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-
3. The Memphis Grizzlies’ trade with the Los Angeles Clippers
Eric Bledsoe came to the Memphis Grizzlies in a trade that sent Jonas Valanciunas to the New Orleans Pelicans. The general idea behind this trade was that Memphis was taking on Bledsoe and Steven Adams’ contracts in order to move up to the 10th-overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Some even speculated that Bledsoe would be released from the team.
Fast forward a few weeks and the Grizzlies flipped an aging Bledsoe for 2019’s 6th overall pick in Jarrett Culver and a really solid young role player in Juan Hernangomez.
The only reason why I can’t rank this trade higher is that it’s stuck in the middle of Zach Kleiman’s long-term plans. This trade was a means to an end, and even more specifically, an end that we haven’t seen quite yet.
Still, getting Eric Bledsoe off of the books along is a big feat. Not only did the Grizzlies manage to do that — they managed to get a lot of value out of him. This trade will continue to age well, as long as the Grizzlies front office continues to do their thing.
Trade Grade: B+
2. The Memphis Grizzlies’ trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves
This trade requires a bit of context. The Grizzlies had recently flipped Eric Bledsoe to the Los Angeles Clippers, receiving Patrick Beverley, Rajon Rondo, and Daniel Oturu in exchange. With an excess of point guards, they managed to send Beverley to the Timberwolves, where they received two players.
The first is Juancho Hernangomez, who is actually a really solid piece. I doubt the Grizzlies will hold onto him for long, though he’s a serviceable role player in the NBA who has room to improve.
The real deal here was for Jarrett Culver, the 2019 NBA Draft’s 6th-overall pick. In my opinion, this was an incredible acquisition for the Memphis Grizzlies. Culver has had a rough start to his NBA career, but his 6th-overall ceiling remains intact. If Memphis can develop him to the same degree that they’ve developed every other player on the squad, Culver can be a huge piece down the road.
In short, Memphis flipped an aging Patrick Beverley, who was on an expiring contract, for a solid role player and a 22-year old who was a high lottery pick just a couple of years back. This was a big move for Memphis.
Trade Grade: A-
1. The Memphis Grizzlies’ blockbuster trade with the New Orleans Pelicans
This trade is aging like a fine wine.
The immediate reaction to this trade was not generally positive. I’ll be the first to admit that I was a little bit disappointed, especially considering the original rumors that had surfaced that Memphis may be able to move up in the first round solely from taking on Eric Bledsoe’s contract. Still, after the dust settled, this one was a net-positive for Memphis, reaping more benefits as each day passes.
The Grizzlies had to ship off Jonas Valanciunas, their most consistent player in 2020-21, but they received a lot in return, including a player that can replace him with minimal dropoff.
In the immediate future, Memphis got a slight downgrade in Steven Adams, and at first, taking on Eric Bledsoe’s contract seemed like an awful play. That said, Memphis has managed to flip Bledsoe for what has now turned into Rajon Rondo, Daniel Oturu, Juancho Hernangomez, and Jarrett Culver. This is the same Bledsoe who was thought to be dead weight in New Orleans.
Memphis also managed to pick up Ziaire Williams at the No. 10 spot, who they would not have been able to draft at their original pick. If he becomes a strong player down the road, this trade will look even better. The 2022 protected first-round pick should end up coming over to Memphis, as the Lakers are destined to be competitive next season.
This trade started a snowball that continues to grow. The value alone that Memphis has drawn from this one is huge. The Grizzlies essentially took a slight downgrade at the center position and it resulted in more benefits than I can fit onto this page. None of the trades above this, all of which are great deals, could have happened without this original trade.
This was a work of art from Zach Kleiman and we didn’t even realize it.
Trade Grade: A
Memphis isn’t done yet, so keep your eyes peeled for more big deals in the future.