Memphis Grizzlies Pre-Draft Trade Rumors and Preview Ep. 5 pt.2
[Music] they say when your next drop the last one on repeat D you got to feed the street i’ been going I don’t get to I gotun on my head CU been duck wor putes I be really with the lock on his life and don’t have time to hit the boot my brother just got lock the he might be facing more than 10 I got to look out for his kid I SP my free time clocking in rest in peace to do I’m in trenches with my Vans on they going to let me rock cuz I got morals I’m going to stand so we are back man um you did a great job on that Atlanta’s um segment man I’m learning a lot about the Atlanta Hawks uh I’m very close to Atlanta so I’m definitely going to probably GNA take me a few trips this year just to watch a couple Atlanta Hawks games man because you you kind of making me a little bit more of a fan I’m just learning a little bit more about this roster and I’m y’all in a very interesting spot I’m here to see what you guys do um because honestly this is a make or break draft for you guys um and this off season is make a break for you guys much like the Grizzlies um the Grizzlies have the number nine pick in this draft man uh and our exit interviews Zack kimman who’s our general manager um if you guys my Atlanta fans didn’t know that or anybody watching didn’t know that Zack kimman King kimman who won executive of the Year back in 2021 I believe um he’s kind of been dropping the ball a little bit um over the last couple of years with some of these draft picks and things like that um trading away a bunch of players that like we love in the Grizzlies Community um if you don’t love Dylan Brooks then you love Kyle Anderson if you don’t love Kyle Anderson or Dylan Brooks You Love tyus Jones like I do if you don’t love any of those guys you love the Anthony Melton if you don’t love those guys you love you tell me like so he’s traded away Stephen Adams I mean we’ve traded away some players man and so I think this retool is going to be extremely important this off season um kimman was on record saying that this is going to be a busy summer as he said and Boy hasn’t ever been a busy summer I knows is in every single trade free agent like I I name is all over the place whether it’s connected to whether it’s connected to Donovan kingan whether it’s connected to uh Zack Edy whether it’s connected to Walker Kesler whether it’s connected to uh Clint capella um all over man um Isaiah Isaiah Stewart today like we’re all Isaiah Hawkinson I mean it’s been all over the place exactly Claxton as well has been another guy that we were interested in earlier but that’s kind of died down a little bit but the Grizzlies with the number nine pick man uh we talked a little bit about what we would do with this pick but there are there is the potential for the Grizzlies the biggest rumor that I wanted to touch on with the Grizzlies was them potentially trading up uh I think the general manager that the Grizzlies have the best uh relationship with is probably Houston um it’s rumored that Houston really likes daon connect um so if Houston could trade the number three pick for a Marcus Smart um there’s been a rumor that eay really loves Marcus Smart he would love to have him back so potentially depending on how the board Falls Houston might be willing to move off the number three pick for Marcus Smart and we give them the number nine pick in Marcus Smart and they might be okay with that they might take it so what do you think about the possibility that being a thing and obviously the only way that would happen would be if we were moving up for SAR or clinging so Washington would basically have to not take it would have to not take clinging or not take Rec I mean uh or s in order for that to be a possibility so what do you think about the possibilities of trading up for that pick what do you think um slim the none uh I think cingle and T atanta is becoming it’s it’s coming closer to a lot um before Atlanta I think thought they could move back to number four and get number eight pick as well but from what I was told the Atlanta offered a switch uh swap of AJ um Griffin and Houston was like no we like we like the trade that we can get from Memphis better which is marus smart which pretty much told Atlanta like okay we want cling Le we’re going to take him at one so uh in my belief that’s probably not going to happen but that being said if it does I definitely think it’s a great trade for Memphis I got said at the end of the day Clan teams the reason why teams love Clingan is the defense is the defense they love that that that it’s like I called the Kim Mumbo the ability to control the lane control to control that complete Lane it’s just you don’t really see guys could do that like like what Mumble went with second overall with his draft yeah so you just don’t see guys who can do that and and then on top of that you’re talking about the guy who offensively way more talented than like that’s a lot more talented than the kimbe so yeah I don’t I don’t see it happening yeah I don’t and that’s the thing I don’t and then you then you have other people who come into the picture like today there was a whole thing um with Walker kle been available and The Grizzlies have all of their picks first and second for the most part um they have the LC Canard contract they have a bunch of young pieces that I’m sure Utah would love um because close to the end of the year there Walker Kessler kind of became a backup so I’m not sure what the value is on Walker Kesler I take it might be more of an up it might be more feasible for the Grizzlies to go after Walker Kessler because I mean you you won’t have to give up much to probably go and get him that’s the