The Memphis Grizzlies may have just finished off 2023-24 with the seventh-worst record in the entire association, but they’re still likely approaching this year’s offseason with a win-now mentality.
Though there were a slew of in-game issues and lackluster production from both the coaching staff and players at times, easily the biggest difference between this year’s 27-55 campaign and their 51-31 run during the year prior was health or, rather, a lack thereof.
When at full strength, this Grizzlies team is viewed as a legitimate title contender, and, with guys like Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. leading the charge it’s easy to see why.
Still, simply banking on these players and the team’s other core commodities staving off injuries is not going to cut it if they want to reclaim their status as a top-tier threat to take home the Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2024-25.
This summer is a time when Zach Kleiman and co. can strengthen this club’s odds of contending once again, and, while the upcoming NBA Draft provides them with an opportunity to add on some young and cost-efficient players to help bolster their talent pool, the always entertaining idea of pursuing upgrades on the trade block may also be a viable course of action for the front office.
Grizzlies players who could be dangled on the trade market this summer
In any hypothetical exchange the Grizzlies look to take part in, it, of course, will require them to offload assets of their own to make such moves feasible.
Though the likes of Morant, Bane, and Jackson are without question residing in the “untouchable” camp, the rest of Memphis’ roster could be up for grabs at the right price. As for who of the bunch are the most likely to be shopped around, there are a few names fans and, frankly, the rest of the league should be keeping an eye out for.
John Konchar
Among the most likely to be shopped around this offseason is fifth-year veteran, John Konchar.
A tweener talent who can slot in at either the two or three, the 28-year-old is a talent who sports plenty of qualities that could interest a bevy of teams across the association, and boasts a price tag that would even have cash-strapped title contenders inquiring about his availability.
Possessing always coveted 3-and-D attributes at the wing position, Konchar holds career averages of 12.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.1 blocks per 100 possessions on 47.0 percent shooting from the floor and 36.0 percent shooting from deep while registering a +1.9 defensive box plus-minus along the way.
GIMMIE DAT JIT 🚫 https://t.co/2oRGVeEZEG pic.twitter.com/INGFupAabE
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) December 22, 2023
At just $6.1 million on average over the next three seasons, his services reportedly already drew in attention from teams earlier this past season and, between now and next year’s campaign, it should be expected that his name will once again find itself floating around the trade rumor mill.
Luke Kennard
Staying with the trend of players who were rumored to have brought in trade intruige from opposing teams during the regular season, Luke Kennard is another name that could very well wind up on the block this summer.
One of the game’s best long-range snipers, throughout his seven-year career the former Duke Blue Devil has cashed in on 43.9 percent of his three-point attempts, and this number has only skyrocketed to 48.3 percent since joining the Grizzlies mid-way through 2022-23.
Heck, even during an injury-plagued season like this one, he still found himself posting 11.0 points per game on 45.0 percent shooting from deep, the second-best mark in the entire association behind only Phoenix’s Grayson Allen.
Jacob Gilyard steal ➡️ Luke Kennard triple ☔️ pic.twitter.com/1ycrM0dYwX
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 16, 2024
In the past, his skill set has proven to be a real compliment to this Memphis team, especially when playing alongside rim-runners and kick-out artists such as Ja Morant, and, if held onto, he will likely once again prove to be a solid asset within coach Taylor Jenkins’ rotation.
Of course, two things to keep in mind are his lower leg injuries that held him to just 39 games this year and his team option for next season.
Considering the injury woes the Grizzlies just endured, they may be a bit hesitant to commit $14.7 million to a somewhat one-dimensional player with nagging ankle ailments, especially when considering they are slated to have the seventh-highest payroll in the league.
In the event that they feel holding onto him may be too grave of a risk for them to take, turning down his fourth and final year under contract could very well be a possibility for the franchise, though trading him for any semblance of an asset would likely be the more valuable decision to make.
Ziaire Williams
In many ways, Ziaire Williams just may be the most polarizing player the Grizzlies currently have on their roster.
On the one hand, he’s proven very little to have the ball club feel as though he was remotely worthy of being the 10 overall selection during the 2021 NBA Draft.
From his lackluster career averages of 7.2 points and 2.6 rebounds on 42.6 percent shooting from the floor and 30.1 percent shooting from deep to his health struggles, the forward’s three-year tenure has been marred by severe inconsistencies.
That said, on the other hand, Williams is still only 22 years old, sports enviable size for a modern day two-way wing (6-foot-9 with a near 7-foot wingspan), and, though rather sporadic, has flashed potential of being a quality role player at both the three or four spots.
What makes the idea of this Grizzlies team trading the raw talent a real challenge to decide on is likely what makes him quite appealing to other teams, especially those currently in a rebuild and better equipped to commit to developing younger and unproven players.
.@Ziaire CAREER HIGH!!!
27 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists + 3 steals🔥
he is the player of the game presented by @IntlPaperCo ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/ABoguz8626
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) February 16, 2024
Add on the fact that guys at the same or a similar position such as GG Jackson and Vince Williams Jr. have emerged as legitimate and more trustworthy building blocks moving forward, and the desire to try and sell high on the recent lottery pick should be strong and logical this summer.
Marcus Smart
Last offseason, the Memphis Grizzlies decided to strike on a win-now type of blockbuster by trading for 2022 Defensive Player of the Year and lead guard for the contending Boston Celtics, Marcus Smart
Initial reactions among fans and media pundits were quite positive, with main talking points leaning into the replacing Dillon Brooks’ intensity and adding veteran leadership naratives.
Of course, fast forward nearly a year later and we find that all the hype never wound up surmounting to all that much, as Smart spent the majority of the year sidelined due to injuries and, even when he did find himself on the hardwood he didn’t prove to be all that effective as he finished with a lowly box plus-minus of -2.4, an offensive rating of just 100, and was a net zero in regard to value over replacement, per Basketball Reference.
Chalk it up to injuries or, in many people’s opinion, the simple inability to get comfortable in a new environment with constantly changing rotations due to the team’s lacking health, after the year he just had, and with two years, $41.7 million remaining on his deal, many are beginning to wonder whether the Grizzlies made a mistake in dealing for Smart in the first place.
Should Memphis also feel this way, perhaps parting ways with him now via the trade route while the interest in his upside as an impactful two-way talent is still very much high among point guard-needy playoff hopefuls (Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka has a positive history with him, for instance) could be a move well worth considering.
However, there is seemingly still plenty of intrigue from the franchise to finally see what Smart could bring to a fully healthy Grizzlies core next season, so the likelihood of the veteran being traded is rather low.
Still, this may not be enough to stop the Grizzlies from seeing what, exactly, his value could be on the trade market, so fans should keep a close eye on the situation as we head into the summer.
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