The Memphis Grizzlies believe their core three of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane is good enough to contend if they remain healthy and find the perfect complementary fourth option alongside them. Their fellow Western Conference counterparts in the Northwest appear to have an intriguing young player who is of interest to the Grizzlies' front office.
Deni Avdija has been rumored to be a Grizzlies' trade target in the past when he was in Washington and at the trade deadline this season with the Portland Trail Blazers. According to ClutchPoints' Chris Dodson, he is a serious trade target of the Grizzlies once again as the offseason begins to unfold in the NBA.
While aiming for the star players who would likely break up their core and cost a lot more, the Grizzlies appear to be aiming for players who fit around their core on a value deal. Deni Avdija fits the mold of the type of player the team needs to continue building around their trio that could catapult them into the championship contention stage.
What does a deal for Avdija look like?
The 6'9" forward has a descending salary for the next three seasons with an average of $13.7 million, which makes acquiring him feasible, while keeping their core intact if Portland chooses to part ways with him. With the draft capital the Grizzlies have, the Blazers would likely require a healthy amount of picks to pair with matching salaries for a trade of this magnitude.
ClutchPoints suggested a framework around the Grizzlies sending Brandon Clarke, one of their young players (likely GG Jackson), two future protected first-round picks, and two future second-round draft picks. With the team needing additional wing players that can play the 3-and-D role, Advija checks off that box after a career season.
However, it is fair to wonder should the Grizzlies should target another young player (Deni is 24 years old) when the team needs veterans. If a move like this happened, it likely wouldn't be the last move the team makes this offseason, and Advija is a productive player coming off averaging nearly 17 points and 7.3 rebounds on 36.5% shooting from three on 4.8 attempts per game.
Also, with Jaren Jackson Jr.'s pending contract extension set to put the Grizzlies over the salary cap, swapping Clarke's contract with an upgrade over him and GG Jackson makes this a no-brainer. The Grizzlies have no shortage of players they are targeting this offseason, which makes good on general manager Zach Kleiman's insistence at exit interviews that he will take a different approach with roster construction.