Memphis Grizzlies: Don’t count on a splashy 2022 offseason
The most likely route to fortify the Memphis Grizzlies is to trade for a superstar— waiting for one to become available is the hard part
The Grizzlies could have three first-round draft picks in the next draft, depending on how the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers fare next season. The team will have cap space and roster space after the season as well.
The Memphis Grizzlies could attempt to package together their assets to trade for a disgruntled star. The star would probably need to be younger than 30 years old and under contract for multiple seasons for it to make sense for the Grizzlies.
Will Michael Porter, Jr. (assuming he signs a long-term extension) become frustrated with being the third option once Jamal Murray returns to the Nuggets? He’d be an excellent fit with the Grizzlies.
Does Karl-Anthony Towns become frustrated with another year of losing? A swap involving KAT and Jaren Jackson, Jr. could be beneficial to both players. KAT would be a terrific player for the Memphis Grizzlies when paired with Morant.
Pascal Siakam is another name to watch. His Raptors are starting a rebuild and he may not want any part of that. A slew of draft picks and expiring contracts would look attractive to a rebuilding team. He and Jaren Jackson, Jr. have similar skill sets, so that may not be the most ideal acquisition for Memphis.
Ben Simmons is a name that has been thrown around in possible trade scenarios. He may be a player worth taking a gamble on, even without him being much of a three-point threat. Simmons seems like he really needs someone in his corner to encourage him and help him develop— the Grizzlies have a great player development staff.
The biggest problem the Grizzlies face with this path is identifying a player who would be willing to come to Memphis and stay here long-term. That’s hard to do when there are tampering rules in place to prevent something exactly like this from happening. Backchannels do exist, and perhaps the team will be able to find that disgruntled star who is ready to abandon their current situation in favor of the Memphis Grizzlies.