RealGM

As part of our continuing series, and to provide avenues for proposals and discussion, we are going to be nominating "Teams of the Day" every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (or so) until we've cycled through all 30 teams. It's nothing formal, just a chance to pick a team and ask: how would you run their offseason?

Do they need any additions to the front office? What should their outlook be for 2016-17? How should they approach the draft, and trades, and free agency?

Today's team is the Memphis Grizzlies, a team full of heart but with a big decision to make. Here's one take; additions are in bold.

FRONT OFFICE/OUTLOOK

The Grizzlies have fought with the core of their being the last few years, but just can't seem to get over the hump of the elite teams in the West. Now the team is aging, have draft picks in hock to other teams, and their talented PG is set to become UFA. Do they want to keep pushing? Or reboot?

I think they need to keep trying. Their draft pick situation is in rough shape, and this is a proud organization. They could have folded in the face of ridiculous injuries this year, but the organization and the team fought tooth and nail for every win. Mike Conley wants to come back, but has said he wants to see what the team does first...that means we can't just bring back the same squad. (Wallace and Joerger, on the other hand, have kept striving and deserve to be part of what comes next. Joerger's tearful post-game interview about his pride in his players sold me on him as much as anything could.)

ROSTER

We have to do something...but we don't have a lot of fungible assets to work with. We need to do something about that wing rotation without losing too much quality anywhere else. We renounce all our FAs except Conley, whose hold leaves us about $19M in cap room but a bunch of holes to fill.

Trade

Grizzlies trade Zach Randolph, Vince Carter, Tony Allen, 2016 pick (selected for Brooklyn)
Grizzlies receive Thad Young, Patrick Patterson, Terrence Ross, Ben McLemore, Caron Butler

The Griz pick up some players with a little more in the tank than the ones they give up and pick up some depth besides. Thad takes over for an aging Big Z, PPat adds some spacing off the bench, and Ross and McLemore add some much needed youth and speed on the perimeter. Butler gets to go to a playoff team, as requested, and can fill the veteran role vacated by Vince. The pick is unlikely to yield much help anytime soon so is an acceptable loss given that we're getting some young players back.

Raptors trade Patrick Patterson, Terrence Ross
Raptors receive Zach Randolph, Vince Carter

The Raps get the upgrade at PF that they want, at fairly low cost. Ross is a perfectly useful player, but Powell's emergence at SG means that Ross' extension money might be better spent elsewhere. In the meantime, Zach remains a low-post beast that will keep double-teams off the Raps' explosive backcourt (I've assumed DeRozan will be re-signed, which I believe to be true), and is an expiring contract that allows Toronto flexibility again next year with Ross' deal off the books. They also bring back Vince to finish his career where he started; he can play a few minutes behind DeRozan and Powell, and give the fans a little extra something to cheer about.

Nets trade Thad Young
Nets receive Memphis 2016 pick

New Nets GM Sean Marks wants to build thing the Spurs way...that means he'll need draft picks. A late first rounder seems fair for Thad (that's been his previous price!) and Marks can set about doing things his way in Brooklyn. Memphis will have to pick for Brooklyn and then complete the trade in July (when capspace opens up) to get around the Stepien rule.

Kings trade Ben McLemore, Caron Butler
Kings receive Tony Allen

The Kings need defenders and they need warriors. Allen fits the bill perfectly on both counts; he is older, but may contribute more of what the Kings need than the guys they send out. As a short-term boost, this may do the team some good and will certainly get the Boogie seal of approval.

(Is this three separate trades? Yes, I just presented as one to save space.)

Trade

Grizzlies trade future 2nd rounder, JaMychal Green for Trey Burke
Mavericks trade Devin Harris for future 2nd, JaMychal Green
Jazz trade Trey Burke for Devin Harris

I've posted this elsewhere: Memphis gets a cheap backup PG for very little, Dallas clears some capspace for other moves, Utah moves a 4th PG for a veteran combo guard who can defend a little and pass a little.

Free agency

Hopefully we've done enough to get Conley back on board with some younger legs and more energy, but without sacrificing all the toughness that has been our benchmark.

We have a scrap of space and the room MLE still to go, and I'd like one more veteran wing and a 3rd PG. Let's give that room MLE to scrappy veteran wing Alan Anderson, and the vet minimum to Pablo Prigioni. That's toughness in spades.

FINAL ROSTER

Gasol/Wright
Thad Young/Patterson/Jarrell Martin
Ross/Butler
McLemore/Anderson/Adams
Conley/Burke/Prigioni

We're still weak on the wing, but we can always play Thad there a few minutes at a time in gimmick lineups. Most importantly, we got potential starters who can last throughout Conley's next contract instead of just hoping Randolph/Allen/Barnes don't run out of gas in a year.

Thoughts? Did this go far enough? Should the Grizzlies pack it in with a Gasol trade (and a Conley walk) instead?

As always, comments welcome and please feel free to post your own Team of the Day thread for Memphis!

I liked the additions you made--tho the wings are still a bit of a problem. I don't see Toronto going for that trade tho if I'm honest.

Memphis is certainly in a tough spot, but I agree 100% with the idea that they try to be as good as they can rather than rebuild.

Texas Chuck wrote:I liked the additions you made--tho the wings are still a bit of a problem. I don't see Toronto going for that trade tho if I'm honest.

Memphis is certainly in a tough spot, but I agree 100% with the idea that they try to be as good as they can rather than rebuild.

Big no from Raptors.

I'm not big on the idea of a Trey Burke for Devin Harris swap. After the swap we'd have: Exum, Mack, Neto, Harris as the PG rotation. As you can see, Harris does absolutely nothing for us unless we are decimated by injury at PG this year. Burke could be had for a bag of chips, but, I think that bad should be a 2nd rounder, not a player we can't use. Hell, I would rather just take the 3mil in cash than take Devin Harris. Getting Harris just does nothing for me. Neither does cash, but, at least that a bit more fungible.

If we can't get a 2nd, I'd definitely prefer a backup 3 or 5 than a backup 1 for Burke.

Oh, I just saw this was you, LoserX. I thought it was Texas Chuck when I wrote that, so if you think I excluded you from the group 'us' that's why. No offense intended.

jazzfan1971 wrote:Oh, I just saw this was you, LoserX. I thought it was Texas Chuck when I wrote that, so if you think I excluded you from the group 'us' that's why. No offense intended.

I made a Utah trade in my Memphis off-season, but I've learned my lesson and didn't send the Jazz any PG....

I would shop Vince and Randolph accordingly. I think a Vince for Ross swap makes alot of sense if Raps are looking to cut salary to re-sign Biyombo.

Randolph is tougher to gauge value. He will be 35 next season and I think will begin to see a decline in his production. If someone sees value in him as a bridge the gap starter, then maybe he fetches a decent return.

Oops, I did mean to have Vince going to Toronto as part of the trade (you can see he's in Memphis' outgoing but doesn't end up anywhere!). The perfect place to wind down his career, and from what I can tell the fans have forgiven him and almost want a reason to cheer for him again.

I'll edit that in. From the sounds of things that doesn't save the trade though I don't know, I tend to think of Ross as positive value but it sure seems like most other people don't! I was trying to go by that standard but maybe I've misjudged again...