3 players who could replace Dillon Brooks for the Grizzlies

With the Grizzlies reportedly done with Dillon Brooks, a hole has opened in their starting lineup. Who could they look to bring in to fill the void? 

All things must come to an end, and that seems to be the case for Dillon Brooks’ career with the Memphis Grizzlies. NBA insider Shams Charania reported Tuesday afternoon that the Grizzlies will not bring Dillon Brooks back “under any circumstances”, according to league sources.

It would be one thing to simply say that he is not expected to return, but the “under any circumstances” line really brings a different energy. The team clearly has had enough of his antics and poor shooting, and the final straw had to be his performance against the Lakers in their 4-2 series loss. Now that Brooks is definitely being shown the door, the focus can go toward finding an upgrade at the small forward spot. Let’s start with a player they have already shown interest in during the season.

Grizzlies could target Nets Mikal Bridges as Dillon Brooks replacement

This is both the best, but least likely, option for the Grizzlies to upgrade over Dillon Brooks. Mikal Bridges was reportedly a target for the Grizzlies already during this year’s trade deadline, but he was ultimately sent to the Nets as part of the Kevin Durant trade. He was sensational in 27 games for Brooklyn, averaging 26.1 points, 2.7 assists, and 4.5 rebounds a night with excellent shooting splits.

He would immediately be the second option offensively, taking pressure off Desmond Bane and Ja Morant. His defense would be as good if not better than Dillon Brooks provided as well thanks to his length and athleticism.

The problem is that the Nets would need an absolute haul to trade him, and that’s if they even would be willing to. They may be rebuilding, but Bridges is a young and ascending player. They have no reason to move him unless a team is willing to overpay. It would take multiple firsts and likely a player like Desmond Bane to get it done, which would just open another hole in the lineup. This one seems a bit too rich.

Grizzlies could use OG Anunoby’s skillset

Mikal Bridges wasn’t the only wing that the Grizzlies were interested in at the deadline. OG Anunoby was also being rumored as a potential trade target before the Raptors ultimately stayed put at the deadline, instead choosing to keep their core intact. That decision did not work out, and now they are looking at a potential rebuild after firing Head Coach Nick Nurse.

Anunoby is one of the players they have who still has a lot of value on the market. He is under team control until 2025 and at a reasonable price of around $19 million a season. Any team who trades for him will need to extend him, but his price should still be palatable for any team trying to contend for a title. He is a true two-way wing with an efficient offensive game and plenty of length and athleticism to be a menace defensively.

The question is how much it will take for the Grizzlies to pry him away from Toronto. Could it be a few firsts and a young player? Will they play hardball and try and get a team to overpay for him? It’s hard to say with all the changes going on with them right now. Expect Memphis to be making a lot of calls across the border this summer to find out.

Grizzlies could look to free agency with Jerami Grant

This one isn’t as clean of a fit, but Jerami Grant would be a huge addition to the lineup and would give the Grizzlies a ton of versatility on both ends of the court. He has played mostly power forward in recent years but can play the three. Grant is coming off a career year in many ways with the Portland Trailblazers.

He averaged the second-most points of his career (20.5) on efficient .475/.401/.813 shooting splits. He was easily their second-best player after Damian Lillard. His defense isn’t as good as it was earlier in his career, but he is still an above-average defender by most metrics.

Portland is at a bit of a crossroads after back-to-back losing seasons, and they could be looking to finally go into full rebuild mode. Grant is a free agent this offseason, so the direction they choose to go will impact his market. He could command big money with the season he just had, especially since he is still just 29. Would the Grizzlies be willing to make room for him? Maybe, especially with Dillon Brooks coming off the books.

If they are willing to pay him, he would be a massive upgrade offensively over Brooks while maybe giving up some ground defensively. When you have the reigning DPOY, however, the offense should be the priority. Just look at the Grizzlies shooting numbers against the Lakers to see how much improvement they need in that department.