3 starting small forward options for Grizzlies heading into 2023-24

This summer, the Memphis Grizzlies made a slew of quality moves to better their overall talent strength and, in some analysts’ eyes, inched their way closer to title favorites as a result.

However, in doing so, they also went about and created a few rotational voids that, prior to the start of the 2023-24 campaign, will need to be sorted out.

Perhaps the biggest question mark pertaining to this club is the current conundrum of who will serve as the replacement for recently departed Dillon Brooks at the small forward position.

While there may be many possible ways to find an answer to such a situation, today we pinpoint three potential options the Grizzlies could and should consider.

Starting small forward options for Grizzlies

3. Desmond Bane

To start the season, the Memphis Grizzlies are all but guaranteed to roll out a backcourt tandem of Desmond Bane at the two and offseason trade acquisition Marcus Smart at the one while superstar Ja Morant is serving his 25-game suspension.

However, once the 23-year-old makes his way back to the lineup, Taylor Jenkins will certainly have a tough decision to make when it comes to whom amongst the trio (specifically Smart and Bane) he’ll look to send to the second unit.

That said, there is a way where none are sequestered to the bench and, instead, are seen rolling within the first-five lineup alongside one another, and a way to do that is by sliding their newly-minted $207 million man down to the three.

Though an ideal shooting guard, possessing greater size (6-foot-5, 216-pounds) compared to the likes of Smart (6-foot-3) and Morant (6-foot-2), Bane is the clear choice of the bunch to leave the backcourt rotation and enter into the uncharted territory of the three position should this be an experiment the coach staff wishes to toy with.

Considering his phenomenal shooting touch (boasts a career 42.5 percent 3-point shooting clip) he’d already provide more upside in this particular area than the previous holder in Dillon Brooks while his ball handling and sound court vision (averaged 4.4 assists per game last season) would do wonders for the Grizzlies ball movement with this proposed three-guard set.

2. Ziaire Williams

Since being nabbed with the 10 overall selection back during the 2021 NBA Draft, Ziaire Williams has yet to regularly showcase the type of potential that generally comes with a player of such a stock.

Throughout his two years of action with the Grizzlies, the 21-year-old supports rather underwhelming averages of 7.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists while shooting 44.4 percent from the field.

Despite this, however, year three may be the time when Williams is tasked with being thrown into the proverbial deep end that is the starting lineup so the franchise can once and for all see if he sinks or swims.

Evidence from last season suggests that, at the very least, he has the capability to tread water, which may be all this Grizzlies team needs following Ja Morant’s return.

Though a small sample size (as was his sophomore season as a whole considering he saw just 37 games in total due to injury), when inserted into the starting five in 2022-23 the Stanford product went on to post solid averages of 12.8 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.5 rebounds while shooting a highly efficient 53.8 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from distance.

With his impressive length (6-foot-9 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan) coupled with his innate athleticism, Ziaire Williams possesses the natural tools that teams often covet from their wing position.

Now it’s time to show that he can use these attributes to his advantage and reveal the reason why Zach Kleiman opted to take a chance on him with such a valuable selection.

1. OG Anunoby

If the Grizzlies truly wish to thrust themselves higher in the title-contender category, they may want to try and make one more splashy move. Said move could be a trade for budding star wing, OG Anunoby.

Recently, some such as Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes have suggested that Memphis should consider contacting the Toronto Raptors in an effort to acquire All-NBA talent Pascal Siakam, but there are many reasons why such a move shouldn’t be high on the front office’s to-do list.

Dealing for Anunoby, however, should absolutely be a priority pursuit.

https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1593099954104389632?s=20

Already a player the Grizzlies made a “hard run” at around the 2023 trade deadline, the 26-year-old seemingly possesses all the attributes that this club currently finds itself missing at the three, specifically length, shooting abilities, and defensive versatility.

Measuring in at 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, since entering the league back in 2017 Anunoby has only managed to improve with every passing year and, over the last two seasons, has posted stellar two-way averages of 16.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.7 steals, and just shy of a block while shooting 46.1 percent from the floor and 37.6 percent from deep.

Adding him to this starting lineup would not only give the Grizzlies one of the most menacing defensive trio in the association consisting of him, Marcus Smart, and Jaren Jackson Jr. but it would also add yet another promising young talent to their collection that not only would make them lethal title contenders in 2023-24, but for the many years to come.

3 TPE targets the Memphis Grizzlies must consider pursuing

With their recently acquired traded player exception, the Memphis Grizzlies should strongly consider pursuing these three specific low-cost talents.