Memphis Grizzlies: Sixth trade of offseason sets up epic training camp battle

In Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Zach Kleiman’s ongoing quest to accumulate as many filers and reclamation projects as possible, the Memphis Grizzlies have made another trade — their sixth trade of the offseason thus far.

The Memphis Grizzlies have agreed to trade the recently acquired Juancho Hernangomez to the Boston Celtics for Kris Dunn, Carsen Edwards, and the right to swap 2026 second-round picks, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Memphis Grizzlies continue to be a friendly trade partner with teams around the NBA, so long as they are willing to part with a high-ceiling player and/or draft pick.

If this trade tells us anything, it’s that when NBA Training Camp opens up on Sept. 28, the Memphis Grizzlies will have a ton of players fighting for a spot on this roster. It will quite literally be a survival of the fittest.

Some of the recently acquired players have a decent chance to make the roster, but there are only so many spots available on the roster, setting up some epic match-ups as to who will outduel who on this roster.

We can start to game out how many players will be duking it out to make the final roster for the Memphis Grizzlies. You can consider Ja Morant, Dillon Brooks, Kyle Anderson, Jaren Jackson, Jr., Steven Adams, Desmond Bane, Ziaire Williams, Tyus Jones, John Konchar, Brandon Clarke, De’Anthony Melton, Xavier Tillman, and Santi Aldama as virtual locks to make the team.

Killian Tillie currently occupies one of the two-way roster spots.

That leaves two open spots on the roster, plus one of the two-way spots, for a total of three roster spots the Memphis Grizzlies will need to fill. Among the guards on this roster, you can expect Kris Dunn, Carsen Edwards, Jarrett Culver, and Sam Merrill to duke it out for spots on the roster.

Kris Dunn was the fifth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, he has career averages of 8.2ppg and 4.1apg. If Dunn wins a spot on the roster, he will be playing for his fourth team in four seasons.

Carsen Edwards was the 33rd overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He scored a career-high 18 points in a game last season against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The former guard out of Purdue has career averages of 3.6 ppg and 1.1 RPG.

Sam Merrill, who was acquired in a trade that sent Grayson Allen to the Milwaukee Bucks, averaged 3 points per game and shot 45% from three in his rookie season last year.

Jarrett Culver, entering just his third season after being drafted sixth overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, has yet to find traction in his career, averaging just 7.8 PPG and 3.3 RPG.

Among forwards and centers, Yves Pons and Daniel Oturu will also be fighting to make the final roster. Pons is an undrafted free agent, most likely trying to make it as a two-way player for the Memphis Grizzlies. Oturu was the 33rd overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, logging just 5.4 minutes per game for a very talented Los Angeles Clippers team last season.

The Memphis Grizzlies will be watching these players very closely in training camp to see who might be able to step up and fill some voids on this young roster next season.

Only three of Culver, Edwards, Dunn, Merrill, Pons, and Oturu will make the roster cut and my money would be on Culver, Edwards, and Dunn to make the final roster as it is currently constructed.

All eyes will be on these six players competing to make the Memphis Grizzlies opening night roster.