Grizzlies create financial flexibility in three-team deal with Kings and Wizards

Keith Smith
Keith Smith, Resident NBA ExpertFebruary 08, 2025
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#nba #nba trade deadline #memphis grizzlies #sacramento kings #washington wizards

The Memphis Grizzlies moved some salary out to create financial flexibility. The Sacramento Kings picked up a potential rotation player. The Washington Wizards added to their draft capital by taking on some future salary.

Here are the particulars:

Memphis Grizzlies acquire: Marvin Bagley III, Johnny Davis, least favorable 2025 Pistons, Warriors or Suns second-round pick, 2028 Kings second-round pick

Sacramento Kings acquire: Jake LaRavia

Washington Wizards acquire: Marcus Smart, Colby Jones, Alex Len, 2025 lottery-protected Grizzlies first-round pick

Let’s dive in!

Memphis Grizzlies

Incoming salary: $17.8 million in 2024-25

  • Marvin Bagley III (C/PF, one year, $12.5 million), Johnny Davis (PG, one year, $5.3 million)

Outgoing salary: $23.6 million in 2024-25

  • Marcus Smart (PG, two years, $41.7 million), Jake LaRavia (PF/SF, one year, $3.4 million)

The Memphis Grizzlies tried to make a blockbuster move. They were reportedly in on stars, including Jimmy Butler and Kevin Durant. Memphis also tried to acquire Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith. In the end, the Grizzlies chose to create some financial flexibility, which should aid them in keep some of their own players around long-term.

On the court, Memphis didn’t lose all that much here. Marcus Smart was injured for much of his Grizzlies tenure. When he did play, Smart struggled to get much going. Scotty Pippen Jr. has emerged as perfectly solid backup for Ja Morant. Losing Smart in a salary-clearing move didn’t come with a loss of much on-court production.

Jake LaRavia is a bit of a different story. LaRavia was playing well, but his time was likely growing short in Memphis. The Grizzlies declined LaRavia’s fourth-year rookie scale team option. That means he wasn’t overly likely to return next season. In addition, with GG Jackson and Vince Williams Jr. finally healthy, Memphis has players ready to go to replace LaRavia’s spot in the rotation.

This trade was all about creating flexibility with the cap and luxury tax as soon as next season. There’s a world where Memphis could create a small amount of cap space next summer, while retaining Santi Aldama’s restricted free agent rights.

With that cap space, Memphis could then renegotiate-and-extend Jaren Jackson Jr. this offseason. That would allow them to bump Jackson’s salary up to around $30 million for next season (more if the Grizzlies were to shed some additional salary in the offseason), then to extend Jackson off that new first-year salary. Of course, this could all be made moot by Jackson making All-NBA this season, which would open up a Designated Veteran Player Extension for the Grizzlies and their star forward.

With either path with Jackson, Memphis can retain Aldama. That’s important, as he’s become a crucial part of the Grizzlies frontcourt rotation. Memphis can control the free agency process for Aldama, as they’ll have his restricted rights. That should keep things from get out of control with offers for the forward/center.

It’s unknown at this point what will happen with Bagley and Davis. Both could be waived, as Memphis has enough clearance under the tax to replace them with prorated veteran minimum signings. Neither Bagley nor Davis has money carrying into next season, and neither’s free agent rights are valuable enough to keep the Grizzlies from waiving them now.

All around, it stings to not have done something bigger for right now with Smart’s contract. Memphis is a tier below the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference. A major addition could have pushed the Grizzlies over the top. They tried, but not succeeding doesn’t make this trade deadline a failure. It just means you have to wait a bit longer to see the results.

Sacramento Kings

Incoming salary: $3.4 million in 2024-25

  • Jake LaRavia (PF/SF, one year, $3.4 million)

Outgoing salary: $4.2 million in 2024-25

  • Colby Jones (SG/SF, three years, $6.7 million (final two seasons non-guaranteed))
  • Alex Len (C, one year, $2.1 million)

For the Kings, this was a chance to add a good player in Jake LaRavia at the cost of players who had already been replaced in the rotation. LaRavia has built on a strong finish to last season by continuing his solid play this season. The third-year combo forward has become a very good shooter and scorer, in addition to being an improved rebounder and passer.

There is one wrinkle to this deal for Sacramento, and it might not be a positive one. Because the Grizzlies declined LaRavia’s fourth-year rookie scale team option, he can’t make more than the amount of that declined option in first-year salary by re-signing with a team. That restriction carries over to the Kings, even though the Grizzlies were the ones to decline the option.

For LaRavia, that limits him to up to $5.2 million if he re-signs in Sacramento. A reasonable path forward, is probably a 1+1 deal, with a player option for $10.7 million over the two seasons. That would allow LaRavia to get back on the market in 2026, and the Kings would have his full Bird rights at that point.

Colby Jones had flashed at times for Sacramento, but was buried in the team’s wing rotation. There was no real path towards playing time for Jones with the Kings, following the team other acquisitions.

Len was replaced in a previous deal when Jonas Valanciunas was traded to Sacramento. He’d already lost most of his playing time to Trey Lyles in smaller lineups. With Valanciunas in the fold, and Lyles still around, there wasn’t really a place for Len on the roster.

Washington Wizards

Incoming salary: $24.4 million in 2024-25

  • Marcus Smart (PG, two years, $41.7 million)
  • Colby Jones (SG/SF, three years, $6.7 million (final two seasons non-guaranteed))
  • Alex Len (C, one year, $2.1 million)

Outgoing salary: $17.8 million in 2024-25

  • Marvin Bagley III (C/PF, one year, $12.5 million)
  • Johnny Davis (PG, one year, $5.3 million)

As they did throughout trade season, the Wizards continued to collect assets by taking on salary. In this case, that salary for Marcus Smart stretches into the 2025-26 season. But that’s why Washington was able to get a first-round pick in this deal.

Essentially, the Wizards did at the deadline what they were likely to do with their cap space next summer: eat unwanted contracts while adding draft capital. Instead of waiting until July, Washington acted now.

Despite some buzz to the contrary, Smart won’t be bought out by the Wizards. It doesn’t make sense for him or them, considering he has money on his deal into next season. Instead, Smart will play some with a young Washington team. They’ll try to rehab some of his trade value, and then a trade for Smart will come next season when he’s on an expiring deal.

Colby Jones is a nice flyer for the Wizards. He’s shown flashes with the Kings. With Washington committed to their rebuild, he has a nice opportunity to show what he can do.

Alex Len should assume the role that Jonas Valanciunas was playing for Washington. The Wizards frontcourt is fairly thin behind rookie Alex Sarr. That should give Len an opportunity to play as a physical, rugged backup.

Neither Bagley nor Davis were playing much of a role for Washington. Bagley has been out with a knee injury, while Davis was never able to crack the regular rotation during his entire Wizards tenure.


#nba #nba trade deadline #memphis grizzlies #sacramento kings #washington wizards
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