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

1. What is to come

All the positives listed above, do of course come with their negatives, and these are things Taylor Jenkins and company will have to consider. Gorgui started in the G League this season, and after a rampant return to the team, his numbers were less than stellar save for a few games. He has been put in a tough spot on a Timberwolves team that has for the most part been a black hole of advanced analytics, coming off the bench and not being able to have much of an impact on the game.

His contract is terrible, and will most likely be unmovable until he hits free agency, but the Grizzlies knew this. Kleiman has demonstrated his acumen in regards to the team being built on a model of sustainability while also being able to look forward into the future. The fact of the matter is that a franchise like the Grizzlies has to be willing to take on salary cap dumps, even at the cost of short-term aspirations. It is even better when Memphis can take on a bad contract and turn it into something useful, and that’s exactly what the staff will be trying to do here.

To acquire someone like Justice Winslow, there are certainly costs such as the financial hit of both Waiters and Dieng. Justice Winslow, if he can stay healthy, is another building block piece to a young core that is arguable already one of the most talented in the league. But, for a guy like Dieng,  a seasoned veteran who has won big before, and has mentored at the highest level, coming into a team full of young talent and being asked to be that sort of basketball guide will be something he relishes. Grizzlies fans should be excited, ignore the contract, and watch the big man from Senegal make an impact.

Welcome to Memphis Gorgui, and as always, once a Cardinal always a Cardinal.