Memphis Grizzlies urged to pursue 3x NBA Champion this offseason

It's no secret that the Memphis Grizzlies will be looking to address their center position this offseason.

Though their experiment running Jaren Jackson Jr. out as their primary five proved to have some success, considering he boasts a skill set and physique more traditional for the four, coupled with the fact that the team finished 27-55, even GM Zach Kleiman has noted that one of the front office's primary missions this summer is to find a new talent to man the middle.

Over the past few months, there have been a plethora of ideas discussed regarding how the Grizzlies could look to fill their need for a new center this summer, and, recently, FanNation's Joey Linn proposed the idea of the front office pursuing Golden State Warriors veteran Kevon Looney.

Memphis Grizzlies urged to target Kevon Looney in free agency

Though he finds himself heading into the third and final season of his $22.5 million deal, during a recent episode of the Warriors Plus Minus podcast, Tim Kawakami of The Athletic reported that the Dubs may be open to the idea of releasing their long-tenured big in an effort to clear up cap space.

While this may only be a hypothetical happening at this point in time, if such an event were to take place, Linn is advocating that the Grizzlies should consider pursuing the likes of Looney.

"While there has not been any reporting on Memphis having potential interest in Looney, the fit could make a lot of sense for both sides. Assuming Looney values both playing time and an opportunity to win at this stage of his career, Memphis could provide him with both.

The second seed in the Western Conference two-straight seasons before injuries derailed this past year, Memphis expects to be back at top the Western Conference playoff picture next season. A veteran like Looney could be a great fit, because not only does he provide size and rebounding, but championship experience for a group that lacks it."

- Joey Linn

Though far from a star player, Looney is a brute-force talent who focuses on doing the dirty work to aid in his team's efforts to win.

Over the last three seasons, the 28-year-old has found himself serving as a key cog within Golden State's rotation, and has posted solid per-game averages of 5.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists on 60.0 percent shooting from the floor all while boasting a defensive rating of 109 and a defensive box plus-minus of +1.5 along the way.

While he's not the flashy player many Grizzlies fans might be hoping to see heading to Grind City this offseason, considering his physically intimidating build of 6-foot-9, 222 pounds with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, nitty-gritty style of play, and championship experience (has won three NBA Finals with Golden State), Linn may be onto something when it comes to Looney's potential fit within Taylor Jenkins' rotation.

Should he wind up departing from the Warriors this summer as Kawakami has hinted could be a possibility, Kleiman and company should strongly consider the idea of a pursuit for the soon-to-be 10-year veteran.