The vibe around the Grizzlies has changed immensely since this time last year. Ja has hurt his public image while the team has not held up as well without him as they had in prior seasons. The main issues that hurt this team in the past were poor perimeter shooting & at times even poorer shot selection. (Looking right at you Dillon Brooks) This year so far, a lack of size & rebounding has hurt them just as much their inability to shoot the three. This trade allows them to get the ideal center to replace Steven Adams and upgrade their outside shooting while also getting much better on the defensive end of the floor.

The Nets are a very tricky team to pin down in the hypothetical trade world. They don't own their draft destiny for the next few seasons so staying relatively competitive while also hoarding as much draft capital should be their strategy however that remains easier said than done. The front office did a great job of identifying the correct players & contracts to take back in the KD/Kyrie trades and they are now set up to further augment their draft pick stockpile. With all that being said, if this team faceplants early in the season & is heading towards a mediocre year, I could see them off-loading their valuable pieces before the returns start to diminish. Three FRP's and a swap is a handsome return for 90% of the league, especially unprotected picks 5-6 years down the line. Yes, Memphis has a young core and could be championship contenders for most of these years, but as you have seen things change and success is not guaranteed. Plus, Ziaire Williams is still a high level prospect in my eyes. He was one of the youngest players in his draft, has elite athleticism at 6'9" and has looked strong in the first three games this year. Has a decent chance to be 85-90% of what Bridges is as a player.

This current iteration of the Hawks is not for the long-term as this is the year they blow it up & start the youth movement around Trae, setting up potential trades for their star guards in the off-season if they deem them incapable of building a contending team around. It is no debate that this team likes what it has in Onyeka Okongwu and would like to see him in the starting lineup. That is made tough with the presence of Clint Capela and his strong veteran resume in the middle. Opening up minutes for guys like Okongwu and AJ Griffin should be their main priority if they do not see the growth needed to keep this core together. Dejounte Murray, Deandre Hunter, and Bogdan Bogdanovic are all useful pieces on contending teams but not so much on a lottery team. This trade allows them to shed some salary and free up some minutes for younger guys all while not completely bailing on this core.