In the Grizzlies' trade deadline move, they lost out on two rotation players and gained Marvin Bagley III's expiring contract. The team also picked up former top-10 pick Johnny Davis, who is not likely to remain with the team.
The Grizzlies seemingly made the trade to pay their homegrown talent, Jaren Jackson Jr. (max extension) and Santi Aldama (expiring), which general manager Zach Kleiman has repeatedly relied on during his Memphis tenure.
The final piece is Luke Kennard’s expiring 9.25 million dollar contract. Kennard’s 44.2 career three-point percentage is good for second all-time in the history of the NBA. In a league where shooting is more important than ever, the southpaw sniper’s floor-stretching ability will gain interest on the open market.
Assuming the Grizzlies sign Aldama and move on from Davis, Bagley, and Kennard, the team will have three open roster spots and only two second-round selections to help fill that void. Of course, Memphis could make a splash like a top-10 trade or a swap that gives the team a former all-star, but that isn’t known to be Kleiman’s style.
Here are three realistic options that Grizzlies' front office could pursue in the off-season:
1. Trade up in the draft
Memphis is no stranger to draft day movement. In the past, the team has circumnavigated the board to acquire talent like Desmond Bane and Santi Aldama. With the acquisition of extra second-round capital, the Grizzlies could consolidate draft picks to go after a player they fall in love with.
2. Stick and pick
Zach Kleiman is notoriously fantastic in the latter portion of the draft with the selections of Jaylen Wells, GG Jackson, and Vince Williams Jr. in the last three drafts (all second-round picks)
Beale Street Bears has written about three dream draft prospects for the Grizzlies: Tennesse’s Chaz Lanier, Auburn’s Johni Broome, and Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard - all options who could be there for the Grizzlies at the top of the second round.
3. Free agency role players
The term free agency is always exciting, but this Memphis regime has consistently opted for the non-splashy route. Of course, the Grizzlies could once again enlist Luke Kennard's services, but it’s fair to expect the team to look elsewhere for veteran leadership.
If Kleiman wants to open up the checkbook, Memphis could pursue one of NBA.com’s top unrestricted free agents this summer: Caris LeVert, Atlanta, Myles Turner, Indiana, or Guerschon Yabusele, Philadelphia.
And something else worth keeping an eye on; Memphis has the rights to Tarik Biberović, a 2023 second-round pick. The 24-year-old Bosnian-Turkish forward averages 10.2 points per game on a 43.9% clip from deep for his EuroLeague team Fenerbahçe.