Considering their lowly start to the season that has them boasting the league's fourth-worst record of 6-15 through nearly two months of action, should the Memphis Grizzlies wish to gun for their fourth-straight playoff berth they'll need to step into action and make some much-needed adjustments as soon as possible.
Though the impending return of superstar centerpiece Ja Morant will certainly serve as a major boost, many believe that he alone won't be enough to bring this squad back to relevancy.
Should they be serious about attempting to skyrocket up the standings, it's more than likely that GM Zach Kleiman and company will need to add on some outsourced talent boosters to their rotation, and easily the most noteworthy way of doing so is via the trade route.
Rapidly approaching is December 15, the date in which players who signed new deals in free agency this past summer become eligible to be dealt and, thus, is viewed by the masses as the unofficial start to the NBA's trade season.
Players the Grizzlies must look to trade for come December 15
Being time is of the essence for this rapidly sinking Grizzlies team, should they actually be interested in making some sort of trade they may want to do so sooner rather than later, and, with December 15 just a mere days away, there are a few names, in particular, that the front office should already be keeping close tabs on.
3. Torrey Craig
Since signing a two-year, $5.3 million deal with the Chicago Bulls this past summer, we at BSB have been high on the idea of the Grizzlies pursuing the services of Torrey Craig once eligible to be dealt on December 15, and, considering his 2023-24 salary of just $2.5 million, the club could simply absorb him into the remaining $7 million of their Dillon Brooks TPE.
Though perhaps not the sexiest of names that has been linked to Memphis as a possible target, utilizing this aforementioned luxury on the veteran small forward could prove to be a savvy course of action to take.
Throughout his seven-year career, Craig has established himself as a quality contributor out on the wing who can provide high-end energy and effort on both sides of the ball.
Since 2020-21 he has served as a regular contributor on numerous deep-run title contenders, even playing for two different teams that wound up advancing to the NBA Finals in the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns, respectively.
So far this season, despite Chicago's lowly success rate, the 32-year-old is still showing just how effective he can be as a key rotational piece, as he's posting solid per-game averages of 5.9 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting a highly efficient 39.3 percent from deep.
Considering the club's still struggling to find any semblance of an answer to their wing woes, adding someone of Craig's ilk could ultimately be a smart, low-risk move worth making, especially if they can add him using their TPE.