Grizzlies trade Xavier Tillman to Boston for Lamar Stevens, 2 seconds
The Memphis Grizzlies trade Xavier Tillman, ahead of his unrestricted free agency, in exchange for more second-round picks — per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Memphis Grizzlies have made another trade prior to tomorrow’s deadline.
And first reported by Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, the Grizzlies will also receive Lamar Stevens’ expiring contract.
It’s a sound trade for the Grizzlies. Given the small cap hold Tillman possesses this summer as an unrestricted free agent ($2M), and the team’s tight salary situation next season, it was going to be hard to retain him.
His contributions have been resounding in Memphis. He immediately stepped in his rookie to make big plays on both sides of the ball in the team’s 1st trip to the postseason in 3 years. After a sophomore slump, he worked incredibly hard to retain his rotation spot — and showcased immense value as a frontcourt defensive stopper.
This season (34 games), he’s averaging 6.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 2.2 stocks on 40.8% shooting (6.3 attempts per game) in 20.6 minutes per game. For his career, he’s averaging 6.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.4 stocks on 52.2% shooting (5.0 attempts per game) in 17.7 minutes per game across 207 games.
He’ll provide good depth for the Boston Celtics behind Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford.
So what’s next for Memphis?
They acquired 2 more future second-round drafts, which should bode well for future maneuvering. They started the season with 2 available second-round picks at their disposal, and now have added 5 picks through the Adams and Tillman trades.
They added another contract that could be waived to create another roster spot with Lamar Stevens and Victor Oladipo. Surely, the front office could (maybe, will) explore ways to pair Oladipo’s expiring contract with picks to add another piece before the deadline — and would buy him out otherwise.
The Grizzlies could also use the remainder of the trade deadline to move off more salary for next season and accumulate more assets. Two names to watch for: John Konchar and Ziaire Williams, who will each earn $6M next season.
And everyone will point to the loss of another big man. They could explore another move for a veteran big, shuffle 10-day’s through for quick depth, add 1 on a 2-way, or draft one in the 2024 draft. Brandon Clarke’s timeline from his achilles injury is something to watch here, too.
All in all, a solid team-building move for the Grizzlies, as they’re looking to re-tool the roster and set themselves up for a bounce-back season in the 2024-25 campaign.
And best of luck to Xavier Tillman, a player who embodied the “grit and grind” spirit with his work ethic, excellence in the little details, and his stay-ready mindset.