The Memphis Grizzlies are 7-5, tied with the Sacramento Kings for the seventh-best record in the Western Conference. In fact, the Grizzlies are just one of eight West teams that are above .500 early in the season. Though Memphis has higher hopes, they’ve once again been limited by injuries, a story that’s becoming too familiar for the franchise.
Do Grizzlies Need Trade To Clear Logjam?
Two projected rotation players, GG Jackson II and Vince Williams Jr., have yet to suit up. Rising star Desmond Bane and three-point specialist Luke Kennard have played less than half the season. Face of the franchise Ja Morant has missed four games and counting.
Fortunately for the Grizzlies, their schedule has been forgiving. They’ve face several teams who entered the season without much hope of reaching the NBA Playoffs: the Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, and Portland Trail Blazers. They’re 3-3 in the games, with the Nets defeating them twice and Bulls pulling out comeback victory.
Their performance against true playoff contenders is what inspires confidence in their ability to surge up the standings when healthy, as they’ve beat Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Los Angeles Lakers. Considering the circumstances, their win against the Lakers was the most impressive, particularly given the final score.
It’s Complicated
The Grizzlies have run into a complication; one that has everything to do with their health.
In the time that their normal rotation players have been out, multiple guys have stepped up. Jaylen Wells, the 39th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, has arguably been the most valuable. Stepping into a key role as a perimeter defender and off-ball shooter, he’s been effective at both ends of the floor.
Players who have flashed in the past, but yet to put it altogether, seem to have found their way too. Jake LaRavia has emerged as a versatile and efficient forward. Santi Aldama has been a glass cleaner, playmaker, and inside-out threat. Jay Huff is a sharpshooter and shot-blocker who stretches the floor at 7-foot-1.
With multiple players completing their injury rehab, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins will now have to make tough decisions about who to keep in their rotation. Wells’s spot seems secured, the rookie even starting when Marcus Smart returned in their last game. However, it gets a bit dicey from there.
Guards
The Grizzlies have four guys who can play point guard: Morant, Smart, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Yuki Kawamura.
Morant will obviously start. However, there’s question about whether Smart should be Morant’s backup given how well Pippen has performed in his minutes. A two-way playmaker with a heady game, the 24-year-old is averaging 12.3 points, 6.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 44.1 percent from 3.
If Pippen maintains his role as Morant’s backup, Smart will still have to be in the rotation. He’s an elite on-ball defender and x-factor on offense, as well as a knowledgeable veteran on a younger team. With that being said, Smart can still play on the wing.
Wings
At the other guard spot, Bane will obviously reassume his role as Morant’s second-in-command. There are several players who could be his backup, including Smart, Kennard, Wells, and Williams. To figure out who the right person is, Memphis just has to decide how to handle their other wing spot. LaRavia, Jackson II and all of the shooting guard candidates could fit into the slots.
The easiest solution might be to keep Wells as a starter. However, whether he’s in the first or second unit, he’s too good to warm up the bench. In that same vein, Williams’s play last season had him competing for a starting spot entering 2024-25.
In the end, it’s Bane, Smart, Wells, and Williams who make the most sense to play. Between Kennard, Jackson II, and LaRavia, only Kennard is restricted to the wing. However, he should still get playing time because the Grizzlies can be a streaky from outside. Kennard is a career 44.0 percent three-point shooter, third all-time.
Bigs
Memphis’s group of power forwards is led by Jaren Jackson Jr., a perennial contender for All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year selections.
Yet, for all of his talent, Jackson’s an underwhelming rebounder at 6-foot-10. The player they have behind him would preferably balance that out. As a result, Aldama seems like a sound choice. He’s not much of a rim-protector and has an inconsistent jumper, but leads the Grizzlies with 7.6 rebounds per game.
Jackson II’s flashes last year would make it silly not to keep him in the rotation though. In 18 games as a starter, he averaged 20.3 points per game. A skilled forward with two-way upside, he should be Jackson Jr.’s backup, even if he’s still green behind the ears.
At center, Aldama has usually been the starter but his ineffective rim protection makes that unideal. 2024 No. 9 pick Zach Edey entered the season as starter, but there are some kinks to work out before he’s a smooth fit. Either way, Edey’s a force in the paint and will get steady playing time barring foul trouble. Brandon Clarke started at center in their last game. However, while a skilled and a high-energy player, he’s been injury-prone.
The Best Trade Candidates
If this holds, the Grizzlies’ rotation —at least when they’re fully healthy —would be:
Morant, Pippen Bane, Smart, Kennard Wells, Williams Jackson Jr., Jackson II Edey or Aldama, Clarke
The question then becomes whether to keep LaRavia and Huff in the rotation. LaRavia is an efficient stretch-four and Huff is their best stretch-five.
There’s not enough that separates LaRavia from the people in front of him in terms of skillset, yet he produces less. That makes LaRavia the odd man out. Because of his surprising level of play, the Grizzlies should consider selling high and moving him by the trade deadline. Young or rebuilding teams may be willing to take a flier on his potential.
Huff’s a horrible rebounder and Memphis tends to be a net-negative in his minutes. As a result, he probably shouldn’t be in the rotation. Nonetheless, he can play in a pinch if Memphis wants to stretch the floor without losing rim protection. Or, like LaRavia, the Grizzlies can consider moving him while his trade value is as high as it’s ever been.
Clarke is another interesting case. He’s been with the organization since 2019-20 and has had a number of big moments. However, he’s averaging 5.5 points and 3.1 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game, all career-lows. Memphis may not get much value if they were to trade him. Nonetheless, he’s an x-factor that they probably should hold onto because of his intangible impact.
