I Know What They Should Do This Summer 2019: Memphis Grizzlies

[loserX]

We've had some success and interest in these threads in the past, so figured we'd revive them for this year's lottery teams to start!

How would you handle the Memphis Grizzlies' offseason?

Front office changes, June draft, July free agency, and trades throughout...it's all on the table!

Current salary:
Mike Conley..........32,511,623.....34,504,132 (ETO)
Chandler Parsons....25,102,511
Avery Bradley........12,960,000 ($2M guaranteed)
Kyle Anderson....... 9,073,050.....9,505,100.....9,937,150
CJ Miles.............. 8,730,158
Jaren Jackson...... 6,927,480.....7,257,360 (TO)....9,180,560 (TO)
Dillon Brooks........ 1,618,520 (ung)
Ivan Rabb............ 1,618,520 (TO)
Jevon Carter......... 1,416,852
Dakari Johnson*..... 459,414.....459,414

*Dakari Johnson's salary is "dead money": it counts against the cap but cannot be traded or otherwise removed.

Free agents: `Jonas Valanciunas, Justin Holiday, Delon Wright, Joakim Noah, Tyler Dorsey
Total of above for 2019-20: $102,263,429
2019 projected cap: $109,000,000

That leaves the Grizzlies with a little under $6.8M cap room, though they can clear almost $11M more by cutting Bradley. The 2nd pick will count for about $8.72M if paid 120% of scale, which almost everyone does. There are also roster spots to fill.

Draft
The Grizzlies have the #2 pick in 2019, and no picks in the second round.

The Griz owe their 2020 pick (top-6 prot, then unprotected). They have no 2nd rounders through 2021, then two in 2022, one in 2023, and two in 2024.

Some possible questions to consider:
1) Ground Down: The Grizzlies really "arrived" when they found their identity and a good brand: "Grit and Grind". Now those days are done; most of those players are gone (and the last may be, by the end of this exercise). They've hired a coach with good pedigree but little of his own reputation. What does the soul of this team look like now?
2) Three Points!: Memphis is reportedly 100% locked in on Ja Morant in the draft. The team already has Mike Conley and FA rights to recently acquired Delon Wright. Conley is surely the odd man out; is the time now? What does that trade look like? Morant will need backup; should they re-sign Delon? Or start over completely?

The Griz are closing a door to the past. How should they step through the next one?

[BuddyBuckets]

Keep Conley till the deadline, to mentor Ja. Take bad contracts like Batum for Parsons expiring and gain draft assets. Develop JJJ, Brooks and Ja and get a feel for what you need next to them, tank to keep your pick, draft with fit in mind.

[BuddyBuckets]

Forgot... Resign Jonas if your vision is to play big.

[VCfor3]

1. Trade Conley for picks/young players. Willing to take on bad money but expiring contracts would be much preferred. He shouldn't be on the roster to start the season unless the offers are absolutely horrid.
2. Draft Ja
3. Try to resign JV for 12m per year.
4. Resign Wright if possible without breaking the bank
5. Play to win without using a single future asset for win now talent. Tanking to keep our pick doesn't matter. We will be bad either way and we either convey our pick in a weaker draft or get a top 6 pick which are fairly equal outcomes in the grand scheme of things.
6. Use our large amount of cap space next offseason to go after RFAs (Sabonis, Brown, Beasley, etc.)

[916fan]

1. Trade Conley for picks/young players. Willing to take on bad money but expiring contracts would be much preferred. He shouldn't be on the roster to start the season unless the offers are absolutely horrid.
2. Draft Ja
3. Try to resign JV for 12m per year.
4. Resign Wright if possible without breaking the bank
5. Play to win without using a single future asset for win now talent. Tanking to keep our pick doesn't matter. We will be bad either way and we either convey our pick in a weaker draft or get a top 6 pick which are fairly equal outcomes in the grand scheme of things.
6. Use our large amount of cap space next offseason to go after RFAs (Sabonis, Brown, Beasley, etc.)

