One of the more intriguing teams to watch in the Western Conference this season is the Memphis Grizzlies. Though the team still has Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, two of the best at their respective positions, players such as Tony Allen and Zach Randolph, mainstays of their ‘Grit and Grind’ era are gone.
The Grizzlies now seem to be stuck in the middle ground as a likely playoff team and tough out, but not close to championship contention. This has led many to speculate that the team could look to start a re-build and possibly deal either or their two stars.
The Grizzlies apparently don’t feel that way however, as according to Matt Moore of CBS Sports, they consider Gasol untouchable:
The Memphis Grizzlies consider All-Star center Marc Gasol “untouchable” and have refused to enter his name in any trade conversations, two sources close to the situation told CBS Sports this week.
Moore also notes that Conley untouchable and the Grizzlies plan to build around the duo for the long-term:
The Grizzlies, in reality, have made the playoffs the past seven years, and their decision to re-sign both Gasol and Mike Conley (who is also considered “untouchable” according to sources) was made with the intention of building around the duo long-term.
The decision to build around them long-term is an interesting one as Gasol is already 32 years old while Conley will turn 30 in October. Memphis isn’t a marquee team so bringing in free agents is tough, but they are too good to land a top draft pick as well.
Of course, things can always change and while this may be Memphis’ mindset right now, a bad season could change that. Gasol, in particular, can opt-out of his deal after the 2019 season so he could be an attractive trade option for a team in need of big man help if the Grizzlies change their mind about dealing him.
The other side of that is the Grizzlies could struggle to ever bring in another talent at the level of a Gasol or Conley so they aren’t in any rush to get rid of them, regardless of their record. They will definitely be a team to watch in the near future.
