NBA Trade Rumors: Memphis Grizzlies Trade Targets and Candidates

The Memphis Grizzlies have stood pat this summer, only making one small trade, moving Ziaire Williams to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Mamadi Diakite .

Clearly, the plan in Memphis is to run it back with the same core of players who brought the franchise back to relevance from 2021-2023, with the addition of several guys who were either drafted or proved themselves in their wasted 2023-24 campaign.

Head coach Taylor Jenkins will have an extremely deep rotation of players to call on when the season begins in October, and Ja Morant ‘s return next to Desmond Bane , Jaren Jackson Jr. ., and others should have the Grizzlies right back near the top of the league in 2024-25.

The natural progression of several young guys, not to mention their reunited big three, gives Memphis hopes that they will be the team to beat in the Western Conference, despite the seemingly endless number of title contenders out West. However, the Grizzlies have a couple of needed upgrades to make in their rotation, and a deal or two could be on the horizon.

Here are three trade targets and candidates for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Grizzlies Off-Season Rumors

With the Grizzlies content to simply bring everyone back to get their first real shot at winning a championship with this current core after an irrelevant 2024-25 season, the rumor mill has been especially quiet surrounding Memphis this summer. They feel they have enough in-house to compete for a title, at least for the beginning of the regular season.

If promising players like GG Jackson II , Vince Williams Jr. , and Zach Edey are instant high-level contributors this year, Memphis might be right about that instinct. A runner-up finish at the 2024 Summer League just reaffirmed this notion. However, there are definitely spots on the roster that need to be improved, which could spark trade discussions later this summer or during the 82-game campaign.

Firstly, Memphis must upgrade the Marcus Smart position as the shooting guard. They also could use more off-ball scoring talent to help out Morant and Bane, whether that comes in the form of a Smart trade or otherwise.

Memphis is close to where it needs to be, but should make a move or two to cement its status as one of the NBA’s elite.

Grizzlies Top 3 Trade Candidates

Marcus Smart

As mentioned before, the Grizzlies’ number one priority should be acquiring a better option to play the two or three spot next to Morant and Bane, whether that means trading Smart himself or pushing him to the bench. Smart is a good player who brings a lot to the table defensively, but he is better suited to come off the bench than to play a huge role for a legitimate contender.

We saw his shortcomings on full display during several playoff runs with the Boston Celtics , where his offensive deficiencies and rough decision-making cost his team huge postseason games. Time and time again, it seemed that Smart took over possessions in big moments despite having several superior teammates, to disastrous consequences.

Unfortunately, Smart is one of the league’s least efficient starters, and his defensive prowess doesn’t make up for that if Memphis is truly trying to be the best team in the NBA. His lockdown abilities may have been worth the offensive deficiencies a few seasons ago, but he isn’t quite the same defender as he used to be.

One could argue that replacing him with Jrue Holiday was the key to getting Boston over the top last year, which is not a shot at Smart, but rather a reality of what it takes to win in today’s NBA.

Memphis would love to retain Smart and use him as one of the first guys off the pine this year. The 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year is still a tremendous on-ball defender with the versatility to guard one through five, which fits their identity and would be very helpful in particular playoff series.

Unfortunately, upgrading his spot likely requires including Smart and his 2-year, $42M contract in a trade. It would hurt to let go of one of the leaders of the squad, but Memphis may have to in order to reach their true ceiling.

Brandon Clarke

With Memphis selecting Edey with their first-round pick, suddenly Brandon Clarke and his three-year, $37.5M deal have become a bit more expendable for the Grizzlies. Clarke has done nothing on the floor to warrant his dismissal, as he has been solid in all five of his NBA seasons, averaging 10.7 points on 60.3 percent shooting, along with great energy and defensive work.

Nevertheless, there are two concerns regarding Clarke heading into 2024-25: his injury risk coming off of a torn Achilles in March 2023, and his somewhat expensive deal being less valuable after Edey’s arrival. He played just six games in 2023-24, and a guy who relies on his athleticism as much as Clarke should always be a cause for concern post Achilles injury.

All indications are that Memphis expects Edey to immediately contribute to the team, and may even end up starting at the five next to Jaren Jackson Jr.

This would completely transform their starting lineup and slot each player into their correct roles: Bane could play the two if Smart is traded for a wing, and Jackson could return to his natural position at the four. Edey’s rim protection and rebounding would allow Jackson to guard the opposing team’s best wing ball-handler, which would be a huge help for Memphis’ defense.

All this is to say that Clarke may not be needed in Memphis anymore, and his salary and potential could be used in a deal to improve one of their weaknesses.

Vince Williams/GG Jackson

Williams and Jackson appearing on this list is simply a matter of timelines. Both players broke out in the absence of Morant and others during the terrible 2023-24 season, and are likely part of the future in Memphis, but one of them may be needed to sweeten a deal if the GM Zach Kleiman wants to bring back a star-level player at the two or the three.

