The Memphis Grizzlies received an unfortunate bit of news on Sunday. Steven Adams will require season-ending surgery on his knee after last season's rehab failed to solve "ongoing knee instability," per the team press release.
He is expected to make a full recovery by next season.
Adams appeared in 42 games for the Grizzlies last season, averaging 8.6 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 blocks in 27.0 minutes per game. Famed for his offensive rebounding acumen and perhaps underappreciated for his nifty passes and strong-armed rim protection, Adams is a critical piece of the Grizzlies' competitive puzzle.
Memphis took a noticeable step back when Adams went down last season. Jaren Jackson Jr. is the defensive anchor, but the Grizzlies' ability to rebound and combat physicality in the paint nosedives without Adams. The offense will miss his ability to set monster screens, work DHOs with the guards, and clean up misses at the rim.
There are internal replacements on the roster — expect a much larger dose of Xavier Tillman and Santi Aldama — but it wouldn't be surprising to see the Grizzlies seek a replacement via trade, especially with Brandon Clarke's own ongoing injury woes.
Here are some of the realistic options available to the Grizzlies, who should prioritize physicality on the boards and, perhaps, another source of rim protection to complement Jackson's roaming presence at power forward.
3. Robert Williams III
This feels like a natural jumping-off point. The Portland Trail Blazers acquired Robert Williams III, affectionately known as Time Lord, from the Celtics in the Jrue Holiday swap. Williams is one year removed from All-Defense honors, but injuries tanked his 2022-23 season. He only managed 35 regular season appearances and his role was greatly diminished.
Portland appears confident in Williams' ability to occasionally share the court with Deandre Ayton, but I'm hesitant to endorse such a pairing on offense. If anything, there's a better-than-most-think chance Williams ends up being the better option at center. Ayton, of course, is the one on the max contract. Williams should be available for the right price.
Williams is one of the league's truly unbelievable athletes. Next to Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, he's one of the best in the business at blocking 3-point attempts. Those are the nutty plays one should expect. Williams moves his feet well on the perimeter and he can touch the clouds with his leaping ability. He averaged 2.2 blocks in 29.6 minutes during his All-Defense season.
The combined athleticism, mobility, and rim erasure between Williams and Jackson would be fearsome. He doesn't fully address the rebounding and physicality concerns, but Williams and Jackson would eliminate so many scoring avenues and passing lanes as to make it very much worth Memphis' efforts. The injury concern is real, but Williams could pay massive short and long-term dividends for the Grizz.
2. Clint Capela
The Grizzlies address the rebounding issue here. Clint Capela's future with the Atlanta Hawks is murky at best. Onyeka Okongwu came on strong last season and the former No. 6 pick has clear starter potential. If the Hawks decide to lean into the younger elements of the roster, it starts with a Capela trade.
Memphis sacrifices a valuable bench shooter and connective guard in Luke Kennard, but that's the price for a quality center with Capela's mix of rim protection and rebounding prowess. Even as Capela ages toward 30, he's one of the best board-crashers in the association. He averaged 12.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 26.6 minutes last season.
Capela has lost a step since his prime days in Houston, but the root of his appeal remains the same. He's a hyper-efficient rim finisher and vertical threat who could add a new wrinkle to Memphis' offense working out of pick-and-rolls with Ja Morant and Marcus Smart. On defense, he's not quite as mobile in space as he once was, but he still clogs up the paint and gets his hands on a fair amount of shot attempts.
Jackson's all-consuming defensive presence would make Capela's job in the middle far less stressful than it is in Atlanta, where he is cleaning up messes left and right. The Grizzlies' perimeter defense grades out better than Atlanta's, especially if we're going off last season. Smart was DPOY a couple of years ago, lest we forget.
Capela would be well-positioned to play to his strengths while directly addressing a core Memphis weakness with Adams out of the mix. His contract situation bears mentioning — two years, $45.8 million left — but Memphis should bite the bullet with a goal to contend this season.
1. Naz Reid
This trade cannot happen until Jan. 15, since Naz Reid signed a fresh three-year, $42 million extension over the summer. The Grizzlies should feel fine about starting the season with Tillman in the lineup, however, and Memphis' priority should be the stretch run. The Grizzlies have conquered the regular season already. It's all about the playoffs.
For the Minnesota Timberwolves, there's a clear desire to keep Reid in the mix, as evidenced by the extension. That said, the glut of frontcourt players is an unavoidable topic of conversation. Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, when both are healthy, should dominate center and power forward minutes. Jaden McDaniels is flexible enough to slide into the four spot, Kyle Anderson is a rock-solid rotation piece, and rookie Leonard Miller looks the part based on preseason.
Reid will face a minute squeeze, despite his obvious and unique talent. The Grizzlies should eagerly swoop in and trade for him, if possible. Reid is only 24 and the production is tantalizing when he's forced into a starting role. He averaged 11.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists on .537/.346/.677 splits last season in 18.4 minutes per game.
While he's not the best defensive player, Reid is a physical wrecking ball that provides ample presence on the glass. Jackson is the Grizzlies' switch-everything big and weak-side rim protector, which would allow Reid to play to his strengths in the painted area. Memphis would face a size deficit in a lot of matchups (Reid is only 6-foot-9), but the pros should outweigh the cons.
On the offensive end, Reid presents an intriguing blend of interior scoring and perimeter skill. He can grab-and-go in transition, operate as a playmaking hub at the elbow, or face up and use his strong 246-pound frame to bulldoze his way to the rim. There is untapped upside to letting Reid experiment a bit more offensively. The Grizzlies could land a real gem here.
