Trade for budding star forward would certainly cost Grizzlies promising young studs

The Memphis Grizzlies were recently tabbed as one of the "best new fits" for Brooklyn Nets budding star Mikal Bridges, who, following a lackluster 2023-24 campaign for the franchise, is believed to be a player in need of a change of scenery.

With his stellar two-way talents and rotational switchability thanks to his 6-foot-6 frame and 7-foot-1 wingspan, there are many who would argue that adding the 27-year-old to Taylor Jenkins' starting lineup would be of great benefit to their win-now agenda, and the club's previous interest in attaining his services only strengthen the possibility of a pursuit this summer should he be made available.

However, considering Brooklyn's lackluster assortment of future draft picks (they don't hold the rights to their own pick for the next several seasons), in the hypothetical scenario that the Grizzlies do push for a deal to attain Bridges' services, on top of draft capital and salary-matchers, it would almost certainly come at the expense of GG Jackson and/ or Vince Williams Jr.

Mikal Bridges deal would cost Grizzlies GG Jackson or Vince Williams Jr.

Despite the fact that Memphis endured one of their worst campaigns in recent memory this past season with their putrid 27-55 finish, what kept fans interested and excited to tune in on a regular basis was the intrigue in seeing the continual development of both Jackson and Williams.

Attached to two-way deals at the start of the season, both managed to prove their worth on the hardwood as being long-term fixtures for the franchise, with the rookie inking a multi-year contract in early February while the undrafted sophomore signed his during the previous month.

The promise both Jackson and Williams possess is truly captivating, as the former projects to have the tools necessary to be a three-level scorer at either the three or four while the latter has already established himself as a two-way rising star in the association.

In other words, the Grizzlies already have two players possessing similar skills to that of Bridges all at a much lower price range (their combined contract values equate to less than the Nets star's 2024-25 salary alone) while being several years younger.

Now, of course, to say either Jackson or Williams is already as good as Bridges at this point in time would be an egregious claim, as the sixth-year pro is coming off a stellar season where he posted 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.0 steals per game and, throughout his tenure in the association, has proven to be one of the best defenders the game has to offer.

Frankly, on paper, the idea of pairing him with Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. is truly entertaining, as they would create arguably the most ferocious four-man unit in the NBA.

However, the deep-rooted intricacies of this association often deter teams from operating with an "on paper" mentality, for the complications that would arise from a financial standpoint (Grizzlies already own the seventh-highest payroll heading into next year) and when considering the impact a blockbuster trade would have on their depth indicate that, in many ways, it would be foolish to strike on a deal for Bridges at this particular moment.

Add on the fact that Memphis still has a center position in dire need of bolstering, and the concept of Zach Kleiman and company spending any substantial amount of time on trying to partake in a trade for Bridges when they already have Jackson and Williams in the fold would be highly illogical.