Memphis Grizzlies – Sell
The Memphis Grizzlies should be calling around to see if there are any takers for Jonas Valanciunas’ services. When he has been in the lineup he has put up monster numbers (like his 27 points, 20 rebound outing against the Toronto Raptors) but he is not likely to be part of the Grizzlies’ long-term future as their young core starts to coalesce.
Moving on from Valanciunas would pay dividends in a number of ways. Much has been made about teams needing a big man (Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics come to mind) and with a year remaining on his contract, he should have value. At $14 million next season for that production, he gives that should not be a problem for whoever takes a shot.
For the Grizzlies this opens up the door to have Xavier Tillman in the starting lineup and to stack up the losses to get their tank on. Memphis was able to most weather the storm when Ja Morant was out of the lineup but with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Justice Winslow still nowhere to be found the record is starting to regress to the mean.
Tillman has shown promise when he has gotten an opportunity to start and tanking for an additional top tier talent (especially in a draft like this) is a no-brainer for a team on the rise dealing with persistent injury issues in a brutal conference.