Grizzlies: Blockbuster trade for Zach LaVine could shake the entire NBA

Among other things, this Memphis Grizzlies-Chicago Bulls trade is unlikely to happen

As great as this trade might look for the Memphis Grizzlies (and the Chicago Bulls), it doesn’t seem entirely likely that this will happen. For starters, the Grizzlies are a small market team which, historically speaking, tells us that they won’t likely drop their assets so fast.

This was referenced by Dan Favale in Bleacher Report’s article.

"Non-glamour markets don’t usually unload the asset clip to nab a star entering a contract year. But the risk can be worth the reward."

Let’s say for a second that the Grizzlies are willing to drop all of their assets for LaVine. You’ll run into another obstacle. LaVine’s contract expires after 2021-22 and there is no guarantee that the Grizz will be able to sign him to an extension.

This is one of the reasons why small market teams avoid dumping assets in exchange for a star player. If LaVine were to come to Memphis and jump ship after a single season, the Grizzlies’ future would be in shambles.

So while this trade doesn’t have any clear holes on paper, it would be a huge risk. In all likelihood, we’ll never find out if Zach Kleiman is willing to take that risk.