Mike Conley is a point guard who the Celtics could pursue this offseason if Kyrie Irving leaves. The Memphis Grizzlies could potentially acquire Gordon Hayward in return.
As the Memphis Grizzlies continue to field offers for Mike Conley we could see more teams come into the mix once free agency has officially begun. One of those teams is the Boston Celtics who could look to send away Gordon Hayward and picks for Conley if Kyrie Irving does in fact sign elsewhere.
The Grizzlies reportedly are "widely expected" to trade Mike Conley.
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) May 22, 2019
How the veteran guard could be an intriguing backup plan for the Celtics: https://t.co/A4l7cycDZg pic.twitter.com/wbxvixzip9
The Celtics could consider a move prior to the NBA Draft, but they likely will try to keep Irving as well as exploring potential Anthony Davis trades so that likely won’t be an option they consider. Them trading for Conley would likely be more of a backup plan which likely is the case for many teams that will pursue him this summer.
With other top point guards being available such as Kemba Walker and Kyrie Irving those two will be the guys being pursued by the teams with max contracts available to give. Teams that strike out in free agency will prepare deals for Mike Conley, as long as he isn’t traded prior to the draft.
The Grizzlies could look to trade him for an additional pick in this year’s draft, but they shouldn’t feel the need to do so. They could still get back a player picked in the draft if they wanted, but they shouldn’t feel like they need to rush to get a deal done just so they can get another first-round pick.
The Celtics are one team that certainly would have a prospect that they’d like. They have three picks in the first-round at 14, 20, and 22 so they’ll have options to bring back in a potential trade with Boston. The other youngsters such as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are likely off the table, but they do have plenty of options that the Grizzlies should be interested in.
This would be a good move for Memphis to make. They would get a chance to bring in more young talent while also being able to secure a quality veteran who can help lead the team into the next phase of their franchise. Hayward would have a chance to play a big role on the wing for a team not competing for a championship which would be good for him as well.
The Grizzlies have other quality players on the wing who they’ll to want to prioritize such as Dillon Brooks and Kyle Anderson, but Hayward would still be able to come in and compete for a starting job. Him coming to Memphis would be good as he wouldn’t have near the pressure that he had in Boston. He could come in and just play basketball to the best of his abilities.
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While a deal with multiple first-round picks is a no brainer for the Grizzlies it also could be a no brainer for the Celtics as well. They could try and sign a point guard in free agency as well, but they need to make sure they bring in a quality point guard for next season if they want to remain contenders in the Eastern Conference.
A backcourt of Mike Conley and Marcus Smart to go along with the frontcourt of Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and Aron Baynes is certainly strong enough to compete when you add in a strong bench unit led by Jaylen Brown. They will need to fill out the rotation with new faces who can buy into their role, but trading for Conley would give them a chance to compete at the highest level.
For the Grizzlies to get their own draft pick back from Boston will be unlikely, but they could still get multiple picks from the Celtics. While a trade seems likely to happen after the draft they could get two of the three players that the Celtics draft in the first-round. Some of the possibilities include players such as PJ Washington, Matisse Thybulle, and Mfiondu Kabengele.
While these teams haven’t really started discussing a potential trade with each other it’s possible that both teams have started to discuss the possibility internally. If the Celtics miss out on Kyrie Irving then don’t be surprised if they made a deal for Mike Conley.