Grizzlies’ 2020 NBA Championship Odds Take a Hit After Dealing Mike Conley

• The Memphis Grizzlies have traded point guard Mike Conley to the Utah Jazz
• The Grizzlies’ odds to win the 2020 NBA Championship have dropped from +20000 to +22500
• This clears the way for the Grizzlies to draft Ja Morant at Thursday’s NBA Draft

The Memphis Grizzlies’ rebuild is fully underway. After trading Marc Gasol at the trade deadline last year, the Grizzlies have now shipped Mike Conley to the Utah Jazz. The deal clears the way for the drafting of Ja Morant and a full-scale change in direction. As a result, the Grizzlies’ NBA Championship odds have dropped from +20000 to +22500.

2020 NBA Championship Odds

*Odds taken 06/19/19. Click on the link in the table above to see odds for all 30 teams. 

Grizzlies Get Haul From Jazz

The Grizzlies did get a sizable haul from the Jazz. They received Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver, Grayson Allen, and two first-round picks – one of which is this year. The issue is that the Grizzlies are not a contender right now, so the value of Crowder and Korver is minimal. However, Allen could grow into a decent bench player and the two first-round picks are of value.

Grizzlies Clear Cap Space

One of the most important aspects of this trade for the Grizzlies is that they’ve cleared a ton of cap space. Conley’s contract was on the books for $32.5 million this year and $34.5 next season. With him off the books, and depending on what the Grizzlies do with Jonas Valanciunas, they could have about $80 million in cap space next season.

What’s the Grizzlies New Foundation?

The days of Conley, Gasol, and Zach Randolph are gone. Conley was the last piece of that puzzle and now the Grizzlies need to figure out what their new identity will be. Of course, Morant will be the main piece of that puzzle, but who else is there with him?

Jaren Jackson Jr. was the team’s first-round pick in 2018 and he looks like a player on the rise. He averaged 13.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and had a PER of 16.43 last season. It’s clear Jackson and Morant are the future. Beyond that, it’s unclear who else the Grizzlies want around.

Valanciunas makes a lot of sense as he really thrived in Memphis. He averaged 19.9 points, 10. 7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.6 blocks. He’s still just 27 years old and he won’t be cheap. He’s opted out of his contract, but he’s exactly the type of hard-nosed player that can help this team grow.

Keeping Avery Bradley also makes sense as he’s a tenacious defender and averaged 16.1 points in 14 games with the Grizz. He’s 28 years old and a short-term deal might make sense. At the same time, with Allen now on the team, it’s likely they give that role to him and see what he can do rather than pay $12 plus million to Bradley.

Expect Grizzlies to Tank

My feeling with this team is they are expecting to be bad next season and are fine with it. That means they’ll give the keys to Morant and Jackson, and see what they can do with it. Keeping Valanciunas makes sense, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he got a rich contract and they let him walk.

Expect the Grizzlies to be one of the worst teams in the NBA next season as they look to tank and collect one more high lottery pick to pair with Jackson and Morant to really be the future foundation of this roster.