The Memphis Grizzlies had an injury-riddled season last year. So far, this year has not been much different. Ja Morant has been out the past few weeks with an injury. First-round pick Zach Edey has shown promise but is also dealing with an injury. They have been able to stay afloat thanks to the play of many of the young players on the roster. At 9-7, they are not out of the Western Conference race by any means. Once they get some players healthy, they could make a run. They could also look to make a trade. One analyst suggested the team trade former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart.
Memphis Grizzlies Could Trade Marcus Smart
Smart has been another player who has been on the injury report often for the Memphis Grizzlies. He has been dealing with an illness and missed the past three games. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints stated the team could look to trade the veteran guard not because his play has been bad but because of the emergence of young players on the roster.
“The emergence of Scotty Pippen Jr. and rookie Jaylen Wells has league personnel wondering if the Memphis Grizzlies would consider moving former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, sources said.”
Scottie Pippen Jr. has been solid for the Memphis Grizzlies this year. In 25 minutes per game, he is averaging 11.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Second-round rookie Jaylen Wells has a similar stat line for the year. He is averaging 11.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. This is quality production from the role players on this team. That is the role the Grizzlies hoped Marcus Smart would play. Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. are the stars of the team, and Smart was meant to be a complementary piece. Now, he is looking like a great trade chip once as the trade deadline approaches.
Should They Trade Him?
What the Memphis Grizzlies do with Marcus Smart will depend on how the next two months go. If everyone gets healthy and the team goes on a run, they could look to keep him on the roster for a championship run. Smart made many deep postseason runs with the Boston Celtics and could provide valuable insights into winning when it matters most. If they stay in the middle of the pack, flipping Smart for more assets could help on two fronts.
First, it would give more draft capital for the team to work with. Depending on the team, they could also get another high-upside player in return. Second, it would give more opportunities for Pippen Jr. and Wells. They have already shown promise, and the Grizzlies could look to develop them into quality rotation players. This will be a tough decision, but it might be necessary.
Final Thoughts
The NBA rumor mills are already swirling even though the trade deadline is two and a half months away. However, teams are already doing their homework on who might be available. We’ve seen many championships won because of savvy midseason trades. We’ve also seen teams win down the road because of trades that they made when they had no chance to win a championship. The Memphis Grizzlies are one team to keep an eye on as the trade deadline approaches.
