3 (almost) untouchable assets for the Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies placed a sizeable bet that Ziaire Williams will be the wing of the future for the franchise

The front office essentially swapped Jonas Valanciunas for the right to draft Ziaire WIlliams. It’s no secret that Valanciunas carried the Memphis Grizzlies on many nights, registering 49 double-doubles in 62 games played, according to Stat Muse.

Valanciunas was beloved by fans and his absence will cause some to compare the production of WIlliams to the production of Valanciunas — which would not be fair.

But, because the Memphis Grizzlies sacrificed such an important piece, it makes sense to see if the gamble to draft Williams pays off. Give him a couple of years and let’s see if he’s able to consistently contribute to the team.

Williams has drawn comparisons to Cam Reddish and Brandon Ingram, so you don’t want to sell too early on such a young prospect. If you trade him now and he turns out to be the next Brandon Ingram — well, you just let an All-Star player get away.