The trade deadline is less than three months away, and talks are already transpiring around the league about potential players on the move. The NBA season is still in the early going, meaning players who signed a contract in the offseason can't be traded until at least December 15th.
However, moves involving player contracts that aren't new or extended are fair game right now and the Grizzlies have a few players that come to mind. The most notable name that has been circulating in trade circles is veteran guard Marcus Smart, who's only played 27 games with the team since being acquired in a trade from the Boston Celtics last summer.
Ironically, a picture of Marcus Smart standing next to Ja Morant was the photo Bleacher Report used to talk about what trade the Grizzlies would make if the trade deadline was today. The reasoning behind this is a problem the Grizzlies have notoriously had in the "Grz Nxt Gen" or Ja Morant era.
Half-court offensive help
The Grizzlies installed a new offense to help the team push the pace and implement continuous ball movement to help with their half-court sets and overall offense. The Grizzlies' offense has been explosive this season, and considering the injuries and limited playing time from their projected starters has been impressive.
However, despite their top seven offensive and defensive ratings this season through the injury turnover, the Grizzlies still rank in the bottom 10 of the NBA in offensive half-court efficiency. The Memphis Grizzlies are back to their tradition of scoring well in transition and second-chance points but struggling to score when the game slows down.
Also, they have drifted back into the bottom 10 of the NBA in three-point attempts and bottom five in three-point percentage. When Marcus Smart has been available this season, he is shooting 21.4% from three.
Furthermore, star shooting guard and three-point marksman Desmond Bane is shooting 31.3% in the games he's been available as he's been battling injuries like Smart. Bane's career-low for a season was 38.1% last season, his only season shooting less than 40% from three.
Assuming Desmond Bane returns to form as the season progresses and he gets in a rhythm, the team still has a three-point shooting issue. Santi Aldama is having a down year from the three-point line as well (27.4%) so Bleacher Report suggested the Grizzlies make a trade for someone who can shoot and play more minutes as a bigger wing than Luke Kennard.
A huge part of the reason the Grizzlies let go of Dillon Brooks last offseason was because of his inability to stretch the floor come playoff time. A year and a half later, the team still has the same issue so maybe the trade deadline will be the time they finally address it for good.