We’re about a month away from the start of training camp and the Memphis Grizzlies are still constructing the roster for the 2021-22 NBA season.
As of the time that I’m writing this article, the team requires several transactions to trim the roster down to the league maximum of 15 players. The most optimal way to reduce the roster would be in the form of trades.
Kyle Anderson is entering the final year of his contract with the Memphis Grizzlies and will be playing at the age of 28 this NBA season
The Grizzlies will soon have to make a big decision regarding Anderson: sign him to a contract extension, trade him, or let him walk in free agency next offseason.
Anderson’s value as a player has never been higher. He averaged a career-high 12.4 points per game last season for the Grizzlies while pulling down 5.7 rebounds. He also dished out a career-best 3.6 points per game last season.
The seven-year veteran is due for a significant contract extension that the Grizzlies may not want to pay. The Memphis Grizzlies have been making moves to get players on the same age timeline as Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson, Jr., which is why it seems unlikely the Grizzlies would want to commit a sizable portion of cap space to someone who will be playing into their early-to-mid 30s by the end of the hypothetical next contract.
This is why finding a suitable trade partner could allow the team to collect an asset or two instead of allowing Anderson to walk for nothing.
Kyle Anderson would be the perfect rental for a team in playoff contention that may just be one piece of the puzzle to make a run at an NBA championship. Alternatively, the team could deal him to a team looking to tank and trim salary from their books next season.
Additionally, if a trade is made for Kyle Anderson, it could allow Desmond Bane to enter the starting line-up and allow Ziaire Williams and Jarrett Culver a few looks during meaningful minutes.