Why the Memphis Grizzlies should trade for Victor Oladipo

The Memphis Grizzlies are a team that has an extremely consistent roster. When I say that, I mean that Taylor Jenkins’ team has an extremely even skill level all throughout. Yes, Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. are clearly a tier above everybody else, but the rest of the guys are at similar talent levels.

Most notably, we see this pop up in the rotation. Rather than stick to a normal eight or nine player rotation, the Grizzlies have 11 players who are earning over 20 minutes per game this year.

It’s not a bad thing; we’ve seen teams succeed with large rotations, but for the most part, successful teams stick to a smaller mix of players.

The Memphis Grizzlies have to go against the grain to take a step forward

Again, me saying that the Grizzlies have to go against the grain may not mean a lot to you. What I’m trying to say is that this team has found something that works for them, but hasn’t worked well enough. Yes, this team is still young, but what if their current philosophy keeps them stuck around a .500 record?

In a modern NBA, you need more than two stars to succeed. Victor Oladipo could complete a three-headed monster in Memphis.

Trading for Victor Oladipo would give this team a genuinely valuable veteran presence. No disrespect to Jonas Valanciunas, but Oladipo could guide this team in a way that JV is simply not capable of.

He also fits into Jenkins’ system as an elite defender, having been the NBA steals leader and earning an NBA All-Defensive first team honor in 2018. He’s not an amazing 3-point shooter, but he’s a good enough volume shooter to enter the starting lineup and get this team going from long range.

I don’t like getting into trade detail hypotheticals, but it’s clear that the Grizzlies would have to give up some of their young talent. The Rockets will be entering full rebuild, starting with this embarrassing season, while the Grizzlies are starting to commit to pieces of their rebuild.

This brings us right back to the Grizzlies rotational anomaly. Oladipo could nail down a rotating carousel that Taylor Jenkins has been dealing with at the shooting guard position. We love Dillon Brooks, Grayson Allen, and De’Anthony Melton, but why do we need three guys of a similar skill level sharing minutes?

Trading for Oladipo would be an instant upgrade and the Grizzlies have the young talent to send to Houston that would make a trade worthwhile. In all likelihood, they’d have to throw in a draft pick or two, but this is a deal that the Grizzlies should try to get done.