Take a look around the NBA today, and you'll notice that the league is changing once again. Sure, positionless basketball is still a thing, but the “bigs” are making a come back.
Two of the best teams in the NBA just battled it out in the Western Conference Semis and both rely heavily on their bigs. For the foreseeable future, the West will go through Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, and slowing him down requires multiple bigs to throw at him. The Minnesota Timberwolves were able to contain Jokic thanks to the three-headed monster of Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Naz Reid.
The Memphis Grizzlies enter this offseason in the market for a center. The expectation in Memphis is to contend for the NBA title next season with a healthy Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr.
The Grizzlies fell to No. 9 in the NBA Draft Lottery, but that number likely makes no difference to Zach Kleiman as he's already said that all options are on the table to put together a win-now roster.
There are three routes to addressing a roster vacancy when there is no in-house answer: teams can draft for need, trade, or sign a free agent. The Grizzlies have the flexibility to do any of the three, obviously using the mid-level exception for a free agent.
Looking at the draft order ahead of the Grizzlies, there is a scenario in which UConn big man Donovan Clingan is available for Memphis to select. However, if Memphis does not feel he is ready to step in from day one, the Grizzlies could opt to trade the pick for a veteran big.
A possible trade partner is the Atlanta Hawks. If Landry Fields opts to take Alex Sarr first overall, Clint Capela is likely available. Capela may not offer the passing ability that Steven Adams did for Memphis, but he will rebound at a high rate and allow Jackson to roam defensively.
For a Capela trade to happen, the Grizzlies would have to send out either Luke Kennard or Marcus Smart with Ziaire Williams to make it work financially. Grizzlies GM Zach Kleiman could look at the package a few different ways.
It would likely not cost the ninth pick, so including one or both of the 2024 second-round picks is an easy toss in. If Memphis believes Vince Williams Jr. can have similar production on a playoff team as he did last season, Smart becomes expendable. Were the Grizz to draft a player like Dalton Knecht at No. 9, Kennard could see his time in Memphis come to an end.
The Grizzlies could also trade back in the draft or package the two seconds to move up if they find guys like Kel’el Ware, Yves Missi, Zach Edey or Kyle Filipowski are available in a spot they feel more comfortable with.
Other names that Memphis could keep tabs on in the trade market are Jarrett Allen and Ivica Zubac. If Paul George leaves Los Angeles this offseason, could the Clippers decide to retool their roster? The Cavaliers are going to be forced to reevaluate their roster construction and determine if Evan Mobley and Allen is the best combination going forward.
The free-agent market is thin. Jonas Valanciunas is not a fit and will not be making a return to Memphis. The Brooklyn Nets have the Bird rights to Nicolas Claxton, likely pricing Memphis out of signing him. Isaiah Hartenstein would be a great fit next to Jaren Jackson Jr. but has likely played his way into a contract too big for the Grizzlies to match.
Then there is the age factor. Will Kleiman ignore age and go for an immediate aid or is he more interested in bringing in someone who can stick around productively for a few seasons? If age doesn’t matter, Andre Drummond and Mason Plumlee are two centers who would come in and do the job needed for the Grizzlies.
The only name entering free agency this offseason that fits both age and fit for Memphis is Orlando Magic big man Goga Bitadze. The 24-year-old center has proven as a starter that he can do the things Adams did so well for the Grizzlies. Scoring is not the priority when searching for their new starting five. All Taylor Jenkins needs is a guy who can set solid screens, rebound, move the ball, and help protect the rim. Goga does all these things, plus he's shown the ability to spread the floor at times.
There is always a chance the Grizzlies roll into the new season with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke starting together, but the best version — the contending version — of Memphis is finding a starting five that allows Jaren to be a dominant help-side defender and set screens for Morant to get down hill and create.
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