Pointless Trade Idea

Grizzlies get Kevin Martin (2 yrs/$14.3m (next year player option), Shabazz Muhammad (2 yrs/$5.1m); Wolves get Jeff Green (1 yr/$9.5m), James Ennis (2 yrs/$1.8m), a 2016 2nd round pick.

Watching the Wolves, I can't help thinking that Kevin Martin is just in the way of the maturation process for the young guys, he's not (yet) the type of veteran that wants to coach young players. He's still a decent scorer off the bench and if the Wolves think they can make the playoffs (not so crazy, those last two spots will have a lot of competition), perhaps holding on to Martin is the proper move. But a confident scorer off the bench is exactly what the Grizzlies need and exactly what they don't get from Jeff Green. Muhammad, too, is a conscious-free shooting machine, not exactly money with the shot but the kind of guy that should take to the hunker-down mentality of the Grizzlies. If Muhammad is gonna make it in the NBA, I don't think its in Minnesota, it could be in Memphis, where the do-your-job ethic might make a for-real player out of him.

Watching the Grizzlies, I can't help thinking Jeff Green is soooooo not what they need. Every once in a while he shines out but for the most part he hides from responsibility, which just doesn't match the rest of that team. In Minnesota, he would be in a position where he can let the game come to him without much pressure and every now and then can have a hero game. Ennis adds to the youth movement but comes with a little more intensity, he's had moments but he's also been bounced around. I wouldn't anticipate him getting big minutes in Minnesota but he also wouldn't have the baggage of Muhammad.

The Wolves shed 2 years of Martin and Muhammad for 1 year of Green and a flyer on another young (cheap) player in Ennis. This year for the Wolves is about playing time for Towns, Wiggins, Payne, Bjelica and LaVine; Martin gets in the way and increasingly Muhammad looks like the odd man out. The Grizzlies add one reliable scoring vet and an intriguing young player to add to the core of a solid playoff squad while giving up only a maddening vet and a youngster that wasn't gonna play anyway. The Grizzlies are taking on more reward than risk as Martin is still better than Green and Muhammad could be good; the Wolves are really just clearing the decks for this year and next. For that reason I'd suggest the Grizzlies throw in a 2nd round pick as well: Martin is bigger help now than Green, Muhammad has more potential than Ennis. Again, though, these two teams might be fighting each other for a playoff spot so this deal only makes sense when the Wolves have decided that the playoffs this year is out of reach. Come February this could be a do-able deal.