The Memphis Grizzlies walked into the 2017 NBA Draft without any picks to speak of. That’s not how they walked out.
The Memphis Grizzlies were wheeling and dealing on Thursday night. Chris Wallace and co. were able to trade into the second round of the draft not once, but twice.
The first trade saw them send the Brooklyn Nets 2019 second round pick to the Orlando Magic in exchange for their No. 35 pick.
The second trade they made was with their division rival, the Houston Rockets. The Grizzlies sent a future second round pick to Houston in exchange for their No. 45 overall selection.
With those picks, Memphis selected two of the better-known players in the second round, Ivan Rabb and Dillon Brooks.
The players are almost polar opposites in terms of the skill sets they bring to the table. Rabb is more of a defensive-minded player while Brooks can score from just about anywhere on the floor.
Let’s dive deeper into the players the Grizzlies acquired and grade the picks.