2019-2020 Finish: 30-52

Season Highlight:

Getting a competent GM? All jokes aside, the acquisition of Aaron to take the helm of the Memphis Grizzlies has been a breath of fresh air for the previously Justin Timberlake led Grizzlies. After just two playoff appearances since 2012, the Grizz’ are primed to make another run after some honestly… shocking offseason acquisitions. After previous stints with the Orlando Orcas, and the San Diego Gladiators, A-A-Ron is ready to take on a whole different beast that is the NLL, and he is off to a damn good start.

Season Lowlight:

Did the Grizzlies hire the Grinch last holiday season? They must have. Memphis won a lowly 3 games in the month of December in 2019. A total record of 3-12 that included dropping 7 in a row while they were hunting for the playoffs ultimately cost them a postseason shot and had them on the outside looking in. The Grizzlies deserved coal for Christmas last year, and that is what they got. Maybe they can get on Santa’s nice list this year… Prediction: Memphis is flippin’ like reciprocals. The Grizz’ go 12-3 this year in the second month of the season.

Best Trade:

The Memphis Grizzlies send Dante Exum and Marquese Chriss to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Milwaukee Bucks send Karl-Anthony Towns to the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Memphis Grizzlies send a 2020 1st-Rounder (Mem) and 2022 1st-Rounder (Mem) to the Milwaukee Bucks.

I didn’t even have to look at the list of trades. This is, arguably, the best trade in the league over the past year, so it’s definitely Memphis’ best. I really like the deal from the Memphis side, especially with the 2022 protection. Giving away Chriss could hurt a bit, as a young, bouncy forward is always valuable. But you’re getting a top ten 2K talent in KAT, so it’s a gamble worth taking in my opinion. The 2020 pick that was used as collateral ended up being Onyeka Okongwu who has not gotten off on the best foot so far in the NBA… see what I did there? Okongwu is clearly the key to this deal. If he hits his ceiling, even trade. If not, Memphis will be writing about this trade for years to come.

Worst Trade:

The Memphis Grizzlies send Dennis Schroder to the Phoenix Suns. The Phoenix Suns send Isaiah Thomas, DeAndre Bembry, Dorian Finney-Smith and Damyean Dotson to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Phoenix Suns send Udonis Haslem to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Phoenix Suns send a 1st-Rounder (Pho) to the Memphis Grizzlies.

So, our friend A-A-Ron gets to avoid blame for this as it went down prior to his hiring, but it’s still on the books and it’s still… bad.

Damyean Dotson, Isaiah Thomas and DeAndre Bembry are all ‘JAG’. Bembry is the best of the bunch, but still… they’re JAGs. Even so, Bembry has since been released from Memphis, and renounced by Cleveland. Rough season for the former 3-year letterman at St. Joe’s, but Go Hawks, I guess?

So that leaves the prize of the trade as… Dorian Finney-Smith? Yikes. A good defender… and that’s where DFS’ list of traits ends. Dennis Schroder would have been key to Memphis’ new “win now” strategy, as there are serious holes at guard even after bringing in Marcus Smart and, spoiler alert, Deni Avdija.

Other Notable Trades:

The Memphis Grizzlies send Keldon Johnson and Leandro Bolmaro to the San Antonio Spurs. The San Antonio Spurs send Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Did someone say, “Marcus Smart”? Huge get here for the Grizzlies who again are transforming into “win now” mode. Smart will give Memphis the elite wing defense that is of paramount importance. I am not too concerned with shipping out Keldon Johnson. Smart is a straight up dog on defense and shoots the ball well enough from 3 to be useful on both ends of the floor.

Keldon is still young, sure, but I am not sure he’s going to blossom into much more than a replacement level player. The real wildcard here is 6’ 7” forward Leandro Bolmaro. He is a dart throw, but he has NBA Size and skill, and just turned 20. Unless Bolmaro becomes a full-time starter in the years to come, this leans heavily in Memphis’ favor for me.

The Memphis Grizzlies send Jarrett Culver and Nickeil Alexander-Walker to the New Orleans Pelicans. The New Orleans Pelicans send Al-Farouq Aminu to the Memphis Grizzlies.
The New Orleans Pelicans send a 2020 1st-Rounder (NO), 2020 2nd-Rounder (NO) and 2021 2nd-Rounder (Mia) to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Another goodie that we won’t have a whole picture on for a few years that also hinges on the success of 2020 draftees. The keys to the trade here are clearly Jarrett Culver long term vs Deni Avdija long term. Through preseason thus far, Deni has looked the part, at least athletically in my opinion. He is also hitting open jumpers so… advantage Deni as of now. Deni is nearly two full years younger than Culver, has professional experience, and better size. All signs point to this being a no brainer for Memphis currently, but again, time will tell.

Star:

Danilo Gallinari- F

A lot of talk about Memphis will be centered around their best player from last year, and how he fits with the new regime. He was easily the best player on the team last year and looks to be a nice piece next to KAT going forward. Danilo Gallinari was able to give Memphis 26, 7 and 4 last year, which is… impeccable with someone lacking as much athleticism as Danilo does. DG will be the focus in free agency, as expected, but Danilo was a border line all-star in the NLL in 2019-2020.

Goat:

Dorian Finney-Smith- F

Dorian Finney-Smith fits the bill here. Touted as an elite defensive presence, DFS did not quite live up to the “elite” part here… which is sort of important. He also does not bring nearly enough to the offensive end to warrant starters minutes so, let us recap. An “elite defender” who isn’t quite elite and can’t earn minutes because of his offensives woes… that’ll do it for me.

Free Agency:

Have we mentioned Danilo Gallinari is the key to Memphis this free agency? I fully expect Memphis to pull out all the stops to do whatever it takes to bring Danilo back into the fold this free agency. He’s the only expiring deal the Grizz’ have, and he was their best player last year. With that said, there is nothing to say he won’t be brought back simply to be flipped for assets that they like better, or to get out from under his money. That is all speculation, of course, but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on.

I also expect Memphis to use FA to round out their roster. They are extremely thin in the back court and on the wing. They could do this via trade of course, but less likely. Combo guards are likely to be Memphis’ main-focus, I’d think.

Draft Grades:

Round 1, Pick 5 – Deni Avdija

Grade: A+

Memphis knew who they wanted weeks before the draft. A-A-Ron stuck with has plan, remained patient, and didn’t panic trade up to get Deni. Deni has been well documented, but let us run through it again. NBA size: Check. Professional experience: Check. Versatility: Check. High Analytics Translation: Check.

He may not be Luka, but no one is. He can play multiple positions, is athletic enough to not be a negative defender straight out of the gate and can be a primary ball handler at 6’ 7”. It is a win-win for me, and the best value for who was available at five.

Looking to the Future:

6 months ago, this section would have extremely different context. Now? It is looking quite well for Memphis going forward. They have their cornerstone in KAT, another *hopeful* cornerstone in Deni, but time will clearly tell there. Outside of that, however, there is not a ton of “future” to be had in Memphis. If KAT and his band of veteran assistance cannot help Memphis make a big splash in the standings, their aggressive approach may have cost them in the long run.