Some teams have more specific needs. The Grizzlies need the best player available in the upcoming draft, no matter what position they play.
The Memphis Grizzlies are officially rebuilding.
If there was ever any doubt, it ought to be silenced. The Grizzlies are on a losing streak. As we've covered extensively here at Roundtable, that's a best-case scenario.
This team needs to prioritize lottery odds. The upcoming draft class is stacked. The top-three players are particularly exciting.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are in an opportune position — they'd be happy to land any of them. They'd even be content to land fourth.
Let's look at the field. At this moment, it feels like BYU's AJ Dybansta would be the No. 1 overall pick. He's a 6-foot-9 wing who's averaging 25.3 points per game. That's the highest mark in college basketball, and so is Dybansta's 9.6 Offensive Box Plus/Minus (OBPM).
As a plus defensive wing who can shoot, Dybansta can fit on almost any roster. The Grizzlies could run him on the wing alongside GG Jackson and Cedric Coward, and have an excess of length and shot-making in their starting lineup. It's not hard to envision success for that roster.
Dybansta is the favorite to hear his name first, but that wasn't always the case. That designation used to belong to Darryn Peterson. Inconsistent play has hurt his stock, but he's still a high-end scoring guard averaging 19.8 points per game while shooting 38.6% from long range.
Assuming Ja Morant is moved, the Grizzlies could use a lead guard. Peterson is an entirely different player. He's a score-first guard to his own detriment: the 1.7 assists per game he's averaging are also hurting his stock. Still, if he can even develop into an acceptable playmaker, he has the potential to rank among the NBA's scoring leaders for years to come.
It's less common to see Duke's Cameron Boozer in the mix for the No. 1 pick, but nobody should rule it out. He's averaging 22.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. He's arguably the most talented offensive player of the trio. Boozer could be one of the league's best frontcourt playmaking hubs. That said, any question about him revolves around his defensive viability.
Those questions don't exist for North Carolina's Caleb Wilson. He's averaging 1.5 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. Wilson is an archetypal combo big who guards across positions and wreaks havoc in open space defensively. Think Evan Mobley, Alex Sarr, etc.
Memphis could use any of these players. Some lottery teams, like the Jazz, Mavericks, or Pacers, look a little more set at some positions. They'd likely draft whoever they felt was the best player available, but the Grizzlies are a blank slate in comparison.
That's how teams often look at the beginning of a rebuild.