10 bold predictions for 2017-18 NBA season

4. The Memphis Grizzlies blow it up

I swear I didn’t intend for all of these bold predictions to be so negative. Memphis Grizzlies fans, avert your eyes.

It was hard enough to watch Zach Randolph, Tony Allen and Vince Carter leave in free agency this summer as the inevitable first steps toward an identity beyond the Grit-N-Grind era. Mike Conley and Marc Gasol would be unbearable departures, but they can only do so much, especially with their propensity for being injured.

Gasol has already made some comments about “revisiting” his future with the team if things go south, and if Chandler Parsons‘ ligaments continue to be made of Pixy Stix, things could head in that direction pretty quickly.

Maybe David Fizdale and the Grizz stun everyone with a playoff berth, but given the competition out West, it feels highly unlikely. CBS Sports‘ Matt Moore reports both Big Spain and Conley are “untouchable” in trade talks, but will that change if the playoffs start slipping well out of reach and both star players grow discontent?

It is within the parameters of this worst-case scenario in which we operate. The Grizzlies could realize Gasol is 32, Conley is 29 and both players’ trade values may never get higher than they are right now. After all, the team already lost some key pieces to its old institution; at what point does the front office believe it’s time for a full-scale rebuild?