The Grizzlies are trading Marcus Smart and a 2025 first-round pick to the Wizards in a multi-team deal that will see Memphis acquire a pair of second-round picks, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The trade will also include the Kings, per multiple reports.
According to Charania (Twitter link), NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link), and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link), here are the details of the deal that are known so far:
- Grizzlies to acquire Marvin Bagley III (from Wizards), Johnny Davis (from Wizards), a 2028 second-round pick (from Kings), and one additional second-round pick (possibly from the Wizards, though it’s unclear).
- Kings to acquire Jake LaRavia (from Grizzlies).
- Wizards to acquire Smart (from Grizzlies), Colby Jones (from Kings), Alex Len (from Kings), and a 2025 first-round pick (from Grizzlies).
Obviously, Memphis’ initial trade for Smart completely backfired, as the former Defensive Player of the Year has only made 39 combined appearances for the Grizzlies over the past two seasons due to a series of injuries. The Grizzlies gave up Tyus Jones, the draft rights to Marcus Sasser (No. 25 overall pick in 2023) and Golden State’s 2024 first-rounder (which was later traded multiple times — Carlton Carrington was selected No. 14 overall by Washington) in that initial deal.
Smart also hasn’t been particularly effective when active for the Grizzlies, especially in 2024/25, averaging just 8.7 points, 3.7 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals on .358/.322/.833 shooting in 19 games (21.1 minutes). That’s not much production for a player earning $20.2MM this season and $21.6MM in ’25/26.
Former first-round pick LaRavia, on the other hand, has been effective in a crowded Memphis rotation this season, averaging 7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists on .490/.444/.698 shooting in 47 games (20.9 minutes). However, the Grizzlies declined to pick up his $5.16MM rookie scale team option for ’25/26 last fall, which means they couldn’t offer him a starting salary above that amount when he hits unrestricted free agency this summer — that same restriction will now apply to Sacramento.
Moving off Smart’s contract will free up Memphis’ books for next season, as Bagley and Davis will hit free agency this summer. That should help them re-sign forward Santi Aldama, an impending restricted free agent, and possibly extend All-Star big man Jaren Jackson Jr. The Grizzlies will also add a couple of second-round picks in the deal.
It’s a pretty low-risk move for the Kings, who are looking to make a playoff push. Even if it turns out that they won’t be able to re-sign LaRavia in the offseason, they didn’t give up any rotation players and the outgoing assets are modest.
Both Memphis and Sacramento will save some money in ’24/25 as a result of the deal as well, giving the clubs more flexibility to potentially be players on the buyout market.
As for the Wizards, they’ll take a flyer on Smart in the hopes that he gets healthy and becomes a trade chip next season. Jones and Len aren’t owed money beyond this season. Of course, the primary motivation for making the deal for the rebuilding team was to acquire the 2025 first-round pick, which would land at No. 27 overall if the season ended today.
Rory Maher contributed to this story.
Oh boy do I hope the Warriors can get Smart from the Wizards!!
Buyout approaching for Marcus Smart?
He’s under contract for another season.
Back to the Celts?
Sent to the NBA’s laughing stock trash team? The disrespect is wild.
The laughingstocks are the mediocre teams that don’t tank. Not the new Wiz.
laughingstock is a step up for the Wiz
Do you know what laughingstock means? Or step up?
Wiz haven’t improved since Beal left. Keep chirping because you need an app to feel secure JoeBob
Tbh , he’s not wrong. Laughingstock might actually be an improvement . The wizards are that bad.
At this point it’s more sad than anything.
Wizards haven’t won 50 games or made it past the 2nd round since 1978-79. They are for sure a laughing stock in this league. Or there other teams who fall into the same category? Most definitely, but that doesn’t change what the Wizards are.
Too bad Smart makes to much money for the Celtics buyout options. Houston has a slot Ime loves the guy!
Smart isn’t getting bought out with another guaranteed year left
A couple SRPs mannn that’s bad
Banished to the shadow realm
Banished fort with from the kingdom of Rohan….. to Washington DC
Smart first has to watch Boston win a title without him, then he gets traded to the Wiz.
He must be loving life.
Who do grizzlies get back? Brogdon?
Happy for LaRavia – hopefully he gets decent minutes now. The guy does just about everything on the court – rebound, shoot the 3, facilitate..but Memphis was burying him on their depth chart.
Oh man, who did Smart piss off?
FINALLY THE KINGS GOT RID OF ALEX LEN!!!!
Alex Len, the perpetual trade chip. Wonder if this is the time he gets waived and is finally out of the league. He’s had some pretty good NBA roster luck.
Good on the Wizards. Get Smart and get a first rounder. Don’t understand the deal at all for the Grizzlies.
Wizards really lack bigs
Brogdan Cartington Smart Poole Johnson Kispert Coulibaly Middleton George Bey Holmes and Sarr
Just for future thought imagine Smart and Middleton for Beal and idk 2 first round picks to return back to Washington.
Suns would be stoked
Jones Booker Middleton KD Richards
Smart Allen Dunn ONeale Plumblee
Micic Martin Ighodaro
Same, no clue how MEM benefits from this apart from salary dump. But thought they could get SOMEONE decent back for Smart and a 1st.
I believe Wiz got Len in this trade. Not a good big, but helps some. Maybe play Sarr at the 4 and the other 2 at the 5?
REALLY MEM! You could’ve gotten a similar big in Bamba basically for free. Instead you give Jake and a 1st for an injured Bagley?!?!? I am fine with dealing Smart, but thought they’d be able to get a decent 3 for him plus a future 1st. Davis hasn’t even been good enough to play for a terrible Wizs team smh.
OK. Didn’t know about MEM declining the team option at the beginning of the year for Jake. I thought they did that for Aldama. I thought they had Jake for another year, and would have to decide on Aldama in FA. So they wouldn’t be able to resign Jake next year anyways (most likely), but he could’ve been a lot more helpful than the 2 coming in for the rest of this year.
Still crazy that they couldn’t get anything for Smart and a 1st apart from the two 2nds and salary relief. I said I didn’t like the trade to get Smart in the first place smh. Give up two 1st and Tyus I believe to get him, and ANOTHER 1st to get rid of him.
Wait you thought they would get something in return for Smart? He has played 39 games out of a possible 133 in his time in Memphis. There is no world where he returns any value. They were paying a first to get off his contract not to acquire Bagley. Come on.
Official end of the Johnny Davis experiment. Lmfao
I’ve not seen Bagley play much recently, but what’s the deal with the guy. #1 recruit out of high school. #2 pick in the draft. Can the guy just not play the NBA game?
Apparently not. He had a couple DNPs throughout the year. Had a knee injury a little over a month or ago, and hasn’t been back since. Might be back in mid-March but not much talk on the injury.
Was big for his age in high school while lacking athleticism. Once he started playing against players who he didn’t have a size advantage against he was no longer playable.
Nail in the coffin are injuries.
LaRavia is a poor man’s Kuzma, but with less scoring punch. a young player, can do different things from the forward spot. Decent pickup for the kings bench. Has still to prove he is a regular rotation player, but he has played well this year, and with a crowded frontcourt in Memphis. He should have a path to be the regular bench PF spot, abling to slide a little bit to spot minutes at SF. Skillset can complement Valanciunas’.