To say the Memphis Grizzlies have not had the season they were expecting may be an understatement.
They fired their head coach before the season even hit December and have lost nine straight games. Their star guard Mike Conley has been out since November 14th with an Achilles injury.
The Grizzlies don’t have much promise on their roster besides Conley and Marc Gasol. And if their season keeps going downhill, they may be looking to blow things up.
Just like Portland, OR, Memphis, TN is not a dream destination city for NBA free agents. The only way they’re gonna get talent is via the NBA Draft or by making trades.
The Grizzlies haven’t had the best track record at drafting. Case in point: Their 2016 first round pick is now on a two way contract with the Blazers.
The Grizzlies are in need some young talent, and a trade may be their best option to do it.
How about a trade with the Blazers?
Memphis receives: Jusuf Nurkic, Evan Turner
Portland receives: Marc Gasol.
Why Portland may consider?
Marc Gasol is a three-time All-Star, the 2012-2013 Defensive player of the year, a two-time All-NBA 2nd team selection, and one-time All-NBA 1st team player. Gasol is averaging 15 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.5 blocks for his career. Last year was his first season shooting threes at a consistent rate, and he shot 38%. And even this year, and with how bad the Grizzlies have been playing, Gasol is still putting up 18.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.6 blocks.
To make the numbers work, the Grizzlies have to take on Evan Turner’s contract. But ET fits the Grizzlies’ grit-and-grind style. He’s a big guard that can handle the ball and play good, physical defense. He’s a good locker room presence, and if Memphis is rebuilding, they’ll need a few of those guys around. They also save money with this deal, as they wouldn’t want to be capped out if they’re not winning games.
Why this trade probably won’t happen.
The Blazers probably won’t trade a 23-year-old Jusuf Nurkic for a 32, almost 33-year-old Marc Gasol. Jusuf is still developing and hasn’t even hit his prime yet.
He does similar things as Marc Gasol and maybe, just maybe has a chance to be better than him. Remember: Marc Gasol entered the league at 24, and only averaged 11 and 7 when he was 26.
Jusuf hew said he wants to be in Portland long-term, and has great chemistry with Damian Lillard. Nurk is still on his rookie deal and the Blazers have a chance to lock him up for many years, and may even get him cheaper than they would Gasol and his $20M+ deal. The Blazers would also be getting Gasol at the end of his prime, and with no other assets, that may not be enough to trade away Nurk.
The Grizzlies chose Marc Gasol over their former coach David Fizdale, so they obviously don’t want to see him go anywhere. Marc is arguably one of if not the best players to ever play for the Grizzlies. He is loved by the fans and they’d hate to see him leave.
Next: Blazers start strong, but fall to Boogie and Brow-less Pelicans squad
Also, the Grizzlies have been good (sometimes great) with Gasol when the players around him are healthy. Him and Conley are deadly together. They’ve lost most of their games this season because Conley has been hurt; nobody was talking about firing their coach or blowing the team up before that.
Final Verdict
Both the Blazers and the Grizzlies should be patient with their teams as constructed. For the Blazers, they have a chance to lock up a young center in Nurkic on a reasonable contract. For Memphis, they should only consider blowing it up if the team is still losing even after Conley’s return. Until then, their fanbase may not be able to stomach such a franchise-altering deal.