In a season where they were projected to finish near the bottom of the Western Conference, the Memphis Grizzlies shocked everyone and were right in the thick of things in the Orlando Bubble last season. Last season proved to the entire Grizzlies organization that they are well ahead of schedule on their rebuild process and thanks in large part to Ja Morant, who has the makings of an NBA superstar as he continues to grow. 

Going back to Jaren Jackson Jr, he has yet to play a game this season due to the knee injury he suffered last summer, but there is a belief within the Grizzlies organization that Jackson Jr. could return as soon as the end of February. He is way ahead of schedule in terms of rehabbing and when he returns, this Memphis team could be one of the better, younger teams in the league. 

Every player on this roster seems to play with a “chip-on-their-shoulder” and with this team playing together, they could be a sneaky good team in the West. With Jaren Jackson Jr. out to begin the season and with Ja Morant missing some time at the beginning of the year due to a nasty ankle sprain, other guys like Dillon Brooks, Kyle Anderson, and second-year big man Brandon Clarke have all stepped up into bigger roles. 

Memphis has 11 players averaging 8+ points per game and 5 players averaging 10+ points per game, making them not only a deep team, but a very balanced team as well on the offensive end of the court. They are near the bottom of the league in scoring, but are one of the best defensive teams in the league in terms of opponent’s points per game, as they are only letting their opponents score about 107.3 points per contest, 5th best in the league. 

This team is way ahead of schedule in terms of rebuilding and after having a chance to make the playoffs last season, losing to the Portland Trail Blazers in the play-in game, there is no doubt that they will be very much in the thick of things come the end of the year. However, there are still some players around the league that the Grizzlies could trade for that would definitely increase their chances of winning and making the playoffs now.

Let’s take a look at three intriguing future trade targets for the Memphis Grizzlies as this season’s trade deadline quickly approaches.