The Memphis Grizzlies may be plotting moves ahead of next week’s draft.
Michael Scotto of The Athletic reported on Thursday that the Grizzlies are gauging the trade market for a package consisting of forward Chandler Parsons and the No. 4 overall pick.
The 29-year-old Parsons is obviously a negative asset for Memphis right now — he signed a four-year, $94 million deal with them in 2016 but has averaged just 7.1 points a game in 70 total appearances since then thanks to persistent knee troubles. However, the No. 4 pick in a deep draft class could be just the sweetener the Grizzlies need to attach in order to unload Parsons’ contract.
The jury is still out on if sacrificing a prime shot at a star young player is worth shedding Parsons’ salary, especially for a team that isn’t really a big free-agent destination to begin with. But the Grizzlies need to explore all possible routes for improvement after a miserable 22-60 season, and this is at least a more realistic option than some of the others they have been considering.
