The Memphis Grizzlies are a team to watch with the trade deadline inching even closer.
The team is now in the lottery sector of the Western Conference standings, and things could be looking bleak for them for the future. All-Star point guard Ja Morant is on the trade block, and there is a chance that he could be dealt before the deadline on Thursday at 1 p.m. CT. However, the team could also opt for different moves.
Some members of the Memphis Grizzlies on SI staff shared which move they think the team could make independent of Morant.
Mike Conley, Minnesota Timberwolves
The feeling here is that the Grizzlies should be getting off big contracts and adding more cost-controlled deals to supplement the young core of Jaylen Wells, Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, Ty Jerome and Cam Spencer. So if you can do that with Ja Morant and even Jaren Jackson Jr. and pivot, do so.
But you’ll need a veteran in there somewhere to lead the group and show them how to be professional, and an old friend like Mike Conley Jr. makes a lot of sense. He’s in the last year of his deal, and you could always re-sign him cheaply after the season to finish his career where he first flourished. — Ethan J. Skolnick
Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley Jr. during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks. | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Jeremy Sochan, San Antonio Spurs
The Grizzlies should be looking to target young players that are in need of a change of scenery. Sochan fits the bill as he has been buried in a rotation for the Spurs while they have been on the rise. The Grizzlies don’t need the fits to be perfect at this point in time. They just need to bring talent into the building, and that is what Sochan provides for the Grizzlies. Once they figure everything out later, they can start finding the right pieces to plug in to different spots. — Jeremy Brener
Draft Picks
The Grizzlies shouldn’t look to add to this squad, but rather look to the future. They are losing, they can’t stay healthy, and the best move is selling. The Grizzlies have the young pieces in Edey, Coward, Spencer, and Wells to feel comfortable about a future build. If they can get value in Jaren Jackson Jr. Ja Morant, and/or Santi Aldama, they have to explore that avenue. Then their focus turns to the lottery in a stacked NBA Draft. — Austin Dobbins
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