It was expected that the Memphis Grizzlies would begin the 2023-24 season slowly. Ja Morant was suspended for the first 25 games of the year and players like Brandon Clarke and Steven Adams were injured when the season tipped. Memphis began this campaign 6-19 during Morant's suspension. Unfortunately for them, their season continued to unravel even after Morant returned.
The Grizzlies' year got off the rails fast because of injuries. Their big three of Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr., as well as their big offseason acquisition Marcus Smart, all missed a large portion of time this season. Memphis has gotten a combined 71 games this season from Morant, Bane, and Smart. But it hasn't been just them. Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama are the only players on the team to have played at least 60 games this year. Everyone has been hurt. As a result, 31 players have appeared in a game for the Grizzlies this season.
The Grizzlies never had a chance to compete because of how decimated they've been. They will wind up with a lottery pick for their troubles. Memphis was the second seed in the West last season. They will be fine and get better with that lottery pick. Memphis could also trade that pick and find established players to help them out in the interim. If they go that route, a player they could trade along with that pick to potentially find another star would be Luke Kennard.
A Luke Kennard trade would help the Grizzlies
Luke Kennard has never really been able to find his place in Memphis. That's despite being one of the best shooters in the NBA. This season, Kennard is shooting 45% from three, which trails only Atlanta's Garrison Mathews and Phoenix's Grayson Allen. He also has not shot below 44.6% from deep in four seasons.
But Kennard's defense has never truly won the trust of coaches in his stops around the league. With this Memphis core, that is especially problematic. Bane is a solid defender, but he also can't really defend up his position with his size (6-foot-5 215 pounds). Smart can and is why the Grizzlies acquired him in the offseason. Those two can cover for Morant on that end of the floor, where he isn't the best.
Kennard and Morant paired together can't really work for Memphis defensively, and that's why he could become expendable in the offseason. Kennard may also have to be included in trades for salary purposes, especially if they make their first-round pick available. The Grizzlies have a team option for him next season they can choose to accept or decline. If they accept, he essentially becomes an expiring contract.
That could be a very valuable tool and asset to use along with their lottery pick to trade for another star player. Kennard's team option comes in at around $14.7 million next year. The Grizzlies are slated to have the seventh-best odds in next month's lottery. Cap relief plus a top-notch pick is enough to at least get in the door for a premier player if one becomes available this offseason.
That isn't a guarantee, but someone or something always becomes available when least expected. Memphis has the ammo to add to an already very successful young core in Morant, Jackson Jr., and Bane who have made multiple playoff appearances. Kennard could be a vessel to help make that big move happen. The Grizzlies are a team to watch out for in the offseason. Hopefully, they have better luck there than they did during the regular season.
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