Trading for Miles Bridges would turn the Grizzlies into a highlight factory

The Memphis Grizzlies are already one of the most exciting teams to watch at the NBA level. With Ja Morant on the roster, fans are getting a show every time they show up at a game in FedEx Forum.

But if the Grizzlies had an opportunity to draw an even wider audience while drastically improving their wing talent, why wouldn’t they do it?

Right now, the Hornets and Grizzlies are in similar positions. They both have exciting young point guards who look like the future of the league and a strong, young supporting cast that keeps your eyes glued to the screen for 48 minutes.

Memphis, however, is much further ahead in its rebuild.

The Memphis Grizzlies adding Miles Bridges would equally benefit both teams

It’s hard to say that the Hornets would be eager to deal out Miles Bridges right now. The small forward just had a career year, averaging 12.7 points per game and increasing his efficiency drastically, even with a higher volume of shooting.

At the same time, Bridges is also at peak value thus far in his career and the rest of the Hornets may not be able to keep up.

Unlike the Grizzlies, the Hornets have not yet been able to establish a winning culture in Charlotte yet. They’ve got some strong pieces in play but aren’t necessarily ready to compete. The Grizzlies, on the other hand, are there. They just played in their first NBA Playoff series since the rebuild began and looked extremely competitive against a good Utah Jazz team.

At this point, Memphis will not get much value out of their future draft picks and instead, need to start signing proven NBA players. Enter Miles Bridges. Even though Miles Bridges probably isn’t the first name that will come to mind for the Grizz, he would be the perfect fit on Beale Street.

Here’s why.

This past season, the Grizzlies were trending in the wrong direction from the 3-point line. They finished the year ranked 24th in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game, a sign of negative things to come, at least from deep. Bridges, on the other hand, just had a career year from deep, knocking down 40% of his long-range shots.

He would bring unmatched athleticism to a Grizzlies roster without sacrificing shooting prowess. Not to mention a defensive tenacity that he learned from his time at Michigan State.

Oh, I almost forgot the best part.

If the Grizzlies were able to secure Bridges, they would be reconnecting the former Michigan State forward with two of his college teammates in Xavier Tillman Sr. and Jaren Jackson Jr. Team chemistry would not miss a beat for a Grizzlies team that wants to be immediately competitive.

As things stand, Memphis would likely have to trade away some decent capital, which may be worth it for a player who is improving at the rate that Bridges is. A team with Ja Morant and Miles Bridges wouldn’t go a single game without an eye-popping highlight.