For the Grizzlies, climbing all the way up to the No. 2 spot in the 2019 NBA Draft would be quite the gift. It’d also be exactly what this team needs in order to jumpstart their rebuild. While there are a number of ways they could go, especially with the potential replacement for Mike Conley still on the board, Memphis will make the smart play and take the best player available at this point.
That’s RJ Barrett who averaged 23 points, eight rebounds and four assists on 45 percent shooting from the field during his freshman season at Duke. If Memphis wanted to keep Conley, he could fit and possibly help this team be, at the very least, somewhat competitive this upcoming season (assuming Barrett is the real deal).
Or, they could still move Conley and hand over the keys to Barrett from the minute he puts on a Grizzlies cap on draft night. Coming away with Barrett on draft night would be considered a huge win for a franchise that could use a helping hand from the basketball gods.