The Memphis Grizzlies are beginning to fall out of the playoff picture and the next couple of weeks could determine the fate of multiple players on their roster.
According to Marc Stein of The New York Times, there have been whispers that the Grizzlies could explore trading center Marc Gasol rather than risking losing him on the open market and getting nothing in return. Gasol has a player option following the 2018-19 season, so he has the opportunity to become a free agent.
One whisper making the rounds: Marc Gasol can become a free agent at season's and, amid a growing belief around the league that he will indeed exercise that option, Memphis could be moved to explore trading Gasol now rather than face the threat of losing him without compensation
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 15, 2019
The Grizzlies only won 22 games last year and head coach David Fizdale wound up being fired during the regular season. However, the team also only had guard Mike Conley for 12 games, so the group wasn't the complete unit that many expected.
While the team is already approaching matching their win total from a year ago, they will try to move one step closer to that mark on Wednesday night when they host the Bucks (8 p.m. ET -- Watch on FuboTV with NBA League Pass extension), Memphis has still been inconsistent and dropped eight of their last nine games. If the slide continues, moving a star player like Gasol could be something that the franchise begins to think about.
Gasol has put together averages of 15.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.4 blocks while shooting 36.0 percent from beyond the arc during the 2018-19 campaign. However, the Spanish big man has struggled recently as he's only scored in double figures in two of the team's last five games.
There certainly would be a demand for a player of Gasol's caliber on the trade market with the All-Star break being just around the corner. If the Grizzlies decide that they're sellers and want to trade Gasol, they could get a solid return for his services.
