The 2024 draft assets are a mess on the trade machine so the second-round picks being moved are there to represent the first-round pick in 2024 from each team.

After a disappointing season plagued by injuries, the Memphis Grizzlies will start the offseason with the 9th pick in the 2024 Draft. Memphis has a solid and still young foundation led by Morant, Jackson and Bane, that already tasted success in the regular season and some losses to more experienced teams in the playoffs. To return stronger and try to make a deep run, the Grizzlies will need to address their hole at C, left by the departure of Adams in the 2024 Trade Deadline. Some established names can be options as trade targets, for example, Jarrett Allen and Jakob Poeltl; but Memphis has a unique opportunity to land a prospect very close to their draft range that can fit like a glove in their starting lineup: Donavan Clingan.

Clingan is a 7'3 center who was part of the back-to-back NCAA championship by UConn, being one if not the best defensive center in the nation. With 2 years of college in a very competitive environment, Clingan is one of the more NBA-ready in the top 5 range of the Draft, with traits and numbers of a potential All-NBA caliber drop big. While not so certain of a solution for the position, getting a rookie contract that can play 20-28 minutes can be great for Memphis as they look into JJJ's and Smart's extension within 2 years. If they trade for an established player using a filler like Kennard, that will put immense pressure on their finances and will almost certainly mean that they will have to break their core shortly.

Since the difference between Sarr and Clingan to the 3rd best big in the class is gigantic, Memphis might feel the pressure to trade up in the class to snap a player that was made in a lab for their starting 5. Current reports suggest that Clingan is being discussed as a potential top 3 pick, but the only team on that range that makes some sense is the Wizards. The Spurs at 4 (and 8) won't be picking a C that high to clash with Wembanyama. The Hornets and the Pistons are potential landing spots for Clingan because there are still questions if their current young centers (Mark Williams and Jalen Duren) would be good enough long-term for those teams to skip a center prospect that they may like. After the Wizards, the most likely landing spot for Clingan would be Portland at 7th because the team doesn't have a center of the future yet, and picking someone who can slowly improve their defense would come in handy as they develop Scoot and Sharpe.

With all that in mind, if Washington chooses to not pick Clingan, would be ideal for Memphis to jump Portland and snag Clingan for them between picks 3 and 6. In that range, the Rockets are a team that might choose to trade their selection for a win-now piece like Mikal Bridges and Brandon Ingram, but with Memphis looking to keep their core it's unlikely that both teams would agree to a trade. The Spurs are a team with the luxury of having 2 selections in this Draft, and they may very well end up loving a prospect that will be available at 4. The Pistons at 5th and the Hornets at 6th might be a little more open to trade down depending on how the draft unfolds since those teams already have 2-4 young players on their core and they'll be in a position to draft more for fit than to get the best talent available; so, if the couple of guys that they think really makes sense for them are out of the board by the time they're on the clock, they would be ideal spots for Memphis to trade up to.

Grizzlies trade package:

• 9th pick, Santi Aldama, 2025 MEM FRP (Top 10 protected, becomes unprotected in 2026)

Grizzlies receive:

• Donavan Clingan (5th or 6th pick)

Aldama is a decent young bench big who can play both PF and C and can help stretch the floor for both Detroit and Charlotte and is still young enough to be worth a rookie extension and continue gradually improving. The 2025 Memphis pick is a decent bet to be in the 10s since the West will be even more of a blood bath next year because only the Blazers (and maybe Utah) look like a team without any hopes to fight for the play-ins. In a scenario where Memphis struggles to finish top 4, that can be a mid-first-rounder in a more attractive class.

Grizzlies rotation post-trade:

Morant, Smart, Bane, JJJ and Clingan

Kennard, Konchar, VWJ, (Ziaire or GG or LaRavia), Clarke