arms.

The Grizzlies dismissed coach J.B. Bickerstaff and reassigned GM Chris Wallace to a scouting capacity in the front office, league sources tell ESPN. VP John Hollinger will also move into a senior advisory role.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 11, 2019

The Memphis Grizzlies were atop NBA headlines on Thursday afternoon, and rightfully so. The news is what most Grizz fans wanted to see and hear, too. Yet, why keep Chris Wallace in any role? J.B. Bickerstaff was 100% released, and the same should have been done to Wallace. His time in Memphis is done, so why move him to a minimal scouting role?

Honestly, a scouting role is the worst fit for Wallace, regardless of the amount of involvement. The former Grizzlies NBA Draft selections of Hasheem Thabeet, Jamaal Franklin, Jordan Adams, Wade Baldwin, and others are attached to his name. His track record with scouting young talent is below average.

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Additionally, as the Memphis Grizzlies begin to think about the 2019 NBA Draft — assuming they will own a pick or picks on Draft Night — do they really need Wallace’s fingerprints on this selection? Again, the shot clock has expired. No, the final buzzer has sounded on Chris Wallace’s time with the Memphis Grizzlies. He should not receive demotion; these ties should be fully severed.

Perhaps this is the franchise’s way of softening the blow for Chris Wallace receiving the unexpected news on Thursday. Maybe this is their way of forcing him out, but allowing him to encompass some sort of job while he puts his name in various hats in hopes of landing his next big gig in the NBA or elsewhere.

Regardless, this is the NBA. It is 2019. Teams do it all the time. Relieve these guys of their duties and move on to searching for the best components of the next regime. After all, 12 seasons was a long time for Chris Wallace, who was already on borrowed time as an NBA General Manager. It was past time for him to pass the sticks.