Grade the trade: Washington Wizards add center depth in this proposed three-team deal

The trade season is almost upon us. Starting December 15, players who signed contracts last offseason will be eligible to be traded, expanding the trade market and opening up infinite deal possibilities. Between then and the February 8 trade deadline, many teams around the NBA will engage in trade discussions. Lottery teams will try to get assets for their valuable players, and playoff hopefuls will try to load up on talent before the postseason. The Washington Wizards, in the early stages of a long rebuild, will certainly be active on the trade market.

There are plenty of Wizards who should garner some interest around the league. Delon Wright, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, and Landry Shamet are already reportedly on the market. That quartet are the likeliest members of the Wizards to be moved mid-season. However, Washington will presumably listen to offers for almost all of their veterans. The priority for the Wizards is maximizing their future assets, so any player who nets them a solid return should be available, except for Deni Avdija and Bilal Coulibaly.

One potentially intriguing trade scenario exists between the Wizards, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the San Antonio Spurs.

The Memphis Grizzlies have been struggling in Ja Morant's absence, sitting at 14th place in the Western conference with a 5-14 record. They need to shake things up before the season gets completely out of hand. This trade does precisely that.

They trade away two of their big men; Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke, who are out for the season, as well as their backup center Xavier Tillman. In return, they get three rotation-level players. Daniel Gafford can take over the starting center job, and Cedi Osman and Doug McDermott provide much-needed shooting and wing play in their rotation.

The San Antonio Spurs, who already have Tre Jones on their roster, bring in his brother, Tyus to bolster their point guard rotation. The Spurs, who arguably have the worst point guard play in the entire NBA, get a very capable floor general in Tyus Jones who can put Victor Wembanyama in a better position to succeed offensively.

The Wizards, on the other hand, get three solid big men who can help improve their horrendous defense. Adams and Clarke will not be able to contribute this season, but they are under contract for next season. Washington can use them, rehabilitate their trade value, and flip them later. Tillman can immediately become the starting center and be the defensive anchor this team needs. The Wizards could desperately use more size, strength, and physicality, and this trio perfectly fills that need. Plus, Washington gets two second-round picks from Memphis, a nice addition to their asset drawers.

Final trade grade: B+