Why the Memphis Grizzlies should target Celtics F Jaylen Brown

The Memphis Grizzlies are now a team that should be considered as being in the hunt. In the hunt for an NBA Playoff run. In the hunt to bring a new star to their team to bolster their roster. In the hunt for virtually anything related to success.

In order to get there, they need to continue to rebuild their roster to a point that they are consistently winning basketball games. Last season, they were close. The roster seemed competitive, but it was clear that they would fall short of any experienced NBA team.

This offseason, they could make some moves.

The Memphis Grizzlies should target Boston Celtics F Jaylen Brown

I’m going to preface this by saying that I’m not declaring that the Grizzlies should sell out to pick up Jaylen Brown. By saying that the Grizzlies should target Brown, I mean that Zach Kleiman should reach out and enquire about the Celtics forward.

Here’s why.

Brown is coming off of his best season as an NBA player. The 24-year old would fit right in on an extremely young Grizzlies roster and become the team’s best scorer instantly. Between him and Ja Morant, this team would have two bonafide stars running the backcourt. He would likely fill into the two-guard spot, shifting Dillon Brooks to the small forward position.

The Celtics wing averaged 24.7 points per game last season, shooting with elevated efficiency on a higher volume of shots taken. Last season, he made 48.4% of his shots overall and 39.7% of his 3-point attempts. He had a career-high in attempts per game in both of those categories.

Jaylen Brown proved that he can be an elite scorer in the NBA, which is something that the Grizzlies have not found on a consistent basis.

I’m not alone in thinking that Brown could be a great addition on this Grizzlies team, as Bleacher Report recently listed the Celtics’ star wing as a surprise trade target for Memphis.

Morant has been a strong scorer, but he went through a few scoring droughts throughout the season. He’ll get there — he’s just young right now. Valanciunas was arguably the team’s most consistent scorer, but his game is somewhat one-dimensional offensively. He’s an elite center, but not a game-changing player.

Brown can take over a game.

The issue that stands is the fact that Memphis would have to trade away a decent amount of draft capital to make this happen. The Grizzlies won’t trade Ja Morant, but the deal would likely have to involve Jaren Jackson Jr., a player who has been coming up in trade rumors for Memphis, and a first-round pick.

Right now, I don’t think Memphis should trade away JJJ, as he is at his lowest value and remains as a player with an extremely high ceiling. That said, it’s worth reaching out to the Celtics and trying to work something out.