1 for 7, is the Grizzlies going to rebuild?

Welcome back to the Shisan Arena.

The first deal this summer came a bit suddenly: the Magic gave Pope + Cole Anthony + 4 first round + 1 first round swap, and got Bain of the Grizzlies.

1 for 7, Bain was so valuable, and I really didn't expect it; Durant is probably not able to sell at this price now. The Grizzlies suddenly sent Bain away, which was also surprising - the previous news about them was basically centered around Morant.

So after this deal was reached, many teams were already playing 3J - if sending Bain away was a signal to rebuild the Grizzlies, then 3J might be put on the shelves as well.

Of course, there is another guess that the Grizzlies are preparing to make a big wave. For example, you can take out Aldama (sign first and then exchange) + Cole Anthony + several draft picks to exchange Durant.

not only meets the Suns' needs for center and draft picks, but also comes with a qualified point guard who can play for about 20 minutes per game;

Grizzlies can build a core lineup of Morant + Durant + 3J, which is obviously a stronger and more reasonable configuration - the premise is that Durant has to promise to renew his contract with the Grizzlies. The idea of ​​

is indeed feasible.

But in my opinion, even if the Grizzlies make big moves next, their target will probably not be Durant.

At the moment, the Grizzlies did not have the ambition to win the championship.

As small-scale teams, they have rarely seen radical operations over the years, and they are more complicated and rely more on drafts and internal training for reinforcement.

Stars such as Gasol, Conley, Morant, and 3J are all cultivated by themselves.

So they may not be interested in veterans like Durant - the determination to succeed if they fail is only the wealthy teams with great power.

Second, Morant and 3J have not yet reached the top level of the championship team.

Morant has had many highlight moments and his style of play is also eye-catching; but he lacks stability, poor long shot performance, and many mistakes.

3J's performance in the playoffs almost every year has declined significantly compared to the regular season; he is not a reliable scorer, lacks hard solutions, and his hand feels fluctuating greatly.

So with such a pair of internal and external combinations, even if Durant is added, he will probably not see any window for the championship - then Durant probably won't promise to renew the contract, and the Grizzlies won't have any ideas about him.

So, is the Grizzlies going to rebuild?

I don't think it's possible.

Morant and 3J are both 25 years old and are still in the rising period, so it is a bit hasty to give up now;

The Grizzlies have made it into the playoffs four times in the past five years, and this result is not bad for them - it is even the second best five-year result in their team history.

Therefore, it is too early to rebuild;

reorganize the lineup, which is more in line with their team's current situation and past operating habits.

Sending Bain away is such a signal - the 4 first rounds + 1 first round swap they get, and the pick is basically not too high; but it is also very attractive to some teams, such as the Suns and the Nuggets.

Why do you still talk about the sun?

Because the Suns have nothing but non-sale products - although they have repeatedly emphasized that they will continue to build a team around Booker, don't forget that the King also vowed that he would not trade Fox; before Doncic was sent away, there was no news leaked.

And the Suns have paid a huge price to compete for the championship in recent years, but their results have been getting worse every year; it is impossible for the management to have no comments on these players.

As long as there are enough chips, Booker may even go faster than Durant - if the Grizzlies take out Morant + several draft picks, will the Suns really not be moved?

For the Suns, Bill can't send it away anyway, and he still has to pay a salary if he really cuts it. If it is replaced by Morant + Bill, this backcourt combination looks at least reasonable, right? It would be better to get a center again, but if there are enough draft picks, it is still acceptable.

Since the team is now a stagnant pool, it is always a good thing to change a little.

For the Grizzlies, although Booker has declined this season, he is still a more stable and reliable player than Morant overall, and has also performed well on the finals stage - in the 2021 Finals, he scored 40+ consecutively in G4 and G5, but the team collapsed overall.

So, Booker +3J's core lineup is probably more promising than the pair of Morant +3J, which maintains its playoff competitiveness in the West?

Even if it is not Booker, as long as the Grizzlies are willing to play Morant + several draft picks, they will definitely not lack competitiveness in the market.

So the media generally evaluated the Grizzlies in this deal in Bain - it is rare for an All-Star fringe player to be able to exchange for 4 first rounds + 1 first round swap.

More importantly, through this transaction, the Grizzlies have a huge operating space; whether they want to retain the Morant + 3J combination or not, they have abundant assets to further plan for the future.

Finally, let's talk about magic - how could they be willing to pay such a big price to get Bain?

First of all, the Magic have established the core of the forwards of Ban Keiro + Wagner Jr. Both of them have shown good ball holding and scoring ability, but 3 points are not very stable;

So they need a partner who does not take advantage of the ball and has outstanding shooting - Bain, which is certainly in line with this.

Secondly, Pope's decline is severe and Cole Anthony gradually falls out of rotation, which is no longer a positive asset; therefore, subsidies for draft picks are necessary..

The draft picks given seem to be many, but the picks are basically not high. In addition to the No. 16 picks this year, the first round picks in 28 and 30 will not theoretically enter the lottery zone, and the value of the first round swap in 29 years is even more limited.

So what is really valuable is probably the first round of the Suns in 2026...

, it is indeed reasonable to use targeted reinforcement when the core of the Magic has been established.

Bain's three-point shooting percentage in his career was 41%, which was enough to beat all the rest of the Magic team; changing the team to continue playing the role of the third leader is also very familiar to him.

With Tatum falling in the east, the Celtics will inevitably withdraw from the top competition. Magic will gain the position at this time, so it is also a matter of trying its best to seize the opportunity.

is just how effective it is, it still needs to wait for the actual competition to test.

But at least, it is much more reliable than Pope, right?