After an action-packed 2020-21 NBA season for the Memphis Grizzlies, the front office decided that they wanted to keep the excitement going throughout the offseason. They did this by creating a handful of trades that, in the short run, set the team back. That said, each one of these deals could pay dividends down the road.
The Grizzlies’ activity isn’t done this offseason, either. This is a team that is building for the future and Zach Kleiman has been extremely busy working toward the end goal of building a championship-caliber team.
Today, I’m going to be grading and ranking each one of these trades, starting with one that nobody saw coming on 2021 NBA Draft day.
Side note — I’m intentionally leaving out the Grayson Allen trade, which was strictly business. Consider that the 5th-best trade here, as the Grizzlies were left with no option but to salvage any value they could get out of him.
4. Memphis Grizzlies’ draft-day trade with the Utah Jazz
This trade was somewhat surprising, and if I’m being honest, seemed pretty unnecessary. That said, Memphis would not have given away two future second-round picks if they weren’t happy with the guy that they were moving up to select.
Even though Aldama wasn’t a high-profile draft prospect, Memphis has done well in the later rounds of the draft. If all goes well, the Spanish big man will turn into a floor-stretching big who can play effectively as Jaren Jackson Jr.’s backup.
Still, of every trade the Grizzlies have made, this one seems like the least impactful. It’s still a good deal though, which is a testament to how well Memphis has performed this offseason, as this is the worst deal on this list.
Trade Grade: B-