The Memphis Grizzlies need to move Gorgui Dieng before the trade deadline

The Memphis Grizzlies are a team that has plenty of trade capital, but doesn’t necessarily need to make a move. They’re without a top player and over-performing thanks to strong bench play, so there aren’t any major holes on this team.

That being said, there is one guy who is weighing down this team, at least from a money standpoint. That man’s name is Gorgui Dieng.

I love Gorgui Dieng as a player. He’s extremely versatile and can make an impact on both sides of the ball.

The issue with Dieng though, however, is that his contract is really bad. When you’re a solid contributor like he is and you have a bad contract, it has to be really brutal.

Memphis Grizzlies C Gorgui Dieng could be a decent trade asset

When I describe just how unfortunate this contract is, I’m not exaggerating. He’s on the final year of a $17 million per year deal. For a guy who hasn’t played significant minutes in over a month, that’s a tough look.

But there are plenty of teams out there that would love to have him. If they have no immediate money problems, some franchises might love to get a veteran presence that they could resign for cheap after the expiration of his contract.

The Grizzlies, on the other hand, are a young team with plenty of talent down low. From the injured Jaren Jackson Jr. to Jonas Valanciunas, all the way to rookie center Xavier Tillman, there simply isn’t room for Dieng to find minutes.

And that’s why the Grizzlies need to deal him out while they can. They obviously won’t get any value out of him going forward if they don’t, so now is the time to move him.

This isn’t just here-say either, the Memphis Grizzlies main plan is to get him off of their payroll before the NBA Trade Deadline. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer had this to say about the 31-year old center:

"“Multiple front office executives cited center Gorgui Dieng as the name to watch. Dieng is 31 and will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but he’s a solid two-way big who can hit spot-up 3s, make smart plays with the pass, and grind on defense.”"

In a trade market that doesn’t have many big men, his value will be slightly higher than it realistically should. That being said, the Grizzlies won’t be cheating anyone out of anything, as Dieng has given Memphis some efficient minutes when he’s out on the floor.

If the Grizzlies can’t find a suitor for Dieng, he’ll end up rotting away at the back of the bench for the rest of 2021. Memphis can’t find space for him without Jackson Jr. in the lineup, so they definitely won’t play him with the young forward back in the game.