case I think you would give up a lot to get him oh oh that’s that’s that’s news to me so what would you think cesler will cost you a lot he’s going to definitely cost you 2025 pick I would do it I would do it I I if they wanted Marcus Smart I’ll do it look look at the end of the day it’s hard to find someone like Walker kastler you’re talking about he’s a he’s a he’s a really he’s a Good’s he’s not an excellent screens Setter but he’s a very good screen Setter we’re talking about somebody who defensively is probably as good as anybody we ever seen play to drop drop coverage we’re talking about someone who who can move backwards move forward we’re talking about someone who can who really has a defens I mean he basically made that second unit for Utah Utah second unit was like Colin seon and and like Jordan Clark it was like some of the worst defensive players you’ve ever seen in life and he he was carrying them dudes man and on top of that I just you put him in a situation where you saw what he did with with conie put him with J come on man he he might not cook but he’ll he’ll cook he’ll cook to the Adams level yeah and and the other part of that is like have we ever seen two shot blockers like jiren and Kessler on the same team with a Defender like Marcus Smart V Williams like potentially that defense yeah we have uh Duncan and Robinson oh my goodness but only thing about that though and this is the biggest this is the biggest thing this is the biggest how can I say caveat for uh Jaren Jackson Jr and Walker C front Court the rebound the rebound oh my God it’s the rebounding though but but here’s my thinking here’s my thinking though I think both of them when it comes to rebounding the only reason they struggle is because typically they’re the only help defender on their team so like I think you put those guys next to each other they make each other’s job much easier offensively and defensively yeah Walker is a great rebounder even in college we’re talking about about 11.3 which you know you supped to do way better than that with your 7 footer uh 7 plus footer um goodness what what is he what what’s he been giving you recently I mean 7.5 eight he got he gave you 7.5 in how many minutes um 23 that’s not bad I mean I think like 9 9.5 yeah um let me see actually no for 30 for 30 uh that’s 11.6 for 36 yeah I think so my guys in my in my Grizzlies group chat they they gonna get on me about this but I’m a fan of Walker Kessler and I think sometimes we get like in the mindset of just being stuck on one potential outcome but I think one thing that you can’t undervalue in the NBA is being Elite at something like at something and walking kler is an elite shot blocker Jaren Aon Jr is an elite shot blocker Elite drop Defender he is World Elite okay an elite drop Defender his drop defense would next to jiren Walker’s ability to cover space Oh my god I didn’t even think about that that’s crazy that’s that’s a top defense right there but why would Utah do this I mean like why would Utah do this of all things and and are you sure are you sure’s available yes yes I I can hold up give me one second I can definitely pull that up for you give me one second Walker Kessler I forgot who reported it today oh it this came from KSL oh my that’s real KSL KSL actually is that’s like Salt Lake City’s uh newspaper rival teams believe they were engaged in oh yeah if you can get one kler yeah I his his offense may be a little bit limited but it’s not a big deal when you consider he’s playing with J Who’s a driver a kick guys anyway and J hasn’t really had other than Brandon Clark who he plays amazingly with he hasn’t really had a live threat and Walker Kessler is a walking live threat and one thing people don’t know about Walker Kessler he can hit the three like he can he can spot up and hit a three if you throw it back on a pick and roll and he pops he can hit a three so like the amount of things that you can do offensively as well like the flexibility that you have I really like the Walker kler thing um I’m going share something with you hold on I’m about to share something which just going to blow your mind give me a second give me one second let me pull this up all right for centers for centers for rookie centers for rookie centers who played in the NBA Walker Castle’s war was the fourth highest he was the fourth highest rookie since 2013 to play in the NBA only rookies with higher Wars was jit who had the highest war that we’ve seen from a rookie since like the Jordan period Chris porzingis who had a insane rookie year and Carl anony towns had insane rookie year those are the only three those the only players for so for the the non analytical guys like myself can you break down what war is all right so basically War it’s like is essentially a term that we used to use in baseball um it’s basically wins is basically wins above replacement and essentially means like how valuable you are like if you if you’re a rookie generally speaking you’re a lottery pick as a rookie you’re you’re expected to give like zero war or negative War that’s what expected to it’s expected to have a zero negative War any any rookie that has a war like above one is doing and they playing is like doing an exceptional job in fact Brandon Clark you remember Brandon Clark’s Rie year he had a 2.5 war and that was considered exceptional jar Jackson had 2.2 that was considered exceptional so when you start getting to people that’s three and higher that means they’re truly impacting the game at a high level and Walker kesin had a 5.3 only players that were higher than him was jish and towns and of course his stuff his his war was ridiculous when he had Cony when they traded Connelly his War went down and