The Grizzlies look content to close the book on the Mike Conley and Marc Gasol era in Memphis. Reports indicate that the team has been in discussions with the Utah Jazz about a Conley trade, while another says that the team has talked about sending the pair to Toronto for Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas.
However, a report by Shams Charania indicates a move for Gasol could be on the horizon, and it doesn’t involve sending the veteran big man north of the border. According to Charania, the Grizzlies are in “serious talks” with the Charlotte Hornets about sending Gasol to the Eastern Conference.
Memphis is in strong talks to move franchise star Marc Gasol to Charlotte, league sources tell @TheAthletic @WatchStadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 5, 2019
It would be an ambitious move by Charlotte, which currently sit in the seventh seed in the East. Gasol would give a big man to pair with All-Star point guard Kemba Walker, who is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. As for Memphis, getting rid of Gasol would accomplish their goal of starting a rebuild centered around promising young big man Jaren Jackson Jr., who looks like a potential star and a building block for the franchise going forward.
We’ll see if it comes to fruition — the implication is something could be close, but deals can certainly fall short at the 1-yard line — and we’d still have to see what the Grizzlies would get back in this trade. Regardless, on the surface, this is a deal that accomplishes something for both teams while simultaneously marking the end of an era in Memphis.
