The NBA Trade Deadline came and went for the Memphis Grizzlies. And after weeks of Cam Johnson rumors and Jimmy Butler speculation, GM Zach Kleiman pulled off one deal - a three-team trade involving both Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia.
Did...did Memphis somehow get Butler and Johnson BOTH!
No.
Out went LaRavia and Smart. Back came Marvin Bagley III, Johnny Davis, and two 2nd round picks - one from Washington in 2025, and another from Sacramento in 2028.
And by the way, Memphis gave Washington their 1st rounder in 2025 to take on the Smart contract.
(Insert sad trombone music here).
Grizzlies social media exploded. A disaster of epic proportions had transpired. Marcus Smart’s tenure in Memphis ended with a loud thud. And instead of bringing in veteran help for the stretch run, Memphis has tripled (quadrupled?) down on youth with two players who almost certainly won’t help in the postseason.
All is lost, right?
Not so fast.
First, that 1st Memphis moved on from in exchange for a 2025 2nd may not be as impactful as you think. The Grizzlies seem to thrive in 2nd round selections, and it allows for them to have greater flexibility with what the contract looks like for that player. And there’s a good chance (aside from crazy hard to understand pick swap options) that pick is maybe 16 or slots away from where the Grizzlies would’ve drafted anyway.
With the wealth of 2nd round selections at Memphis’ disposal, it’ll be easy to move up if they see fit.
Secondly, this transaction opens up eyes to the reality that Marcus Smart is likely a sunken cost. This is the hardest piece to accept, admittedly. Even if Smart didn’t play until the playoffs, the idea of a veteran, hard-nosed defender being on the roster as a possible contributor is better than Bagley III or Davis.
But what if that player no longer exists? The way this trade was executed, Memphis seems to think that way. They had to PAY WASHINGTON to take on Marcus. For a front office that has historically been as cautious and protective of draft capital as the Grizzlies brass to do that speaks volumes.
Finally, this trade is about the future in more ways than one. In the immediate future? Nothing changes. LaRavia has a better chance of cracking the Kings rotation than the Grizzlies one if Memphis remains healthy. The same can be said of Smart to a lesser extent. Who are you taking minutes from to play those guys? Luke Kennard? Santi Aldama? Brandon Clarke, or GG Jackson, or Vince Williams Jr., or Jaylen Wells, or Zach Edey?
The truth is, Memphis didn’t need Smart or LaRavia. LaRavia not having his rookie option picked up meant he likely would not be coming back to Memphis. And Smart being off Memphis’ books possibly allows for greater flexibility this Summer for the Grizzlies as re-signing Jaren Jackson Jr., Santi Aldama, and to a lesser extent even Luke Kennard become focuses of the team.
An upgrade consolidation trade would’ve been everyone’s preference. But that plan A did not manifest. This plan B is a calculated risk that this young team - with an older core entering their primes - is ready to contend.
They have a couple months to get ready for that theory to be tested.
