Loser: Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are tied for the fifth-worst record in the NBA at 18-36, and are only 1.5 games ahead of the team with the worst record. Mike Conley is done for the season, Tyreke Evans is an expiring contract and Marc Gasol is 33 years old.
So can someone please explain why the [LOTS OF EXPLETIVES] this team isn’t blowing it up and entertaining offers for its best players?
Teams reaching out to Memphis on Marc Gasol have been consistently shut down, league sources tell ESPN. Grizzlies refuse to discuss trades on the franchise center.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 8, 2018
The nostalgia of the Grit-N-Grind era shouldn’t be ignored. Memphis isn’t some mass market that can simply undergo a full-scale rebuild without jeopardizing its fan support. Gasol is clearly the most important, most beloved player in franchise history, and trading him would be a demoralizing blow.
Unfortunately, none of that should cloud the fact that Gasol is 33, his game is fading fast and he’s still got at least one year (worth $24.1 million) plus a player option ($25.6 million) on his contract. Even if the offers were underwhelming, even a single first round pick and a young player would’ve been a welcome jumpstart to the next era.
Memphis refusing to listen to trade calls for Marc Gasol and then overvaluing Tyreke Evans' worth might make them the biggest loser today.
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) February 8, 2018
Seriously, what happens when Gasol finally breaks down? Or if Conley is never the same? And even if they both come back strong next year, this team’s 2017-18 season was not completely derailed by injuries as some Grizzlies diehards would like you to believe. The truth is this was barely a playoff team with a healthy Gasol and Conley, and given their injury history, it was never fair to assume “healthy” would be the case anyway.
Not only did Memphis stubbornly refuse to take offers for Big Spain, but it wound up overvaluing Tyreke Evans as well. A first-rounder was the expected price, but when it never came, the Grizz refused to cave and are now stuck with a player they sent home so they could prepare a trade.
If this report from ESPN‘s Zach Lowe is true, the Grizzlies really screwed the proverbial pooch. Emmanuel Mudiay isn’t some uncovered treasure, but he’s at least worth taking a flier on, especially for a rebuilding team.
Denver gave Memphis a choice of two offers for Tyreke Evans, per league sources: Emmanuel Mudiay/one 2nd-round pick OR an expiring contract/multiple second-round picks. MEM wanted more, and didn't want any 18-19 salary.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) February 8, 2018
Now, the Grizzlies will attempt to re-sign Evans with their mid-level exception, but as an unrestricted free agent, any team can outbid Memphis.
Tyreke has been great for the Grizzlies, averaging 19.5 points, 5.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game on efficient .458/.392/.799 shooting splits. In a perfect world, a player like that would command a first round pick.
I'm not sure what Memphis reasoning with Tyreke is. He doesn't do anything for them this year, he's going to be a UFA and they can only offer the MLE. It's the definition of a "highest bidder" scenario.
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) February 8, 2018
Unfortunately, the market is incredibly dry when it comes to first-rounders these days, and a 28-year-old Tyreke Evans rental — especially given his injury history — wasn’t cutting it. The Grizzlies should’ve cut their losses and been more open to a complete roster retool, but instead, they’re letting their assets depreciate even further and spurning yet another chance to start anew.
“Grit-N-Grind” should be an on-court philosophy only, not the front office’s approach to asset management.