Trade proposal sees Grizzlies swap Brandon Clarke for savvy scoring wing

Heading into 2023-24, the Memphis Grizzlies have one of the most well-rounded teams in the association as they are flush with a desirable collection of both top-flight young players and, with some refurbishing this offseason, strong veteran presences.

However, easily the most noteworthy sore spot within the club’s talent pool resides at the wing position where, with Dillon Brooks’ departure to the Houston Rockets this summer, they’re currently missing a true difference-maker.

Since the 27-year-old’s exit, fans and media pundits alike have been rather busy with their efforts of proposing hypothetical schemes to bring on some much-needed depth to the aforementioned position and, in a recent piece by Bleacher Report, writer Zach Buckley believes to have constructed an exchange that GM Zach Kleiman should pursue before regular season’s tip-off.

Trade proposal sends Detroit Pistons wing Alec Burks to the Memphis Grizzlies

The proposed trade reads as follows:

Citing their well-noted efforts of trying to secure a stable option at the three spot, Buckley suggests that pursuing the reasonably-priced and established Alec Burks could prove to be “the lift this group needs.”

"“He has the defense and three-ball (career 38.4 percent) to fill a three-and-D role, but he can make things happen off the bounce, too. In fact, he’s spent 11 percent of his career floor time at point guard, so he has that in his bag if the Grizzlies needed him to create,” Buckley wrote.“This wouldn’t be some monumental addition, but Memphis doesn’t necessarily need that kind of deal. The Grizzlies have tallied the fourth-most wins over the past two campaigns (107) and have every reason to believe they’ll be in the championship hunt again this season.”"

A well-respected, soon-to-be 13-year veteran, Burks is a player we here at BSB have been high on for quite some time — we’ve even gone as far as to deem him a talent who could make the Grizzlies championship favorites.

The trusty 3&D contributor has carved out quite an impressive career for himself in the NBA and, dating back to 2019-20, has posted impressive averages of 13.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 40.3 percent from distance on top of boasting a solid defensive rating of 111 since entering the association as the 12 overall pick back in 2012.

Of course, the other half of this exchange would see Memphis parting ways with recent 10 overall pick Ziaire Williams and beloved young power forward Brandon Clarke which, on the surface, looks to be a bit steep for a 32-year-old journeyman.

However, taking into account that the former could already be a player worth giving up on, the latter likely won’t suit up until the tail end of this coming season (at the least) as a result of his torn Achilles rehabilitation, and that the Grizzlies seemingly look like they’re gearing up to contend as soon as possible, this proposal could be exactly what Kleiman and company are looking for.

Should the front office not be able to land a heavy-hitting wing option such as Mikal Bridges or OG Anunoby on the trade market like some suggest they could “swing” for, nabbing a talent like Burks while holding onto their draft capital along the way could be a tremendous consolation prize.

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