The Memphis Grizzlies have a deep and talented roster comprised of mostly midlevel and rookie-scale contracts. The time for them to strike in NBA free agency is this offseason before Ja Morant’s new contract will begin in 2023-24.
While they’re unlikely to have any cap space to work with this offseason — Spotrac predicts that the Grizzlies will enter free agency $19 million over the limit — Memphis can take this time to load up using veteran minimum contracts and their exceptions to improve the roster before Ja’s max extension eventually puts them in the luxury tax and changes the dynamics of their checkbook.
One player that the Grizzlies could target with either a minimum deal or one of their exceptions is Victor Oladipo. Memphis doesn’t have many flaws on their roster, but the two things any team could use more of are two-way wing depth and shot creation. Oladipo offers both, as well as an outside shot at landing an All-Star caliber talent.
Still gaining rhythm after suffering through various injuries for the better part of two years, he’s started to heat up, having notched box scores with 23, 19, and 15 points scored so far in the Miami Heat’s impressive playoff run. While anything that the Heat get from their wild card is basically gravy, Oladipo is reportedly hungry for a more consistent role.
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If Oladipo does want to look beyond the Miami Heat, the Memphis Grizzlies would be wise to add their name to the list of suitors. At worst, he adds another versatile wing defender who can be a complementary offensive creator off of the bench. He’ll also provide a veteran presence that’s missing from the Grizzlies locker room.
Best case scenario, though, Oladipo experiences a career resurgence in Memphis playing with a young and equally hungry squad, becoming a borderline All-Star featuring next to Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane.
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If he can recapture some of his peak powers, Oladipo’s skill set would be a welcome addition for a budding Grizzlies squad. He’d be an excellent point-of-attack defender for a team that’s lacking a consistent option in the department.
Oladipo would add another slasher to collapse defenses and bring rim pressure when Morant needs a breather. He’s also capable of running the offense and creating in pick-and-rolls, offering insurance in case Tyus Jones or Kyle Anderson opt to go elsewhere in free agency.
He likely won’t command more than a piece of their midlevel exception and could possibly even be had for the veteran minimum. If they can convince Victor Oladipo to rebuild his career in Memphis, he’d be a fantastic offseason addition for the Memphis Grizzlies.
