Memphis Grizzlies Offseason Needs

Small Forward:
They traded away Rudy Gay during the season, which was the right move, but they still need a small forward to replace him. Tayshaun Prince played OK last season, but he will turn 34 next season and can be upgraded. The Grizzlies lack a first round draft pick, but they have three picks in the second round, but two of them are very late. There won't be many small forwards left when they finally pick. CJ Leslie is a possibility, but would they draft him? It does not seem as if he fits their mentality. He has the capability of playing defense, but often times it seems as if he does not want to. DeShaun Thomas could be there at their pick with some luck. If they could snag him, he would bring a good three point shot. He could come off of the bench right away and contribute. James Southerland is a more realistic option. He would likely be on the board for their pick. Southerland is a great three point shooter, but he needs to work on his ball handing. He is also an unknown in terms of defense, he played zone in Syracuse and it is unknown how well he plays man to man defense. If he plays well enough, the Grizzlies will take a serious look at him.

Resign Tony Allen:
Tony Allen was a key reason why this defense was so dominant. He is one of the best wing defensive players in league, which is why he made first team all defense. He will likely demand a little bit more than what he made last season, but that is the price you have to pay in order to have a dominant defensive team. He does not do much on offense besides run the break, but he did take a career high shots per game last season. He needs to shoot less however, because he only scored 9 points on 8 shots.  The Grizzlies should bring him back for 3 years 18 million. That seems fair to me and I think Tony Allen would happily accept.

Point Guard Depth:
Mike Conley has improved every season and should continue to be the starter for a log time. Jerryd Bayless has a player option and it is likely he declines it. It remains to be seen if the Grizzlies even want him back. He is an inefficient shooter and his defense is so-so. Bayless would likely go to a team where he has an opportunity for more minutes, or even a starting job. The Mavericks could be one of those places. The Grizzlies may also think Tony Wroten is ready to get more minutes, but that is a long shot, considering Hollins barely gave him any playing time last season. I would not be surprised of the Grizzlies picked up either AJ Price or Shevin Mack in free agency.

The Grizzlies made it all the way to the conference finals, before getting swept by the Spurs, in their best season in franchise history. That is why it is important to keep this team mostly together. Resigning Tony Allen is a must, if they let him go, they are not going to have a great year next season. They should let Bayless walk since he is an inefficient shooter, but they will need to fill the hole left by him in free agency. They have three second round draft picks, but two of them are very late. Maybe they can trade all of them for a higher second round draft pick. They will need to draft a small forward in the draft, preferably one that can shoot a three pointer. If they get that, their team will be even better next year. I expect them to snag the third seed in the western conference and a second trip to the western conference finals.