Three players the Grizzlies could trade following Ja Morant's injury

1. Luke Kennard

Memphis traded for the sharpshooting Kennard last season at the trade deadline, and he was great for them, making 54 percent of his three-pointers in 24 games. This year, he's missed six weeks with a bone bruise on his knee before returning on New Year's Eve.

Kennard has made 11 of his 25 three-point attempts since coming back, and he's a career 43.5 percent shooter from deep. He's also only under contract through this season, with a $14.8 million team option for 2024-25 that the Grizzlies are unlikely to want to exercise. Kennard has two things that are always valuable: a three-point stroke, and an expiring contract. If the Grizzlies can get anything in return, it's time to cash in on Kennard.

2. Marcus Smart

Smart came over from Boston last summer in a three-team deal with the Golden State Warriors and might now be a regrettable trade for
Memphis. The Grizzlies gave up point guard Tyus Jones, No. 25 pick Marcus Sasser and Golden State's 2024 first-round pick. With the Warriors struggling, that pick could be pretty valuable.

After missing nearly half of the Grizzlies' games, Smart hasn't been able to get his offense on track this year, hovering around 30 percent three-point shooting and committing 3.2 turnovers per game. It's just not clear that he's a good fit in Memphis, though he's signed with the team through 2026.

That being said, he's made multiple deep playoff runs in Boston. Smart could be a great addition to a team that's one veteran guard away from contender status; Sort of like what Memphis thought they were before this injury-ravaged season. Smart doesn't make a ton of money — about $42 million the next two years — so his deal is tradeable if a team wants to add 2022's Defensive Player of the Year.

Could we see Smart head to Milwaukee to repair their leaky perimeter defense? The Grizzlies would have to consider it.

3. Bismack Biyombo

Injuries to Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke left Memphis very light in the big-man department this season. While Morant was out serving a suspension, the Grizzlies used their temporary extra roster slot to bring in Biyombo on a $5 million deal that became guaranteed Sunday afternoon.

If Morant's injury had happened earlier, Memphis may well have waived Biyombo to save millions on his partially guaranteed deal. But he's playing a lot for them, starting 26 games, the third-most of any Grizzlies player, and logging 24.1 minutes per game. Memphis may well keep Biyombo around, but he has been a useful player in the playoffs for the Suns in the past two seasons.

With Clarke on track to return around the All-Star break, the Grizzlies could send Biyombo to a playoff-bound team that needs a center. His future may depend on the health of the Grizzlies big men — and the big men around the league.