The Memphis Grizzlies had their breakout campaign in the 2021-22 NBA season. While the Grizzlies did make the playoffs in 2020-21 as well, this past season's tally of 56 wins is the biggest one for the franchise since the 2012-13 season, which is also tied for most in their history.
Despite their second-round exit, it was still a successful season for the young team. Now, as this offseason looms, Memphis needs to capitalize on its success. With payroll flexibility and a number of quality young players, the Grizzlies could look to be very active. They already traded De'Anthony Melton to the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2022 NBA Draft.
Now, here are two more players the Grizzlies must trade in the 2022 NBA offseason.
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Players Grizzlies Must Trade in 2022 Offseason
Now, getting rid of Steven Adams might be counterintuitive. In the sea of youth and inexperience, Adams is a stabilizer and a guy who is much better than his numbers suggest. Adams is a silent leader of the squad and a player who can be relied on to bring toughness every night.
Yet, it is hard to look at this Grizzlies roster and the situation they are in and come to any conclusion that will lead to Adams remaining a part of the roster. He has an expiring contract of nearly $18 million that could be dealt away in order to make a big upgrade.
One potential scenario for Memphis is a trade to a bottom-feeding team that would take his contract with a sweetener. If the Grizzlies want to try to open up a bunch of cap space, getting Adams off the books and not retaining free agents like Tyus Jones and Kyle Anderson would give them a hefty amount of money to play with (close to $40 million) and could make them a serious player in free agency.
There is an argument to be made that trading away Adams for cap space might be bad, simply because Memphis and the Grizzlies have typically not been hot free agent destinations. However, that could change now given the Grizzlies' rapid rise with Ja Morant in place as a superstar talent. Memphis has a terrific young team with a rabid fan base, which could be attractive to other stars trying to win, even if it is not a glamour market.
Additionally, there are so many experienced big men in the free agent pool this season that replacing Adams should not be that difficult. It would be a hard goodbye, as Adams has been great for the Grizzlies, but it is one that needs to happen this summer.
Now, due to the Grizzlies roster being as is, the only surefire player who needs to be traded is Adams (maybe one could argue Dillon Brooks). However, there are some options that could open up on the market for some elite players. Only in these cases should Desmond Bane be available for a trade, because he is a key centerpiece of this roster along with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. However, when can players like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Bradley Beal, to name a few, become potentially available in a single summer?
Kyrie and Beal would both almost certainly be sign-and-trades, but they are realistic options for Memphis. The Grizzlies can open up a ton of cap space and have Morant, one of the best young players in the league.
Additionally, Bane took a huge step forward this past season. Rather than risk his decline or stagnation, the Grizzlies could look to aggressively use his modest salary and big production from last season to get one of these guys in Memphis. Selling high is a key aspect of any business, and if this comes to fruition, the Grizzlies would be selling high on Bane.
When it comes to Durant, it would be a more unrealistic shot, but a package around Bane could entice the Brooklyn Nets enough to make a deal. It feels very likely that if Irving leaves, Durant will seek a trade. Thus, the Grizzlies should use this chance and send a package centered around Bane and some other young pieces and get one of the best players in the world in their ranks to play with Morant.
Now, there is a decent chance this kind of trade might require both Bane and Jackson, but ideally Memphis would be able to keep JJJ in these scenarios. Either way, the Grizzlies would be an extremely intriguing destination for Durant or another star, so they should be looking into this type of big move.
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