Throughout this offseason for the Memphis Grizzlies thus far, there hasn’t been much traction when it comes to potential trades. Jaren Jackson Jr.’s name has been thrown around a bit, but trading him seems like a move in the wrong direction for the Grizz.
The primary drama is in regards to Justise Winslow, who has a $13 million team option that the Grizzlies could accept or decline.
This week, however, rumors surfaced via Bleacher Report that Memphis may be in talks with the New Orleans Pelicans in a deal that would send Eric Bledsoe to Beale Street in a deal that almost seems too good to be true.
The Memphis Grizzlies will not find a better value out of any trade this season
Before I start receiving the classic fan overreactions, I’d like to specify one thing — Eric Bledsoe is simply a pawn in this trade. In all likelihood, Memphis would not end up paying him the full $17 million left on his contract.
Instead, they’d most likely cut him and leave him with the $3.9 million that was originally guaranteed on his contract. But why would they do this?
Before I go any further, here’s a theory on what this deal would look like.
I know what you’re thinking — this trade makes zero sense for the New Orleans Pelicans. In response to that, I don’t really know what to tell you. This is the type of trade that the Memphis Grizzlies would have to accept.
As previously mentioned, Memphis is only locked into $3.9 million of Bledsoe’s contract for the next year, which has little impact on a Grizzlies team that has an excess of money for the 2021-22 season anyway. I mean, we’ve been talking about giving Justise Winslow $13 million. Think about that.
At the end of the day, Memphis would essentially be paying $3.9 million to move up from the 17th overall pick to the 10th overall pick — a deal that any NBA franchise would take. This would mean that the Grizz are in lottery territory, where they could pick up a player who turns into a true NBA star.
At the 17th spot, they’re stuck with some risky in-betweener players. If the talks behind this move have serious legs, Zach Kleiman and his entourage need to move in quick. This could be the pick that makes the difference for Memphis down the road.