NBA Trade Rumors: 5 destinations for Kevin Martin
By John Buhler
2. Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are trudging through the Western Conference with their antiquated Grit N’ Grind philosophical approach. Memphis is an anomaly in an era of the NBA where almost every team wants to play small ball. Seeing the Indiana Pacers adopt small ball principles in 2015-16 makes the Grizzlies really the only old-school, throwback team in the modern NBA.
Regardless of their sluggish pace and overly physical play, the Grizzlies are in fifth place in the Western Conference with a 25-19 record. With likely the seventh and eighth seeds in the West making the NBA Playoffs with sub-.500 records, the Grizzlies need to make a few minute upgrades so that they can challenge either the Los Angeles Clippers or the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.
One way that the Grizzlies can improve is to acquire a strong jump shooter who point guard Mike Conley can comfortably distribute the basketball. A player that could fit in nicely in the Grizzlies offense is Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Kevin Martin.
Martin’s unorthodox, but effective three-point shot could help the Grizzlies become a more potent offense, opening up space for Conley to create and allowing franchise centerpiece Marc Gasol to comfortably expand his offensive game to the mid-range.
Memphis has long looked for a solution at the three since trading away Rudy Gay to the Toronto Raptors. While Martin is a traditional shooting guard, the Grizzlies could move defensive specialist Tony Allen to small forward. Memphis would likely have to send Matt Barnes in the package to pull off this trade. Perhaps Mario Chalmers or Andrew Harrison could sweeten the deal enough to get Minnesota to bite?
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