This Memphis Grizzlies trade would drastically upgrade bench in 2022-23

The Memphis Grizzlies have endured quite a bit of roster churn this offseason with the departures of rotation players Kyle Anderson (to Minnesota via UFA) and De’Anthony Melton (to Philadelphia via trade), as well as reserve players Yves Pones and Jarrett Culver who were not re-signed.

As things currently stand, Head Coach Taylor Jenkins will have a lot of figuring out to do in terms of how he replaces the huge bench void in 2022-23.

The team could have as many as five rookies on the main roster next season at any given point, which is a huge gamble, considering this was one of the youngest teams in the NBA last season.

So how can the Grizzlies get a little older, a little wiser, and add some much-needed bench scoring to their roster? Well, the easiest solution would be to strike up a trade.

Memphis Grizzlies trade would bring in much-needed bench scoring

Zach Buckley of the Bleacher Report recently proposed a trade that would greatly benefit the Grizzlies and the best part about it is that it wouldn’t cost anything of significance to complete the trade.

The hypothetical trade is centered around the Memphis Grizzlies acquiring Josh Richardson, a journeyman shooting guard who is currently a member of the San Antonio Spurs, in exchange for Danny Green, and multiple second-round draft picks.

Richardson, a former Tennessee Volunteer, has played for five teams since entering the league in 2015. He competed for the Miami Heat for the first four seasons of his career but has played for four different teams in the past three seasons (Philadelphia, Dallas, Boston, San Antonio).

He’s a really solid shooter (42.8 FG%, 36.5 3P% in his career) and can get you 30 minutes per game if needed. Richardson has had the misfortune of being an attractive piece to include in various trade deals, which is why he’s moved around so much.

Richardson, 28, has averaged as much as 16.6 ppg (2018-19 with Miami), but last season he averaged 11.4 ppg in 21 appearances with the Spurs.

You could plug him in with Tyus Jones, Ziaire Williams, David Roddy, and Xavier Tillman Sr. and you have a really complimentary bench unit that can take care of the ball and get buckets.

Like Danny Green, Richardson has just one year left on his contract, so this would be a low-risk, medium-reward scenario for Memphis. Essentially giving up a few second-round picks acquired from other teams to take a gamble on Richardson is one worth taking.

Green is reportedly shooting for a return to action near the All-Star break, so he’s not doing much good for the Grizzlies other than giving advice and being a pillar of support.

Richardson could be plugged in immediately and help give this bench a scoring and three-point shooting boost. It’ll allow Jenkins to not have to rely so heavily on rookies Kennedy Chandler, David Roddy, Jake LaRavia, Vince Williams Jr., and Kenneth Lofton Jr. to be part of the regular-season rotation.

If this is a deal the Spurs are amenable to execute, the Grizzlies should absolutely make this trade happen and shore up their bench before the start of training camp in September.