As the Memphis Grizzlies prepare to take on the league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers for their second and final matchup of the season at the FedExForum tonight one thing has been apparent in the team's recent struggles. Their need for a veteran 3-and-D wing they failed to acquire at the trade deadline has shown.
Starting rookie Jaylen Wells has hit the rookie wall as he has shot just 24% from three in their seven games since March began, and third-year wing Vince Williams Jr. has shot just 25.5% in the 15 games he's played this season while battling injuries. Wells and Williams Jr. have kept their defensive intensity up but have been a part of lacking the Grizzlies' defense in the last couple of weeks.
Their 117.7 defensive rating since March 1st ranks 17th in the NBA amid the loss of Jaren Jackson Jr. for nearly all of their games this month. GG Jackson has struggled on the defensive end as he deals with the growing pains of playing against higher-level competition consistently since returning from his lengthy injury back in January.
With the concerns the Grizzlies' young wings are showing ahead of a likely playoff run, the Grizzlies will need to revisit some deals they were not able to execute ahead of the trade deadline this offseason.
Dorian Finney-Smith is a potential free agent
The Grizzlies reportedly had a trade on the table for the Los Angeles Lakers wing when he was a member of the Brooklyn Nets in December before the Lakers beat them with their offer. The domino effect led to the Grizzlies giving away Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia for offseason cap space while the players (Luke Kennard and John Konchar) that were offered in the Finney-Smith trade remain on the roster.
Considering the Grizzlies reportedly were using Kennard in a potential deal for Finney-Smith, they will likely explore signing him outright this offseason when Kennard's contract expires as well. Dorian Finney-Smith has a player option but in an interview with HoopsHype discussing his free agency he stated "You’ve got to make sure you take care of yourself first."
That likely means that Finney-Smith will test the free agent market after completing his season with the Lakers. While the playoffs have yet to come to see how the Grizzlies' young wings will respond and their interest in Phoenix Suns' forward Kevin Durant figures to be revisited amid their struggles, Memphis will have options and their previous interest in Finney-Smith should be revisited as a fit to their current core.