JV is not resigning for 12mpy... he opted out of a 17mpy. I think he goes for at least 15mpy.

[Hoops23]

Draft Ja
Trade conley for a center, young pieces and/or picks
Try to package parson in a conley trade. Or negotiate a buy out for him to save cash. Or wait for the trade deadline before waiving him. Parson is tradable to teams who want to have extra cash next year being 1yr left in his contract.

[Spens1]

Trade Conley for the highest pick possible (Minnesota perhaps at 11 is an option as are Charlotte at 12 if they get a feeling Kemba's leaving).

Take a shot on Bol Bol, if he's healthy, congrats, you have a top 5 talent to put next to JJJ in the frontcourt. If not him, then Romeo Langford

[VCfor3]

1. Trade Conley for picks/young players. Willing to take on bad money but expiring contracts would be much preferred. He shouldn't be on the roster to start the season unless the offers are absolutely horrid.
2. Draft Ja
3. Try to resign JV for 12m per year.
4. Resign Wright if possible without breaking the bank
5. Play to win without using a single future asset for win now talent. Tanking to keep our pick doesn't matter. We will be bad either way and we either convey our pick in a weaker draft or get a top 6 pick which are fairly equal outcomes in the grand scheme of things.
6. Use our large amount of cap space next offseason to go after RFAs (Sabonis, Brown, Beasley, etc.)

JV is not resigning for 12mpy... he opted out of a 17mpy. I think he goes for at least 15mpy.

I'd let him walk if he wants much more than that. 14m per year is the max I'd want to go. He wants more years as opposed to being on a one year deal so give him a player option and keep it as cheap as possible. If we lose him then we no longer have to worry about tax problems in a Conley trade and can use the full MLE.

[MoneyTalks41890]

Trade Conley for the highest pick possible (Minnesota perhaps at 11 is an option as are Charlotte at 12 if they get a feeling Kemba's leaving).

Take a shot on Bol Bol, if he's healthy, congrats, you have a top 5 talent to put next to JJJ in the frontcourt. If not him, then Romeo Langford

Could be interesting to do Dieng, 11 for Conley, Brooks, 2nd

Dieng is the stopgap center, draft Bol.

[evilution]

Trade Conley for the highest pick possible (Minnesota perhaps at 11 is an option as are Charlotte at 12 if they get a feeling Kemba's leaving).

Take a shot on Bol Bol, if he's healthy, congrats, you have a top 5 talent to put next to JJJ in the frontcourt. If not him, then Romeo Langford

Could be interesting to do Dieng, 11 for Conley, Brooks, 2nd

Dieng is the stopgap center, draft Bol.

Taking on Dieng is enough for that 11. Grizz could add a 2nd maybe, there's no way they add Brooks.

[VCfor3]

Trade Conley for the highest pick possible (Minnesota perhaps at 11 is an option as are Charlotte at 12 if they get a feeling Kemba's leaving).

Take a shot on Bol Bol, if he's healthy, congrats, you have a top 5 talent to put next to JJJ in the frontcourt. If not him, then Romeo Langford

Could be interesting to do Dieng, 11 for Conley, Brooks, 2nd

Dieng is the stopgap center, draft Bol.

Taking on Dieng is enough for that 11. Grizz could add a 2nd maybe, there's no way they add Brooks.

We could probably get 15+expiring contracts from Detroit and still have a shot at getting Bol if that's who we want. Don't have to eat Dieng's extra year that way. Memphis doesn't have many extra 2nds right now and they will want to hold on to Brooks (especially in the MT deal). I think Teague+Dieng+11 for Conley straight up is the deal.

[babyjax13]

1) Trade Conley for assets. Detroit makes the most sense to me:
Reggie Jackson, John Leur, Langston Galloway, Khyri Thomas, 15 for Mike Conley

Detroit moves a bunch of bad salary and adds Conley. Memphis gets a first round pick and a promising 3+D shooter.

2) don't resign Val (sorry Val)

3) See if Parsons/Bradley can be flipped for assets and bad contracts.

