With the NBA Draft came and went, and NBA Free Agency in the horizon, the off-season is going to get really busy for a lot of teams. As for the Memphis Grizzlies, they have their work cut out for them.
Not only do the Grizzlies have to resigned Mike Conley, but they have to fill out the shooting guard and small forward positions. Also, they have to get younger, add more versatility and athleticism, and most importantly, SHOOTING.
The Grizzlies can quickly resolved this dilemma by spending money in free agency with the salary cap hiking up to $94 million, but that not the only way to fill up roster spots and add salary to the payroll.
So, I scrolled through the 29 NBA rosters, and here are the 3 players that I think the Grizzlies should trade for.
Nick Young, 6-7, SF, Los Angeles Lakers, Contract: 3 years, $5,219,169 million
If there’s one word to describe Young’s play and lifestyle, it would probably be flashy. Heck, even his nickname, “Swaggy P”, suggested that, but the one thing that he bring to the table is VOLUME SHOOTING.
His career three-point shooting percentage is at 37 percent, and field-goal percentage is a shade under 42 percent over a nine-year career with 4 different teams. Now, he is old in terms of the NBA age at 31-years-old, but he shows lots of enthusiasm, and gives a lot of energy.
Defensively, we all closed our eyes when it came for Young to play defense, but I’ll will say this. If J.R. Smith can show some effort on the defensive end for the 2016 NBA Champions Cleveland Cavaliers, I know Young can do the same.
Majority of Grizzlies fans will shun by the fact they want Young on the team, because of his role on that Los Angeles Clippers team that beat the Grizzlies in the first round of the 2012 playoffs, but if you take the emotions out of it, he fits, offensively, what the Grizzlies need in creating a shot and three-point shooting.
Plus, moving away from LA could benefit him in the wake of the break up with Iggy Azalea.
Jodie Meeks, 6-4, SG, Detroit Pistons, Contract: 2 years, $6,270,000 million
Meeks is coming off of a Jones fracture in his foot that sidelined him the entire season. This is the same fracture that Kevin Durant suffered last season.
I don’t know what plan Stan Van Gundy has for Meeks, but I think in might be a luxury to have him on the team. Depth chart-wise, he is behind Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at shooting guard, and they just drafted Michael Gbinije from Syracuse Orange in the second round, not to mention that Stanley Johnson can slide to that position.
He shoots 37 percent from three over a seven-year career for 4 teams. Offensively, he is a spot-up shooter. Defensively, he can hold his own even for his size. He’s 28-years-old, so he is in the middle of his prime years.
The two big questions are, will the Grizzlies add an injured player to the roster, and will Meeks’s injury heal up properly?
Robert Covington, 6-9, SF, Philadelphia 76ers, Contract: 3 years, $1 million
From versatility to athleticism to, surprisingly, three-point shooting, Covington checked all the boxes that the Grizzlies need. He had a surprising breakout season, albeit, with the Sixers.
- He shot exceptionally well from three at 36.3 percent. √ Check
- He is 25-years-old. √ Check
- He can guard and play multiple positions. √ Check
- He is very explosive athlete. √ Check
On the flipside, did he benefit from a lot of playing time with the Sixers? Yes, he did.
Will he produce those same numbers on a playoff contending team? Probably not, but the upside on him is pretty good.With Sixers selling away their good players, the Grizzlies should try to poach him away from them. I can possibly see Covington in a Grizzlies uniform.
Inside The Stats 