and hold up real quick cuz I got to do this cuz my boy my boy Ed man ain’t it man you you love car Anthony towns you swear about car Anthony towns and the fit that he is on his team his production and my boy Walker is he putting up the same type of war and I take my wins that dude can play Walker Kessler can help team like he’s single his his value oh my let me tell you something he was he was playing he was out playing goar that year he was out playing goar now goar had back issues in in Minnesota that season but he was out playing goar I mean you Walker kler literally had an overall rap defensive Raptor of point A Plus 3.1 I mean it was crazy the type of stuff he was doing as a rookie and he even had a positive offensive War plus 0.3 so he was just having a phenomenal rookie season and to be honest with you it was even better it was even better than they traded Cony and they just tanked yeah and and and let’s let’s be clear on that he played really well when the structure of his team was up to par yeah once they once they lost Conley they didn’t really have a point guard after that and they lost Don they lost Donovan Mitchell they lost Conley he was that they lost a bunch of those guys Donovan Mitchell wasn’t on that team no okay okay what what year did uh Kesler come into the league he was rookie last year who wow he was a rookie last year M geez he was a rookie last year and he made the USA team he was that good he was that good hey look man I look like I I I’m going be honest with you he’s worth a lot he’s worth a lot like he’s really I know last year kind of lowered his value because his offensive value didn’t really show last year but you got to remember they didn’t have a point guard you give him job and rent it’s a different story my friend and to be honest with you if I’m Atlanta I would still I would be like hey get Ricochet trade for trade for for uh uh kler but I I I I mean but you know that that being said that’s that’s wishful thinking anyway but yeah man if you can get Kessler I I’m not saying Trade N for Kessler um because you know I already have Edy in this draft and I think Edy offensively is just crazy but uh that’s a you got to think if you you got a chance to get kler man you got to think about really trying to get him cuz that dude can he can impact he can impact wins and I mean he was giving you a 5.3 War as a rookie I think if you put him in a right situation like you put him in like a great situation like Memphis he may be able to give you like a 7.5 or eight or eight or even maybe in the double digits and you know if he’s doing that that means he’s a top 10 Center in the NBA and that means he’s one of the best players one of the best players impact players in the NBA and and the and the value of run protection I don’t think an we’re talking about the best drop defender in the NBA better than go you feel that you feel that strongly that strongly he’s that good he’s that good at being a drop Defender better you I need to get the the I need to get the Joe Button cus button watch his possession possession defense it’s ridiculous as a drop Defender it’s he’s he’s insane he’s he’s just I’ve never seen nothing like him um I always say watching Ryan do college tape is defensively is insane but watching like Kessler’s defense Utah man that dude can play and they had him playing with some of the worst offens defensive players I’ve ever seen like they basically said hey man go play with Jordan Clarkson in colins Texas like it was like it was like a it was like a it was like a back court disaster and he had I like Colin SE man I thought that defense is not likable I thought he was gonna be a better Defender man I gotta check those numbers I actually don’t know what his defense is like you know the thing is he plays great he plays great with great energy but the problem with is he never was laterally that quick and he always kind of was just using his strength but in the NBA they’re all kind of strong so like you got to have more physical advantages than that you’re short you’re not that small you’re not that big you know you get beat getting beat and so you know cuz they all these guys don’t beat you you know no matter who you are but when you kind of sexy you don’t got that great L of quickness because what he used to do is use tenacity to beat people but tenacity don’t work at this level you got to have talent yeah you got to have the the physical statures as well the measurements which is one of the big things that a lot of the Grizzlies fans don’t really they don’t really prefer Markus smart to be in the starting lineup because of the historical president of like small lineups one through three and what that usually means for winning the championship whatever the case may be but I think this could be I’m in the group where I think this could be the anom I think you put Mar if you get Kessler and you got smart you got Jaren Jackson Jr you essentially and you got don’t you got a B oh Lord yeah yeah that might be the best y’all be better y’all y’all actually would top Minnesota defense yeah and I mean and you got you got GG and Vince coming off the bench you got your offense is better than them too H yeah y can win a championship with that Squad yeah I would do everything I can to I wouldn’t get rid of Marcus Smart I know your some of the fans are like hey he’s like 6’2 but Marcus Smart is like his be spark was ridiculous he’s so strong he’s powerful he’s he’s diesel he he can he can guard like he can guard like one to four at times like wingan you can’t compare Markus smart to your average B like you got to look at Markus SM like at some point people need to know what Mark I thought people would knew what Market smart was by