Memphis Grizzlies: Previewing the 2020 offseason
By Ethan Becker
Who’s on the trading block for the Memphis Grizzlies?
As far as groundbreaking news goes, the Memphis Grizzlies look to be in store for a fairly tame offseason. In fact, in all of the trade rumors going around, Memphis’ name isn’t being mentioned in a single one. And for members of the roster who might be in for a change in scenery, there’s not even a whisper on any member of the Grizzlies.
However, there is one player on Memphis who fans should keep there eye on: Gorgui Dieng.
Dieng was brought to Memphis as a part of that massive 14-player trade that happened last year at the trade deadline, and since then he’s only been featured in 17 out of a total of 23 games. Notable absences among the six missed games include three of the Grizzlies’ bubble games and the play-in game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
While Dieng did average a nice 7.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, and 0.8 steals per game last season, his shooting woes are well documented, only managing a split of 48.3/25.0/73.8. With the Grizzlies needing a little more efficiency on the offensive side of the ball. Not only that, but those shooting splits certainly don’t justify a $17 million payday this season, which is what Dieng is due for.
If Memphis is going to be looking to move Dieng, it’s likely they could do so early in the week to acquire a pick in the first round of the draft. Should they fail to do that, then we could see the Grizzlies move Dieng before the free agency period opens on Friday to clear up a little cap space for potential free agent signings.