Does this trade make sense for the Memphis Grizzlies?
Quite honestly, the Memphis Grizzlies do not really gain anything from making this trade with the Celtics, which is why they would likely decline trading away Valanciunas. It is still possible that they explore the opportunities for the veteran center, especially since they have guys like Jaren Jackson Jr, Brandon Clarke and Xavier Tillman on their roster as well, but they do not gain the value they need from the Celtics in this trade proposal.
Whether or not the Grizzlies advance in the postseason, they are still a few pieces away from being a true threat in the Western Conference and adding Tristan Thompson, Aaron Nesmith and the 16th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft does not “push them over the edge” in terms of being competitive.
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Thompson is not really a great fit in Memphis given the way they utilize Valanciunas in pick-and-roll sets, as well as have him clean things up in the paint on both ends of the court and with other young talents in Desmond Bane, De’Anthony Melton and Grayson Allen stepping into bigger roles, adding Aaron Nesmith will only create more competition that is not really necessary right now.
The Grizzlies seem like they are one superstar player away from being a legit threat in the Western Conference and in this trade with the Celtics, they would be giving up one of their better players for nothing but role players that they do not really need.
With Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr, Dillon Brooks, Kyle Anderson and Jonas Valancunas as their core moving forward all the Memphis Grizzlies need to do is find ways to continue developing their current talent and maybe add a few veetran guys to their roster to come off-the-bench.
Memphis is not far off from being something special, which is why keeping Valanciunas for the final year of his contract makes more sense than trading him to the Celtics for virtually nothing.