[E S V L]

1. Draft Ja
2. Trade Conley for Hayward + #20
3. Avoid any other moves with long-term effect e.g. don’t trade for Wiggins and re-sign JV

[BarbaGrizz]

Draft Ja

Trade Conley to Boston for Hayward + Memphis FRP pick back (if Boston declines than trade Conley for the best pick available - draft Hachimura/Clarke/Herro)

Resign JV for 42M/3y

Resign Delon for 18M/3y

Cut Avery Bradley

Try to resign Joakim Noah

Buy a late 2nd round pick and draft Marcus Louzada

[SD2042]

Draft Ja

Trade Conley to Boston for Hayward + Memphis FRP pick back (if Boston declines than trade Conley for the best pick available - draft Hachimura/Clarke/Herro)

Resign JV for 42M/3y

Resign Delon for 18M/3y

Cut Avery Bradley

Try to resign Joakim Noah

Buy a late 2nd round pick and draft Marcus Louzada

How effective is Louzada as a player?

[BarbaGrizz]

Draft Ja

Trade Conley to Boston for Hayward + Memphis FRP pick back (if Boston declines than trade Conley for the best pick available - draft Hachimura/Clarke/Herro)

Resign JV for 42M/3y

Resign Delon for 18M/3y

Cut Avery Bradley

Try to resign Joakim Noah

Buy a late 2nd round pick and draft Marcus Louzada

How effective is Louzada as a player?

Jack of all trades, master of none. 6'6 SG/SF who, is putting impressive numbers for a 19yo at local, continental and national team level. I would compare him to Kent Bazemore.

[SD2042]

Draft Ja

Trade Conley to Boston for Hayward + Memphis FRP pick back (if Boston declines than trade Conley for the best pick available - draft Hachimura/Clarke/Herro)

Resign JV for 42M/3y

Resign Delon for 18M/3y

Cut Avery Bradley

Try to resign Joakim Noah

Buy a late 2nd round pick and draft Marcus Louzada

How effective is Louzada as a player?

Jack of all trades, master of none. 6'6 SG/SF who, is putting impressive numbers for a 19yo at local, continental and national team level. I would compare him to Kent Bazemore.

Sounds like a player who could be reliable if put in the right system at the right time.

[VCfor3]

1. Trade Conley for picks/young players. Willing to take on bad money but expiring contracts would be much preferred. He shouldn't be on the roster to start the season unless the offers are absolutely horrid.
2. Draft Ja
3. Try to resign JV for 12m per year.
4. Resign Wright if possible without breaking the bank
5. Play to win without using a single future asset for win now talent. Tanking to keep our pick doesn't matter. We will be bad either way and we either convey our pick in a weaker draft or get a top 6 pick which are fairly equal outcomes in the grand scheme of things.
6. Use our large amount of cap space next offseason to go after RFAs (Sabonis, Brown, Beasley, etc.)

Since Utah seems like a potential Conley landing spot:
1. Crowder, Allen, #23 for Conley - Utah relents to Crowder in order to keep Favors and Exum while beating out a potential Detroit offer of 15+Khyri
2a. 12+MKG for 23 if we think we are resigning JV and Kemba resigns with CHA
2b. 12+Biyombo+2nd for 23 if we think we aren't resigning JV and Kemba resigns with CHA
2c. Evan Turner+25+2nd for cash considerations/TPE
3. Crowder for Nene+Deyonta Davis+small contract of Houston's choice+2020 HOU 1st Top 20-22 protected then 2nd or two - Houston gets a player who can help with a title run this year. They should have some form of bird rights on him next offseason too.
4. 30+Ilaysova for cash considerations/TPE
5. Waive Avery Bradley

Some of those ideas are pretty optimistic but I can dream can't I haha. Probably need Ivan Rabb going back to Utah. Charlotte probably wants 2b without adding a 2nd instead of 2a. Houston may try to offer multiple 2nds instead of a 1st. MIL may only part with 30 if a team is taking Snell.