Grizzlies Want To Land First-Round Pick For Evans

As one of the NBA’s worst teams through the first half, the Grizzlies are positioned to be sellers at next month’s trade deadline, and Tyreke Evans figures to be their top trade chip. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Memphis wants to land a first-round pick in exchange for Evans.

Evans has enjoyed a career year so far in his return to Memphis, where he played his college ball. The 28-year-old has bounced back from a forgettable 2016/17 campaign to post 19.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.7 APG, and a .471/.416/.787 shooting line in 38 games (19 starts) this season.

Despite those numbers, Wojnarowski is skeptical that the Grizzlies will be able to secure a first-round pick for Evans, noting that he’d be a rental — the former fourth overall pick will be eligible for unrestricted free agency six months from now. Still, Evans’s affordable salary ($3.29MM) and his impressive production make him an intriguing target for contenders, so perhaps there will be a team willing to part with a protected first-rounder, especially if Memphis is willing to take on a modest unwanted contract (like the Nets did in last season’s Bojan Bogdanovic swap with the Wizards).

Of course, even if the Grizzlies were able to acquire a first-round pick for Evans, there are some doubts about the front office’s ability to get value out of that selection. Memphis’ first-round picks from 2012 (Tony Wroten), 2014 (Jordan Adams), and 2016 (Wade Baldwin) don’t currently have NBA contracts, and the team also waived Rade Zagorac, the 35th overall pick from 2016, this past fall.

In addition to Evans, Marc Gasol would represent a significant trade piece for the Grizzlies as the deadline approaches, but the club continues to say it plans to keep the standout center, according to Wojnarowski.