GM: David Williams, @NBADWill21

Salary Cap: $121,373,601

Luxury Tax: $28,893,399

GOAL: Push some chips in to try to take that next step to championship contention. See what you can use Danny Green’s salary to acquire.

Priorities

• See what attaching asset(s) to Danny Green to net you as a bench upgrade

• Dillon Brooks is expiring and while he’s likely to re-sign, he’s the only real mid-tier salary you have to move, so may need to package him with Danny Green depending how big of a fish you want to catch

• Theoretically, you could package Tyus Jones with Danny Green, too

• Assess how badly you want to push chips in for any upgrades on the roster

Players to Dangle

Tyus Jones (2/$29)

o   Salary: $15,000,000

o   Only real reason you’d trade him if an offer you can’t refuse presented itself and you needed the higher salary to salary match

Dillon Brooks (1/$11.4)

o   Salary: $11,400,000

o   If an opportunity presents itself, Grizzlies would probably be more willing to part with Brooks than with Tyus Jones

Danny Green (1/$10)

o   Salary: $10,000,000

o   This is why you acquired him. The opportunity to attach an asset to him for a real rotation piece that is healthy is worth it.

Xavier Tillman (2/$3.7 w/ TO in 2023-24)

o   Salary: $1,782,621

o   I wouldn’t actively be looking to move him, but I’d at least gauge the market. Roster spots are become scarce, so if you can clear a spot and get an asset, it may be wise

Trade Targets

• Bogdan Bogdanovic, Atlanta Hawks

o   Danny Green + Aldama/Roddy/LaRavia

• Would Brooklyn move Seth Curry for Danny Green & a second?
• Kelly Oubre & Terry Rozier

o   Rozier would obviously be the better target, but you already have Morant & Tyus Jones
o   Would Gordon Hayward be a good fit for the Grizzlies?

• Zach LaVine or DeMar DeRozan

o   Memphis is set up nicely to trade for a star: would one of these guys fit well?

• Alex Caruso
• Alec Burks & Bojan Bogdanovic
• Eric Gordon
• Buddy Hield
• Robert Covington & Luke Kennard
• Gary Harris & Terrence Ross
• Jae Crowder
• OG Anunoby or Gary Trent Jr.

o   Anunoby would be the prize of all these guys

• Will Barton

Assets Owned

• 2023 1st
• 2024 1st
• 2024 GSW 1st (top four protected)
• 2025 1st
• 2026 1st
• 2027 1st
• 2028 1st
• 2029 1st
• 2023 2nd
• 2023 MIN 2nd
• 2024 TOR 2nd
• 2024 2nd (more favorable of IND & less favorable of Cavs and Jazz)
• 2025 NO 2nd
• 2026 2nd (most favorable of Pacers, Celtics, and Heat)
• 2027 2nd
• 2028 2nd
• 2029 2nd

Mock Trades to Date (Feb 2 Deadline)

Grizzlies add depth

TRADE: Grizzlies trade Danny Green, Xavier Tillman, 2024 TOR 2nd, and 2025 NOP 2nd to the Knicks for Isaiah Hartenstein and Cam Reddish

On the Bird Rights Podcast, I told the Grizzlies GM, David Williams, that I was underwhelmed with this deal, but I think that’s because we value Cam Reddish differently. The Grizzlies are one of the more intriguing teams on the trade market because they are a legitimate contender and have plenty of assets to move in order to improve. However, David felt that Reddish was a great flier because the Grizzlies’ player development program is elite and he felt they could get the most out of the former lottery pick. In addition, with Steven Adams getting played off the court in last year’s playoffs, Isaiah Hartenstein gives the Grizzlies extra insurance as a big man who won’t get eaten alive in pick-and-rolls like Adams or Brandon Clarke. While I felt the Grizzlies could’ve made a splashier move, they are adding even more depth to a very deep team. 

For the Knicks, it’s been reported they want two second round picks for Reddish, and they got that with this deal. However, it came at the expense of flipping Hartenstein for Xavier Tillman and Danny Green’s expiring deal. While the Knicks just signed Hartenstein this offseason, they get Tillman on a very team-friendly deal this year and next, as he makes just $1.9 million next year. Keep in mind that this trade was completed pre-Mitch Robinson injury, so i’m not sure if Hartenstein would’ve been moved if they knew Robinson would be missing at least the next three weeks.