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Is there a fire sale looming for the Memphis Grizzlies? Apart from Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane, it certainly seems like no member of the roster is safe from a trade. This is certainly evident in the case of Tyus Jones. Despite being arguably the best backup point guard in the league over the past two seasons, the Grizzlies have reportedly been shopping Jones in the trade market, with some sources even feeling confident that the 27-year old floor general would be wearing a different uniform come the start of the 2023-24 season.
Those sources have stated that the Grizzlies are looking for an upgrade at the wing. With the departure of Dillon Brooks, the Grizzlies have a hole at the 3 in their starting lineup, although one might think that they'll be looking at internal options instead to fill that void. After all, they have the likes of Luke Kennard, David Roddy, Ziaire Williams, and Jake LaRavia — the player they moved up three spots for in the 2022 NBA Draft — who could perhaps slot in Brooks' place.
Nevertheless, it seems like the Grizzlies are intent on acquiring someone who can move the needle. It doesn't seem like they're content with a first-round exit only a year after challenging the eventual champion Golden State Warriors to the limit. So perhaps to that end, they may end up dealing away the 25th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft.
Ultimately, it's difficult for teams to draft an immediate contributor late in the first round, so with the Grizzlies already dealing with the Ja Morant drama, they may want to acquire a player — preferably someone who plays on the wing — who can soak up a heavy two-way workload.
With that in mind, here's a last-minute prediction for what the Grizzlies will do with the 25th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft.
Grizzlies trade Tyus Jones, Jake LaRavia, 25th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, 2024 GSW first-round pick, and 2025, 2027, and 2029 MEM first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for Mikal Bridges
There are no strong indications that the Nets are even entertaining the idea of trading Mikal Bridges away to any prospective suitors. In fact, the Nets reportedly do not even want to trade Bridges for the Portland Trail Blazers' package of Anfernee Simons and the third overall pick. And that sentiment is not too hard to understand. Bridges broke out in a big way, upping his scoring averages while maintaining his efficiency (give or take a few percentage points) all the while remaining a menace on the defensive end.
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With Bridges locked into an inexpensive deal until the end of the 2025-26 season, the Nets will have a borderline All-Star talent for below market value. This is imperative for Brooklyn, as they do not own at least three of their first-round picks for the next few years due to their James Harden trade of 2021.
But the Grizzlies should entice them with an offer they can't refuse.
Many believe that the team that offered the Nets at least four first-round picks was the Grizzlies. Back in February, it certainly seemed like the Grizzlies' picks won't amount to anything much, as the team was continuing its upward trajectory. Desmond Bane had future All-Star written all over him, Jaren Jackson Jr. looked like a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber player for years to come, while Ja Morant was at the heart of everything, conducting the offense while acting as the locker room's heart and soul.
Alas, Morant's off-court troubles could mean that the Grizzlies' future may not be as bright as many had once thought. So there's a chance the Nets front office could talk itself into trading away Mikal Bridges for the haul listed above.
A total of five first-round picks in exchange for Bridges' services is no joke. Bridges, as good of a player as he is, has never made an All-Star or All-NBA team, and he's not quite first option material on a contending team. It definitely looks like his skillset is optimized in a secondary or most ideally, a tertiary role on offense while taking on the opponent's best player on the defensive end on a nightly basis.
And with the Grizzlies, that's exactly what he'd do, slotting in as a secondary shot-creator alongside Ja Morant (once he returns) and Desmond Bane. He would then form a rigid defensive spine with Jackson. The synergy Bridges will provide the Grizzlies could very well be worth the price of a few first-rounders.
This package definitely seems expensive, especially in light of the Bradley Beal trade. But given the other factors in play (age, trade market, situation of current team, contract), Bridges is definitely the more expensive trade asset. And the Grizzlies may very well give up on the 25th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft on draft night itself to land one of the league's bigger trade fish.
