It's no secret that the Grizzlies' biggest weaknesses are rebounding and interior defense. They will seek to add an imposing post player. The Grizzlies can potentially end up with two picks in the draft lottery. They keep their own pick if it's No. 1 overall, and the Griz get Houston's pick to satisfy a 1999 deal for Steve Francis. Plus, the Grizzlies will have Sacramento's late first round pick via Orlando as part of the Drew Gooden-Mike Miller trade. But those three picks could dwindle to two should the Grizzlies' own pick come in at No. 2 or lower. If that happens, the Griz must send their pick to Detroit to complete a 1997 deal that landed them Otis Thorpe in Vancouver. The bottom line, however, is that draft picks create flexibility. The Griz are not opposed to packaging the Houston pick or Sacramento selection with a player to complete a worthwhile trade. Because the Grizzlies still are on the hook for Bryant Reeves's nearly $15 million salary, they stand to receive nearly $5 million in relief. With the refund, the Griz could have more than $3 million to spend without entering tax territory, depending on whether they re-sign free agents Robert Archibald, Chris Owens and Mike Batiste. The guard could come out of the draft. The rebounder/defender will have to come as a cheap free agent or, more likely, by trade.
If the Grizzlies remain at number 14, there's a good chance they'll end up with either Sweetney or Wade. I'm guessing they'd prefere Wade. Sweetney would provide him with a lost post scorer they need(especially sine trading Drew Gooden), but it seems like a slashing 2 like wade would fill a more prominent void (especially since dealing Giricek). He'd bring athleticism and scoring ability to the shooting guard slot and even if he's not ready to play big minutes right away, he'd work well as instant offense off the bench. Even though he lacks an NBA level outside game, I still think he has the ability to score on NBA subs and worn out starters at the end of the third quarter.
