NBA Mock Trade: Grizzlies Jump to No. 3 to Nab Donovan Clingan

In this NBA mock trade, Memphis gets aggressive to go after its future center.

Apr 8, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Connecticut Huskies center Donovan Clingan (32) celebrates defeating the Purdue Boilermakers in the national championship game of the Final Four of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 NBA Draft is just two days away, and the intel is flying regarding which teams are going after certain prospects.

There’s whisperings the Grizzlies could be looking to trade up as high as No. 3 in order to nab former UConn center Donovan Clingan, which makes sense given his archetype has succeeded in Memphis’ system before, and the team needs a win-now big man.

On the other end, the Rockets could be looking to add win-now pieces or assets to go after a star down the line.

Here’s what a trade between the two teams could look like:

Rockets get: No. 9, Luke Kennard, top-eight protected 2025 FRP

Grizzlies get: No. 3, Jeff Green

In this scenario, the Grizzlies package two picks and one rotational piece in the soon-to-be expiring Kennard to jump up and grab their fifth starter alongside Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart and Jaren Jackson Jr.

While it might seem like a steep price, they get a rotational piece back themselves in NBA journeyman Jeff Green, and protect their future pick top-eight in case of another defcon 1 situation like this year.

The Rockets get a future pick, a much-needed veteran that can shoot (they ranked within the bottom eight in 3-point percentage last season) and move back to No. 9 to select a win-now player capable of playing rotational minutes in year one.

Houston could have more than one suitor wanting to trade into this pick, but Memphis' deal to help around the fringes of it's roster while moving back just six spots might be too tantalizing to pass up.

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