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NBA: 5 big questions left unanswered after the trade deadline

By Jacob Doole

DALLAS, TX - FEBRUARY 10: Isaiah Thomas #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts as the Lakers play the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at American Airlines Center on February 10, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. The Mavericks won 130-123. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - FEBRUARY 10: Isaiah Thomas #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts as the Lakers play the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at American Airlines Center on February 10, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. The Mavericks won 130-123. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 09: Tyreke Evans #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies has the ball knocked out away by DeAndre’ Bembry #95 of the Atlanta Hawks at McCamish Pavilion on October 9, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 09: Tyreke Evans #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies has the ball knocked out away by DeAndre’ Bembry #95 of the Atlanta Hawks at McCamish Pavilion on October 9, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Will Memphis regret standing pat?

From a trade that shouldn’t have happened, to a pair of deals that should’ve happened and didn’t.

Tyreke Evans was absolutely, definitely, 100 per cent being traded. Right up until the trade deadline had passed, and we all realized he was still in Memphis.

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The Grizzlies shut him down in the lead up to the deadline, as he sat out their last five games before Thursday. Apparently that was all in vain, as no one would stump up the first-round pick they were reportedly demanding.

It’s not like there were no offers at all, though. Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted that Boston, Denver and Philadelphia were all interested in Evans, but would only offer young players or second-round picks.

In the end, Memphis should’ve taken one of those packages and run. Evans is having a career-best season at age 28 and in a contract year.

The Grizzlies, meanwhile, are in the logjam of teams at the bottom of the Western Conference. They have no need for a 28 year old who can immediately contribute, and they likely won’t be willing to pay his asking price in the offseason.

Trading Evans seemed like a no-brainer. Trading Marc Gasol would have been a more complicated matter.

Memphis have committed to Gasol in more ways than one. First, in 2015 they re-signed him to a max contract worth $110 million over five years.

More recently, he was the man left standing after an apparent feud with then-coach David Fizdale. Fizdale was too good a coach to be fired for basketball reasons alone, and it has been widely assumed that he was let go to appease the team’s longtime star.

And finally, the Grizzlie’s front office flat-out refused to even discuss trading Gasol.

The Grizzlies desperately need to rebuild. They’ve already said goodbye to a fair chunk of their grit-and-grind core, but Gasol and Mike Conley are the holdovers.

With Conley out injured for the remainder of the season, this could have been the perfect time to shop Gasol for draft picks and young assets. By doing this, Memphis could have retooled with a younger roster around Conley next season, or traded him too and completely started from scratch.

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They’ve missed their window now, and they’ll just have to hope that Gasol and Evans don’t win them too many games. After all, every lottery ball gained can make a huge difference.

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