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NBA Draft week got off to a quick start on Monday with a three-player deal between the Memphis Grizzlies and the New Orleans Pelicans. The Grizzlies took a few bad contracts (Eric Bledsoe, Steven Adams) and abandoned their starting cross (Jonas Valanciunas) in order to clinch the No.10 pick in Thursday’s draft and a future first-round pick in 2022 (top -10 protected via Lakers) according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com. The Pelicans also recovered the No. 17 overall pick and traded second-round picks with the Grizzlies as part of the deal, while giving up a long-term salary surplus ahead of the draft.
How exactly will this move impact the free agency landscape for the Celtics and other teams in the league as a busy week approaches? Let’s look at some developments as a result of the trade.
Eric Bledsoe is still available in a store: It has been the case for the past 12 months anyway, but Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes reports Bledsoe won’t find himself in the crowded Grizzlies backcourt when all is said and done. The 31-year-old was disappointed in New Orleans last year and has two more years left on his contract, worth a total of around $ 37 million. The second year of this deal is only partially guaranteed, so Bledsoe will be a moving part. He’s overpaid but still racked up 12.2 points per game last season.
The Grizzlies are unlikely to move any serious assets to drain their money as a team, especially in a team that is still young at the moment. However, they could be looking for a team in desperate need of an upgrade with limited free agency options to take Bledsoe’s money. The Celtics are certainly not a team that would be interested in him unless they reclaim an asset as part of the deal.
Justise Winslow will be a free agent: The Celtics almost gave up the farm for the Duke product in the 2015 NBA Draft. Just 18 months ago, the Memphis Grizzlies signed two bad contracts (James Johnson, Dion Waiters) to hire young forwards promising while dropping a pair of useful wings (Jae Crowder, Andre Iguodala) in the case. However, after two years of injuries at Memphis, the Grizzlies chose to turn down Winslow’s $ 14 million squad option, which will make the 25-year-old a free agent in August.
That means very little in the free agency landscape, beyond adding another potential low buy option to the wing position. Winslow has only played 37 games combined in the past two years and his perimeter shooting numbers have fallen off a cliff in that stretch. Some teams will be trying their luck on him this offseason, but it’s probably not a worthwhile investment for Boston with limited means to add to the free agency roster.
Memphis will likely look to move more parts of its roster: After closing the three-player deal with New Orleans, the Grizzlies currently have 14 players under contract for next season and also have the 10th pick overall. This gives Memphis a full roster without even using any of the team’s free agency options (full mid-level exception)
We already know Bledsoe is on the move, but dropping Jonas Valancinuas is a potential signal that older players whose bonuses don’t necessarily match the young core of the squad (Ja Morant) could be made available for assets. Kyle Anderson is a 27-year-old player who would fit that description as he only has one year left on his expiring contract. League sources tell MassLive that Anderson is a game the Celtics have shown interest in in the past.
No matter what the Grizzlies decide to do with Anderson, today’s deal is a signal that they are done when it comes to offseason trading as some consolidation would make sense for their roster.
The Pelicans now have ammunition to land a big name in free agency: The Pelicans have become a major player in the free agent market today, cutting over $ 21 million from their payroll for next season at Bledsoe and Adams. Which path Pelicans general manager David Griffin chooses to take with this newfound freedom remains to be seen. The team could simply re-sign their own free agents to Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart with this cap room, but the more likely option is to look for a bigger name in the market.
If the Pelicans forgo the Ball and Hart cap, they could have $ 36 million to spend, enough to pursue a bigger name like Kyle Lowry on the open market.
What impact will this have on the plans of the Celtics and Evan Fournier’s free agency? Probably not much. The Pelicans already have a lot of young talent on the wings with Brandon Ingram and Nickel Alexander-Walker. Spending a lot of money on Fournier wouldn’t make much sense as there is now a crying need for a point guard with Bledsoe traded and Ball being a restricted free agent.
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