After finishing 27-55 this past season, the casual observer may have thought that a rebuilding phase was coming for the Memphis Grizzlies. However, the team is rumored to be approaching the upcoming NBA Draft like a contender.
Memphis is reportedly looking to trade out of the No. 9 spot in the draft with star guard Ja Morant returning from a shoulder injury, via ESPN's Zach Lowe.
“The Grizzlies are expected to explore the potential return for the No. 9 pick, sources said,” Lowe said. “Again, that does not mean they will end up trading that pick or trading out of the lottery. They will look at everything, sources said. But if their core returns healthy next season, they are set to compete again near the top of the West after something of a gap year. Seeing what kind of veteran help a trade might fetch makes sense.”
To pull off a trade, Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman will have to consider all offers and possibilities. Getting maximum value out of the pick is essential, as this could help extend the team's championship window.
What will Memphis end up doing?
The Grizzlies are unlikely to get a star prospect from the NBA Draft
The Grizzlies got unlucky to only draw the ninth pick, after finishing with the seventh-worst record in the league. Kleiman and company may have been more inclined to keep the pick if they were in a higher spot and if this draft class were deeper. However, it may not be worth staying at a lower spot without a top-shelf prospect available, via The Daily Memphian's Drew Hill.
“You do wonder if it increases the odds that this pick could get traded,” Hill said. “I think that definitely could happen if their guy is not there at that point in the draft. I'm sure they've done the homework. They've figured out who they like but, without moving up, it's hard to know in a draft like this where there's not a clear consensus top tier. ”
While this class has talent, there is no surefire top prospect. None of the players are seen as anywhere close to generational talents. Rather, most of the top 10 players' ceilings are thought to be All-Star level, but not superstar, via Sam Vecenie of The Athletic.
“In some capacity, all of the players ranked in my top 10 have a non-zero chance to go No. 1 overall if things break right in terms of the draft lottery and they have a strong pre-draft process,” Vecenie said. “There are players there who have a much better chance to go No. 1 than others, to be sure, but NBA teams are all over the map in this class. It does not have a sure-fire guy, so teams are doing their due diligence across the spectrum. I cannot remember a class in which the lottery will have such a significant impact on how the top will be selected.”
With Morant, Marcus Smart, and Desmond Bane all returning, it may make more sense for Kleiman to use the pick as a trade chip to bolster the roster now, rather than wait on an average-level first-round prospect to develop. The Grizzlies had 107 combined wins over the previous two seasons when healthy, so there's no reason to think that they can't get back to the top of the West with better injury luck.
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