Grizzlies deemed ‘ideal landing spot’ for 24-year-old, two-way wing

Overall, GM Zach Kleiman and company have retooled this Memphis Grizzlies roster for the better this offseason what with their heavily active wheeling and dealing ways.

From the signing of presumed veteran mentor Derrick Rose to the trade acquisition of the in-his-prime defensive stalwart Marcus Smart, Grind City seems primed for a rather successful 2023-24 campaign, with some believing they could even wind up being in a position to take home the Larry O’Brien trophy.

That said, despite the front office’s numerous summer triumphs, there still seem to be a few glaring weaknesses within their current rotation, with Memphis’ wing position being the most polarizing of the bunch.

Since the departure of long-tenured starting three Dillon Brooks back in early July, conversations have been nonstop among fans and media pundits alike about how the Grizzlies could go about finding a worthy replacement option.

Recently, the folks at Bleacher Report hopped into the discussions, as they tabbed 25-year-old wing Hamidou Diallo as a possible depth target worth considering.

B/R tabs Memphis Grizzlies as ‘ideal landing spot’ for Hamidou Diallo

Citing his two-way skill set coupled with their need for more reserves at the wing slot behind still somewhat unproven commodities in David Roddy, Ziaire Williams, and Jake LaRavia, writer Andy Bailey believes the Grizzlies to be an ‘ideal landing spot’ for Diallo.

"“He ranked in the 93rd percentile in defensive estimated plus-minus in 2021-22 and then followed that up with a 99th percentile campaign on that end in 2022-23. And his length (6’5″ with a 6’11” wingspan) and top-tier athleticism made him one of the league’s more underappreciated finishers last season,” Bailey wrote.“Diallo took almost three quarters of his shots from within 10 feet of the hoop, and there were only 20 players (most of whom are bigs) who matched or exceeded both his two-point percentage and his average for two-point attempts per game.”"

An uber-athletic talent with high-end energy, Diallo is coming off a sound 2022-23 campaign with the Detroit Pistons where he posted averages of 9.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and just shy of a steal per game on a career-high 57.3 percent shooting.

Despite this, he still finds himself unsigned after two full months as an unrestricted free agent.

Though his long-range shooting touch leaves plenty to be desired (a career 27.4 percent from distance) his attack-the-basket mentality could prove to be a welcomed sight to see when surrounded by perimeter-oriented hoopers such as Desmond Bane, Luke Kennard, and, to the displeasure of some, Marcus Smart, especially while Morant is sidelined for the initial 25 games of the season.

On a low-cost, two-year deal with an option for the second season, bringing a gritty talent like Diallo to Grind City could prove to be well worth a shot for the Grizzlies.

Grizzlies start, bench, cut: David Roddy, Luke Kennard, Ziaire Williams

Looking at the current wing position for the Memphis Grizzlies, head coach Taylor Jenkins has some tough decisions to make when it comes to his personnel.