Gorgui Dieng: The upside in a veteran center for the Memphis Grizzlies

Gorgui Dieng brings much needed reinforcement in the front court and also provides a high character team player in the locker room. How does he fit into the Memphis Grizzlies system and what will be his role going forward?

The Memphis Grizzlies made a splash at the trade deadline, involving themselves in a multi player trade that doesn’t exactly alter the immediate landscape for Memphis, but shows that the front office wants to continue winning now while stockpiling assets for the future. The acquisition of Justice Winslow is exciting for several reasons, the main reason being he is the young, high potential wing player the Grizzlies have been trying to find for years.

This did not come without sacrifice, as the intake of Dion Waiters and Gorgui Dieng all but gave away the hand Kleiman is playing with, continue to let the youth develop in 2020 and then attempt to make the jump in 2021 when cap space will be plentiful. However, after waiving Dion Waiters and having to pay his contract over the next 2 seasons, the Grizzlies are left with Dieng’s 16 million dollar a year contract on the team.

It is not the best contract to have on paper for a big that will most likely be a 10-15 minute role player on this team, but the salary hit could most certainly be worth it. A veteran, who is very good at what he does, here is a dive into what Gorgui Dieng brings to the Memphis Grizzlies.