Williams is 23 years old, and Jackson is still just 19, giving both guys immense trade value. Both guys have flashed a variety in their scoring games, with Williams showing off an elite catch-and-shoot game with a quick release and Jackson getting to the rim with ease despite Memphis’ poor spacing.

Both are also plus-athletes with a ton of potential defensively, giving them each a high ceiling but also a high floor of at least being a useful role player for a winning franchise. Imagine how much a team like the Milwaukee Bucks would love to have one of these guys in their rotation to give them a two-way player that doesn’t hurt them offensively.

Each player would be a welcome addition to many teams around the league, which could allow the Grizzlies to hang on to extra draft compensation that would’ve been required in a big-time trade.

Grizzlies Top 3 Trade Targets

Kyle Kuzma, Washington Wizards

It is no secret that the Grizzlies still need more offensive help, even with Bane’s ascension and Morant’s return to the lineup. As they already have Jackson Jr. and Edey likely locking down their big-man tandem for years to come, at least in an ideal world, this extra production should come from the wing position.

Kyle Kuzma has been in trade discussions with scoring-starved teams for several years, as his explosion on high volume as a Washington Wizards raised eyebrows around the league. The 29-year-old forward has been very inefficient in his three years in DC, but that is to be expected on a team with no intention of winning, as the Wizards have been arguably the worst franchise since he arrived there.

As Kuzma’s volume has increased in a bigger role on Washington’s thin rosters, he became a 20-plus point per game guy in 2022-23 and 2023-24, but he has experience playing off the ball in a smaller role in his time with the L.A. Lakers . Kuzma thrived as a third or fourth option on a team with LeBron James on it, and suiting up next to Morant would be a similar experience.

He brings everything to the table that Memphis could want: competent spot-up shooting, he can get his own bucket and can make plays attacking close-outs off of Morant or Bane creating advantages. Defensively, Kuzma leaves a lot to be desired, but the Grizzlies are uniquely equipped to cover for his weaknesses at the rim, and a change in culture could do wonders for his mentality.

Cameron Johnson, Brooklyn Nets

As said earlier, Memphis’ main positional priority this off-season is to upgrade the two spot offensively without sacrificing too much on the other end. Cameron Johnson is the absolute ideal move that the Grizzlies could make to address this need: he is an excellent offensive player, a competent defender with great size, the right contract amount, and is controllable for three more years.

Johnson is a dead-eye three-point shooter, perhaps the best you could find on the trade market currently, and still put up good numbers on a Nets team that seemed like they were trying to lose despite not owning their own draft picks. Putting him in the lineup next to Morant and Bane would transform the Grizzlies’ offense to a level where it would no longer be considered a weakness at all, which is the next step to making Memphis a top-tier contender.

Adding Johnson wouldn’t hurt their defense at all, as he has shown the ability to be very solid on an elite team defense in his time with the Phoenix Suns . Losing Smart would certainly hurt, but it could be offset by Johnson’s 6’8″ frame, which eliminates any mismatches against Memphis and allows the smaller Bane to slide to his rightful spot at the two.

Bringing the UNC product into the fold makes so much sense for Memphis, as it would help nearly every aspect of their team, and he is the perfect age to fit into a three-year run at a championship. Brooklyn should be eager to trade Johnson as they enter a full rebuild, so the Grizzlies are perfectly capable of acquiring him.

Collin Sexton, Utah Jazz

One of the most underrated players in the league is tah Jazz guard Collin Sexton . Hidden in Utah for the past couple of years on struggling teams, Sexton has revived his career from a disappointing four seasons as a Cleveland Cavaliers , and quietly just had his best campaign in 2023-24.

Sexton averaged stellar numbers last season, putting up 18.7 points and 4.9 assists on 48.7/39.4/85.9 splits in just 26.6 minutes per game for a squad lacking much-supporting talent. This was coming off 2022-23 when he was also very efficient coming off the bench, and Sexton could be a starter or Sixth Man for the Grizzlies.

The Alabama product is a fearsome defender, known for his unique ability to pick up ballhandlers full court and hound them as few others can. His defensive aggression is reminiscent of NBA champion Jrue Holiday for his physicality and lightning-quick feet. Adding Sexton into a lineup with Bane, Jackson, and Edey would create a defense that would easily challenge for the best in the league.

As Sexton has shown the ability to play off-the-ball and knock down threes as well as take over an offense with his own shot-creating and playmaking, he could be valuable both as a starter and bench guy for Memphis. Regardless of what they trade for him, he would instantly make the Grizzlies scary on defense and would also improve their offensive ceiling.

Memphis could also consider his teammate Jordan Clarkson , who is a flamethrower-type scorer who could help their offense, but he creates problems on the other end of the floor. He may not improve their team overall.

One of these upgraded lineups could challenge anyone for the West’s best group.