now I mean he’s been in the NBA for how many years now like the biggest the biggest drawbacks and caveats that they have about Marcus Smart is his injury history but I’m of the group that I don’t think his injury history is that bad he he’s pretty much finished every playoff run and honestly that’s what matters the most to me I don’t care if you play 80 to 70 regular season games who cares like it’s when when the lights are bright and we’re on the big stage are you out there fighting and going to war Marcus Marcus brought it when we played that when we played uh Boston Marcus was not the reason why they lost I mean why they while they were struggling at times of the series he was not the reason and and it doesn’t look good it doesn’t look good that he left and then they immediately won a championship but even I don’t think Marcus was think they drew holiday they got Chris porzingis they they kind but honestly to me Chris stops is the player who pretty much got them to that point I don’t think Marcus EXA and that’s what I’m saying like Marcus didn’t like Marcus wasn’t there when Chris T there so I mean his value got a market like Chris there because they had to use Marcus to get him so I’m but I’m saying if you I’m saying if you replace if you replace Drew holiday with Marcus Smart and you still have porzingis I think you still win that Championship like I think you still win it like I think you still winning that that’s how I feel about it probably yeah yeah like that’s how I feel this year sure yeah like going against that team that they yeah going what they win against yeah it could but it could have been different like if they were going to get some better shooting teams it might have been a little different in the games but yeah not this year this year even with Marcus Marcus was yeah but Drew has some Drew has some Sensational moments though yeah I mean can we say Marcus don’t have those moments he do he do I mean I I just don’t our fan base well there’s a factional part of our fan base that wants to move Marcus and I don’t if you watch I know it’s a small sample size but if you watch those games when when J was there it it fit too seamlessly to me to pass that the J is there that’s a 551 team I don’t know what to tell you and that that would they would win the West I don’t I don’t see need to be so you know I understand the frustration of Memphis fans because TR beo they you know if they they they losing losing Jones was a big- time disaster because you didn’t have a backup who can really fill the role but this what happens in the NBA you know money gets tight yeah for sure I don’t know what to say I mean to be honest with you I still think Deon Carter would be a hell of a pick at number nine for Memphis I like they can go I like Carter a lot bro I like de Carter a lot like I really think you get de Carter you at least feel the the role of it ja out where are we going to get this from well he was injured last year too but I like what Scotty Pippen gave us he was just injured he but when he when he was in there though he was giving we were good so I I don’t know I think because his dad because his dad is with us as well like I think that Dynamic would definitely take even his game probably to another level I really think so man I I just love Devin Carter I love Deon Carter and I I think that he’s the one player in this draft you ask me come back five years who’s the guy that be like dang who that guy’s Beast like you know like Jaylen Brunson is yeah it’s it’s that guy and like Memphis is like the perfect fit for him and you know on top of that you know J J can’t be as much of a knucklehead cuz he see that kid he like Oh no I got to be on my aame every time cuz this guy gonna make me work for it I just think the respect level will be so so high with between the two yeah so so this and this I love to get the outside perspective because obviously they hear my perspective all the time in regards to the back end of this roster what do you think about the back end of this roster I mean with with Jake laravia with with zier with with uh who else is at the back in STI Adama are you in that back I still have gigg in that back in too um you kind of have GG in the front end at this point oh yeah for sure he had an historic rookie year so I I definitely have him in that in that I like Jake I like Jake I like Jake um I think zire he I I don’t know he just hasn’t shown enough like you know you seen that jump you seen you seen um there take a jump the uh the kid from BCU Vince Williams he took aump and um you just haven’t seen that yet from zire and I’m not saying he’s a bu you saying flashes you’ve seen flashes but like you said no consist he hasn’t found consistency hasn’t found consistency I I like Jake I like Jake a lot I think Jake just unfortunately he’s in a deep team but I mean we saw some flashes this year from him when he got the chance to play uh who are some of the other guys you named uh Santi Adama santi’s I don’t know where I don’t know where I stand with Santi at this point he kind of gives me the sand Vibes I get from the dude that went to Charlotte recently came from uh what’s his name uh was it po was it P peski or P yeah yeah uhhuh he came from kind G me yeah he kind of G me some of them Vibes where I just don’t like I see things I like but I’m I’m not sure what they are at NBA um who name some other guys you have in the back end uh I madean for the oh Lu Canard I’m sorry he’s more front in but he’s going to be back in if he stays he I think I think he’s getting traded I think yeah that’s what I I think that should be sell I think that was one of the things that I wanted to talk about they can get they can get rid of him too like