Creating the perfect offseason plan for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2021

The Memphis Grizzlies need to formulate a trade that balances out the roster

If the Memphis Grizzlies plan to take a wing in the 2021 NBA Draft, which seems entirely likely, they would run into issues with the fact that they already have a logjam at the wing position. Here are all of the Grizzlies’ wings along with their scoring averages and minutes below.

• Dillon Brooks, 29.8 MPG/17.2 PPG
• Grayson Allen, 25.2 MPG/10.6 PPG
• Desmond Bane, 22.3 MPG/9.2 PPG
• De’Anthony Melton, 20.1 MPG/9.1 PPG
• Justise Winslow, 19.5 MPG/6.8 PPG

What do you see when you look at that list? Below Dillon Brooks, I see a bunch of players sharing minutes that should be largely taken up by a single dominant wing player. Adding another wing via the draft would only complicate things, which is why a trade may work in their favor.

If the Grizzlies do make a trade, they should seek out a third pure, traditional big man who can work beside Jaren Jackson Jr. and Steven Adams. This part throws a lot of people for a loop, as Xavier Tillman Sr. stands behind them on the depth chart, fully capable of being a strong big.

The reasoning here is that Memphis struggled badly in 2020 when Jonas Valanciunas was out of the game and the opposing team had a large center in the game. At 6-8, Tillman simply can’t size up to some guys, which is why Memphis should look for a third guy via trade.

They’ll have plenty of trade capital, with a future first-round pick now in their possession and the players listed above available for a trade. They also have Eric Bledsoe, who has a rough contract but is a capable point guard. They could even send away Brandon Clarke, as painful as that would be, in order to get another strong big.

The Grizzlies have also outwardly said that they’re looking to trade Tyus Jones, the team’s backup point guard. This leaves a massive hole behind Ja Morant, which can be easily solved.