The acquisition of Danny Green has seemed to fly under the radar of a majority of fans around the association. On draft night, Green was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies alongside the draft rights to David Roddy in exchange for De’Anthony Melton.
Most media outlets’ main focus was how good of a pickup Melton was for Philadelphia, while Grizzlies fans could not help but question who would make up the electric guard’s production going into next season.
What should the Memphis Grizzlies do with Danny Green in 2022-23?
When Danny Green’s name was brought up, the impression that most around the league had was that he would eventually be bought out, similar to what the front office has done with aging vets on expiring contracts acquired by trade in the past.
When asked about Danny Green’s future involvement with the team on June 24, Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman stated that Danny’s future involvement with the team was “TBD.”
This ominous perspective of Green staying in Memphis somewhat shifted in early July when he was spotted sitting courtside at a Grizzlies summer league game next to Kleiman, Head Coach Taylor Jenkins, Ja Morant, and Tyus Jones.
The fact of the matter is that the Grizzlies currently have 18 players on the roster (not counting training camp invites), which is one greater than the maximum number of players allowed. This means that there is still one subtraction that has to be made from the squad before opening night on October 19.
With that being said, let’s dive into some of the pros and cons of whether or not Danny Green should remain a member of the Memphis Grizzlies next season.
Why the Memphis Grizzlies should keep Danny Green: Veteran Leadership
It goes without saying that Danny Green is an extremely well-respected veteran around the league.
His 13 years of NBA experience, 12 of which included playoff experience, show his successful tenure thus far. He has also appeared in four NBA Finals, in which he won three with three different squads in the Spurs, Raptors, and Lakers.
He has played a total of 165 playoff games in his career, which is 35 more than the whole Grizzlies roster besides Steven Adams combined. Even if you add Steven Adams’ 66 career playoff games to the mix, Green would not trail the full team’s experience by much. He can provide a voice of much-needed experience to the youthful Memphis Grizzlies come playoff time that not many other guys around the league can offer.
The timetable on his return to game action after such a devastating leg injury at 35 years old is questionable, but even if he can not play until the playoffs, his knowledge of the game that he can pass down to this young Grizzlies squad would be highly beneficial. He was a member of the All-Defensive second team in 2016-17, so even if his athleticism is not like it was in his prime or even a year ago, he can provide his voice to help guys know where to be defensively in certain situations.
His mentality and off-the-court presence also fit perfectly with the culture that the Grizzlies have built.
On his podcast, “Inside the Green Room”, Green stated “I will be back. It’s not going to take me a year. I will be back before the all-star break, and you better believe it. I’ll work my tail off in rehab to get back healthy…”
This shows the true grit and desire to contribute to winning basketball that Danny Green possesses, which is what the Grizzlies basketball is all about.
Danny Green’s veteran leadership and his championship pedigree, regardless of his playing status, would undoubtedly be a pro for the Grizzlies next season.
Injury concerns could force Memphis Grizzlies to part with Danny Green
While Danny Green is confident that he will be back before the all-star break, there is a real possibility that he will not be in game shape until the start of the playoffs.
Even if that is the case, there is no guarantee that Green will still be able to be as impactful as he has been in recent years, specifically on the defensive end. A torn ACL and LCL in your leg at any age is not easy to bounce back from, so with him being 35, it is realistic that his athleticism will take a hit and that he will not be able to keep up with some of the more athletic guards around the league anymore.
His game on the offensive end does not require hardly any athleticism, as he mainly scores on catch-and-shoot opportunities and spaces the floor for his teammates. Being an impactful defender, on the other hand, certainly requires lateral quickness and foot speed, which could be slightly lost after such an impactful injury.
Green was a much better on-ball defender last season than some give him credit for, as he ranked in the 85.2 percentile on-ball amongst all players according to Bball Index. While it is not a guarantee, there is a real chance that number slightly decreases when he returns. There is also a possibility that the major injury he sustained could lead to more nagging injury problems in the future.
The Grizzlies front office could look at this situation and decide that if Green will not be available for a majority of the season, then it will not be worth using a roster spot on him.
Injury concerns surrounding Danny Green are definitely a con on whether he should stay in Memphis next season or not.
Why the Memphis Grizzlies should keep Danny Green: Perimeter Shooting
When the name Danny Green comes to mind, the first quality that stands out is his ability to shoot the basketball.
He has a career three-point percentage of 39.9% on 4.8 attempts per game, a true sign of his marksmanship from beyond the arc. His 314 career made threes in the playoffs rank ninth in the history of the NBA. These are only a select few of the eye-popping stats he has produced throughout his 13-year career shooting the basketball.
Don’t think that he has gotten worse from this aspect as he has aged though, as according to BBall Index, Green was in the 92.6 percentile amongst all players last season in catch-and-shoot three-point shot making.
He also shot 40.8% on 6.3 attempts per game in the 12 playoff games he appeared in last year. He is definitely still one of the league’s most dangerous threats from three-point land this far into his career.
Now, imagine Danny Green inserted on this Grizzlies team who ranked twenty-third in total three-point makes last season. Having him next to Desmond Bane on the wing would open up the floor for Ja Morant and the whole Memphis offense tremendously. He could very well be the floor spacer off the bench that this team needed desperately at times in 2021-22.
Danny Green’s ability to shoot the basketball at such an efficient rate would be a huge plus for the Grizzlies next season.
Con: The Possible Minute Distribution Problem
One of the Grizzlies’ biggest strengths last season was their tremendous depth off of their bench.
Keeping Danny Green on the bench would help sustain some of that depth, but could also take away some minutes from young guys who the coaching staff will likely want to develop, such as David Roddy.
The front office also just handed John Konchar a three-year extension this off-season that keeps him in Memphis for the next five years, indicating that he will probably have an increased role next season as well.
Ziaire Williams is another young player who could possibly get some run at the two next season due to his increased shot creation and his defensive versatility, which if successful could be extremely influential in his development.
If Danny Green stays on the roster, there would be a possibility that once he’s healthy, he would crack the rotation and take away some crucial minutes from young guys whom the front office want to give opportunities to in meaningful moments.
Pro: Green’s Expendable Contract
The final pro of keeping Danny Green on the roster going into next season is the fact that his expiring contract is very expendable.
His 1 year, $10 million dollar contract could easily be used in a trade for a possible upgrade at the trade deadline. He is one of four total expiring contracts (considering Brandon Clarke will likely get an extension soon) that Memphis has on their roster, with two being important starters Dillon Brooks and Steven Adams and the other being Killian Tille on a $1.9 million dollar deal.
If the Grizzlies do decide they want an upgrade at the deadline (such as a scorer off the bench or another backup big), Green would almost certainly be included in the deal, as his expiring contract could be seen as a sign and waive candidate to selling teams around the league.
When looking at all of the pros and cons, it is very likely that we will see Danny Green on the Grizzlies bench come opening night. His veteran leadership and championship pedigree mixed with his perimeter shooting and his expendable contract outweigh the injury concerns and potential minute distribution problems, and there is a real possibility that we could look up come playoff time and find that Danny Green is a key contributor to the Grizzlies’ success.