The Memphis Grizzlies have struggled to attract premium free agents over the years. That’s nothing new for small-market teams. Plenty of teams around the league struggle to get the best players once they hit free agency simply because they aren’t located in massive markets.
However, it seems Memphis has been taking more hits than usual this year. Earlier this season, LeBron James took a massive shot at Memphis, saying they should move the team. That seemed to come out of left field. Apparently, he’s not the only player who hates Memphis.
According to an anonymous player poll put together by The Athletic, a lot of other guys around the league don’t want to play for the Grizzlies.
GettyMemphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant drives the ball. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Grizzlies Receive Most Votes as First Team on Players’ No-Trade List
In a poll asking which is the first team that appears on their no-trade list, the overwhelming winner was Memphis. The Grizzlies received a whopping 35.8 percent of the vote. Second place got 11.7 percent of the vote, and was taken by the Washington Wizards.
There were 120 votes cast in this poll, so that’s a sizable chunk of players who don’t want to be in Memphis. That means around 43 players are out on Memphis.
“I’ll play anywhere, honestly,” one player explained. “But I would have to say Memphis is a place I don’t want to live. So that would be the reason why I wouldn’t want to play there.”
Another player also mentioned that it’s strictly the location of the team as opposed to the Grizzlies being the problem themselves. There’s not much the organization can do about that, unless they actually want to move. If the team did move, it would crush the people of Memphis.
Of course, the Grizzlies were a very good team for a few years under Ja Morant when he was healthy. Now, they are about to undertake a rebuild. There is a chance that Morant will be moved this summer in a trade after they weren’t able to move him at the trade deadline.
GettyMemphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. drives the ball. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP via Getty Images)
Memphis is in a Great Spot to Rebuild the Team
After landing third in the NBA Draft Lottery, the Grizzlies are in a great spot to rebuild the team. They will likely get their choice between Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson at that spot. Either one of those players will become the new face of the franchise.
The Grizzlies have already decided to trade Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane. Both of those players were part of the core that was able to become the second seed in the Western Conference a few years ago. Now, they are likely moving on from Morant, as well.
As this poll clearly shows, it’s going to be hard for them to bring any quality players in from free agency. That means that the draft and making trades with guys who don’t have a no-trade clause will be the best way to rebuild the team.
Players Have Terrible View of Grizzlies, According to Poll