like like this year because I think they have a team option on him so yeah well we have we have to make a decision on him by June 29th I believe he’ be traded by then I think yeah I think we probably yeah’s he’s out they they have to go over the cap this year I mean I understand they might not want to play the LT but everybody’s paying LT this year so you got to do it you You’ be surprised man people that’s I think that’s one of the main reasons people want to trade Marcus is the money factor part of it but like for a player like Marcus that’s what you be paying now you be paying 20 million you GNA be paying 20 million for for that’s like the Baseline 20 million I’d be surprised like like look at Miles Bridges from Charlotte he’s averaged 20 and seven the last two years he’s gonna get a big payday oh he’s a mass guy he he he’s not going to see a check under 55 million for the next 10 years that’s what I’m saying so like the these these options that we trying to still trying to sell Mel brid that sh my I’m talking about um miles Bridges from Charlotte oh miles I don’t know how much miles goingon to get he he’s averaging 20 and seven the last two years yeah but he really stepped up in the second half of this year like he this second half was phenomenal like be frankly honest with you it wouldn’t surprise me if Charlotte spent the bolt on him I mean Charlotte’s a team that just like if Mark Williams could stay Health that team with Mark Williams is healthy is a much different team yeah and of course obviously you know too but if they can get Mark Williams healthy that’s a different team to me they’re they’re another team they need to get their hands on like capella because they need a backup center for the world of them because you know that’s the problem you know nowadays you got to have backups if you don’t have a backup that that drop can be so substantial from the start to the backup that you can take a substantial drop one of the reasons why Memphis was so good past year is J would be out so what we got the best backup in the basketball and highest well this year that drop happened it wasn’t pretty yeah for sure and I so one last thing before we get out of here um Jaylen Durant was the name that came up as well why did it come up because for some reason Detroit is rumored to be pursuing Nick Claxton for whatever reason just some Detroit [ __ ] to do I mean stuff to do and I just so if they were going to be doing that obviously a lot more to bias Harris I’ll tell you that say you like that a lot more a lot more so in Memphis you know Jaylen Durant is beloved in Memphis and he would he would he would do much better Memphis he would actually be in the right position people were talking potentially giving up the number nine pick or packaging the number nine pick and going and get a Jaylen Durant how do you feel about that let me check let me check let me let me look at let me look at the mo real quick okay give me a second so Detroit doesn’t have another pick in the first do they uh they don’t um how do I giving up now I would need more than just Jaylen though I’m giving them nine um well if I get and jayen if I can get Isaac and Jaylen I would trade that I’ll trade number nine you have a deal take it hey I’ll take it I’ll take it but that being said I can understand why want Jaylen for number nine I could completely understand it but nah you going to I need I need Isaiah Stewart too and so that in that case you that be nice cuz you you guys still haven’t replaced Tillman since y’all lost him and this guy this repl and Stuart’s better than T and they’re uh they’re rumored to be Isaiah’s on the market too so yeah Stuart can shoot the three like he yeah he shot like 36% or something like he can catch catching shooters is really good like the dude can really shoot I think he like 40 plus and catch and shoot like I’ve handal like he’s been like he’s coming off he’s coming after a metrics baby so a lot of course teams like Dallas a lot of people have reached out to try to get him but you know like they’re not giving him away so that’s kind of the thing they’re not going to give away as Stewart but if you can get him in Duren to be honest with you like like I said teams like Memphis and not far you know but you just got to maximize your with your assets and if you can get your hands on durren that would be nice but I would rather I would much rather have Walker Kessler because jaylen’s goingon to Jaylen with durren it’s going to be you’re going to have to develop him into that the player you want him to be which you can do I believe Memphis but with Kesler he’s not he’s automatically going to add a lot of value they one yeah and I don’t think that yeah his with his defense his drop defense his ability to you know block shots he about the lane you know he could just say jiren just focus on doing what you do being an off ball player and now I don’t know how you stopped that he he’s also a good on ball Defender as well it’s not he’s just SC cast walk Castor so man that’ll be a scary situation like man you guys have options honestly you you’re close you’re close man so close and and that’s why this offseason is extremely important all right but uh we’re going to get out of here man we going to get out of here um yeah this has been King King Ken coach Von show man we’ll see you guys next time get ready for the draft show we’re going to be doing a draft live stream get ready for that we’re going be doing first and second round so please stay tuned for that um this has been coach Van King Ken yeah we out [Music]
Memphis Grizzlies Pre-Draft Trade Rumors and Preview Ep. 5 pt.2
Breaking down potential Walker Kessler fit and every Grizzlies ahead of the Draft
