NBA Trade Rumors: According to a recent report, the Memphis Grizzlies are now open to moving Mike Conley and Marc Gasol; why did they wait so long?
Sitting at 19-28, six games back of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, reality is beginning to set in on the Memphis Grizzlies. More than halfway through the 2018-19 NBA season, I believe it’s safe to say that it’s time for the Grizzlies to embrace the tank.
And that means, as hard as it may seem, probably trading away Marc Gasol and Mike Conley. Or, at the very least, shopping them on the open market in the weeks ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.
Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, it appears that’s the route the Grizzlies appear to be embracing at this point in the season.
"For the first time, the Memphis Grizzlies will begin listening to trade offers for their franchise stars, center Marc Gasol and guard Mike Conley, league sources told ESPN."
The big question, with roughly two weeks until the NBA Trade Deadline, is what would the market look like for Conley and Gasol? It’s tough to gauge, as both players are well beyond their primes and are on the wrong side of 30 years old.
Conley, 31, is averaging a cool 20 points and six assists, after an injury plagued season a year ago, on 42 percent shooting from the field and 35 percent from 3-point range. There’s no question that Conley could be the shinier prize on the block here, considering that he’s younger and a bit more productive at this point in their respective careers.
At the same time, when healthy, Gasol is arguably the best center in the NBA. He can pass, defend and score. The soon to be 34-year-old is averaging 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists per game this season, on 43 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3-point range.
Gasol could be a free agent after this season, depending on whether he accepts or declines his option for next season. That, no question, will be something interested teams will weigh when submitting offers to the Grizzlies.