Memphis Grizzlies: 5 roster moves they must make this offseason

2. Re-sign De’Anthony Melton.

In just his second season in the NBA, De’Anthony Melton showed he has a good future as a bench player in the league. When he comes on the floor, he is a welcome burst of energy and a solid defender.

He averaged 7.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals in just 19.5 minutes per game. He is not a floor spacer yet as shown by his slash line of 40.1/28.6/76.9. As he takes almost 35 percent of his field goals from deep, this could be seen as a problem.

As he gains more experience, Melton’s shot selection should improve and therefore his percentage should also go up. Melton is at his most dangerous when he is slashing to the hoop. He took 27.4 percent of his shots from within three feet of the hoop and made 62.7 percent of them.

His raw numbers were very similar to Memphis’s other backup point guard, Tyus Jones. However, Jones is due $7.9 million in 2020-21 and $7.5 million in 2021-22. Melton could be the backup point guard of choice with a much lower price tag.

This could allow the Grizzlies to trade Jones, opening up more money and a roster spot for a veteran who could help the team. While Jones is a much better floor spacer, shooting 37.9 percent from deep last season, Melton looks a better fit to play behind Morant.