The Memphis Grizzlies are looking for wing help and are targeting the Miami Heat's Luol Deng and the Boston Celtics' Jeff Green, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.
Grizzlies reportedly targeting Jeff Green, Luol Deng in trades
The Grizzlies are looking to make a move after seeing the Mavericks, Rockets and Thunder make in-season acquisitions.
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Luol Deng joined the Heat this season after spending most of his career in Chicago with the Bulls. He's averaging 14.3 points, 4,8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals in 32.2 minutes per game in Miami. At 29 years old, he's a veteran with a lot of miles on his legs thanks to playing heavy minutes for coach Tom Thibodeau, but has shown no telling signs of diminished production and he's well-liked around the league.
Jeff Green has been with the Celtics for the past four seasons and has blossomed into a high-volume scorer. He’s averaging a career-high 17.6 points per game to go with 4.2 rebounds. His size allows him to slide up to power forward when necessary and he’s only 28 years old, which makes him a coveted player who could help any team.
Nothing is imminent according to Stein but the Grizzlies are actively trying to make a deal. Let’s look at the potential trades more closely.
Why it makes sense:
The Grizzlies added Vince Carter in the offseason, looking for shot creation at the wing. So far Carter has not been the answer , as he is posting career-worst numbers in scoring and efficiency. The rest of the wing rotation is comprised of shooters (Courtney Lee and Quincy Pondexter) or defenders (Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince). Either Deng or Green would represent an upgrade, giving the Grizzlies a two-way option at small forward who can create his own shot.
The Celtics just traded Rajon Rondo and are looking to move forward with their youth movement. Green has been reportedly available for trades for the entire season and a move now would allow coach Brad Stevens plenty of time to rebuild his rotations and feature rookie James Young more. Green has a player option, which means he could leave Boston in free agency as soon as the next offseason. Getting something for him before he does makes a lot of sense for a Boston team that is accumulating as many assets as it can.
The Heat are not having the type of season they were anticipating. They are barely holding on to the last playoff spot in the East and the prospect of being swept by the Hawks or Bulls is not particularly appealing. Deng was their big offseason acquisition, and while he has played well, it's clear a core of Dwyane Wade, Deng and Chris Bosh is not enough to contend. Cutting ties with Deng and his high salary while getting an asset in return would allow Miami to improve their flexibility greatly as they try to find another star.
Why it doesn’t make sense:
The Grizzlies’ starting lineup, which includes Lee at shooting guard and Tony Allen at small forward, has been decent, posting a +6.1 net rating. A trade would mean breaking it up, with Lee as the most likely candidate to go to the bench. Allen is not a threat as a shooter, which cramps up the Grizzlies spacing even next to Lee. Moving him to shooting guard while an inconsistent shooter takes over the small forward spot could hurt Memphis’ offense more than the shot creation Green or Deng provide would help. If the price is low enough, meaning Prince and a future pick, then the gamble makes sense. Otherwise, the Grizzlies could decide to just ride out the season or make a smaller trade.
The Celtics were reluctant to move Rondo until they became convinced they were not going to be able to retain him and were asking for multiple picks for him before settling for the package the Dallas Mavericks put together. They might decide to play hardball for a while, holding on to Green until the trade deadline in the hopes a desperate team offers more than an expiring contract and a low pick. The worst thing that could happen is Green leaving in the offseason, which would not be nearly as bad a hit as Rondo bolting would have been.
As for the Heat, any downgrade in talent could result in them fading from the playoff picture, which would be a huge letdown for their fans in the first year of the post-LeBron era. Even if the core is not good enough to contend, Deng is a solid player on a fair contract. Tweaking the roster beyond Wade, Deng and Bosh in order to improve instead of blowing things up only months after acquiring the small forward is surely the more appealing option, especially considering what the Grizzlies are reportedly offering is far from a king’s ransom.
Likelihood:
The Memphis Grizzlies seem very motivated to make a deal, according to the rumor. Whether a trade happens depends on the Heat’s or the Celtics’ willingness to part with their starting small forward. The Heat need to replenish their war chest with assets, so they would probably want more than what the Grizzlies are willing to offer. The probability of them trading Deng to the Grizzlies is about 4 out of 10. The Celtics and Green are a completely different case. There’s about a 7 out of 10 chance the Celtics are ready to trade Green so it’s a matter of the Grizzlies making the right offer.
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