3 targets to aim for if the Memphis Grizzlies trade Dillon Brooks

Memphis Grizzlies could use Dillon Brooks to move up in 2022 NBA Draft

The clearest, cleanest way to do this would be to build a package around Brooks and Portland’s No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Brooks, who attended the University of Oregon, wouldn’t be too far from his old stomping grounds and could fill a big need on that team. The Grizzlies could do right by him and send him to a team that has a chance to be competitive instead of a team that’s habitually in the lottery purgatory.

Rumors have been swirling for a few days now that Portland may be looking to dangle their No. 7 overall pick to get Lillard some help.

Could a package of Brooks, Xavier Tillman Sr., and Memphis’ No. 22 overall pick get the Blazers to move off their No. 7 overall pick?  It’s tough to say. There are likely to be several bidders for Portland’s pick.

What could the Grizzlies do with the No. 7 overall pick? Well, they could use that to go after a top-tier prospect. Even though this is seen as a three-player draft, picks No. 4 through 9 or 10 have starter-level potential.

Maybe the Grizzlies go out and get Jalen Duren from the University of Memphis to keep him in Grind City. Can you imagine the strength, athleticism, and size of Duren (6’11” and 250 lbs) alongside Jaren Jackson Jr.? That’s scary stuff. He could come off the bench for a year and learn from Steven Adams before taking over as a starter in 2023-24.

As a freshman for the Tigers, Duren averaged 12.0 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.1 BPG in 25 minutes per game.