Memphis Grizzlies: 4 takeaways from the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline

The NBA’s most hectic day of the year has come and gone, leaving a trail of new rosters around the league. How did the Memphis Grizzlies come out?

For many Memphis Grizzlies fans, the last three weeks have been a roller coaster ride. Ever since the Grizzlies made it clear they were (actually) listening to offers about their two cornerstone players, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, rumors came in from every direction about where the two might end up.

Those rumors turned from a soft murmur to loud screaming roughly 48 hours before the trade deadline passed. Gasol was pulled from the game against the Charlotte Hornets, had a trash bag of his belongings next to his locker and only joined the team to come sit on the bench.

Even though Gasol was long rumored to end up with the Hornets themselves, he now finds himself a member of the Toronto Raptors. He’ll get a chance to compete for a championship this year and maybe the following years. Whether he’ll opt into that player option is anyone’s guess, and it probably won’t become clear until the after the playoffs.

That wasn’t the only deal the Grizzlies made, as management was busy, pulling off four deals in total and one big “no deal,” electing to hold onto to Conley instead of deal him to the long-rumored Utah Jazz or Detroit Pistons.

Each trade adds its own wrinkle to the Grizzlies team, let’s take a look at the effects of these moves.