The Memphis Grizzlies have some big decisions to make over their roster in the coming weeks, potentially leading to an opportunity for the Golden State Warriors and other rival teams to pick off some talented young players on the eve of the season.
One of those young players is former lottery pick Jordan Hawkins, with the former New Orleans Pelicans wing a potentially ideal replacement for Moses Moody while the 24 year-old recovers from his torn patellar tendon injury.
Jordan Hawkins could be an ideal Moses Moody replacement
Hawkins was traded to the Grizzlies as part of a four-player trade with the Pelicans on Tuesday, allowing New Orleans the flexibility to sign former sixth overall pick Benedict Mathurin as an unrestricted free agent.
However, according to NBA insider Marc Stein on Thursday, there’s a chance that Hawkins doesn’t even make it to Memphis and that he could be one of four players waived to bring their roster back down to the allotted 15-man maximum.
"Memphis needs to cut four players to get from 19 standard NBA contracts to 15 by then, which puts the likes of Hawkins, Kris Murray and Micah Peavy in various levels of peril," Stein reported while noting former first-round pick Walter Clayton Jr. was likely to stick with the Grizzlies.
Hawkins entered the league as a 14th overall pitch and one of the best shooters in his draft class, but while the potential remains he's yet to translate that to the NBA where he's shot just 34.8% from beyond the arc through his first three seasons.
Warriors need wing depth early in the season
Perhaps a new environment outside the often dysfunctional Pelicans franchise is just what Hawkins needs to flourish, and there’s little doubt the Warriors could do with a sharpshooter particularly in Moody‘s absence.
Golden State's shooting guard minutes will likely be filled by De’Anthony Melton and Brandin Podziemski, both of who are versatile guards more than typical sharpshooters. Even at the small forward spot without Moody and Jimmy Butler, Steve Kerr is likely to lean more on Yaxel Lendeborg and Gui Santos as power forwards whose versatility will allow them to slide down to the three.
There is subsequently a case to be made that a player of Hawkins' skillet is desperately needed for the Warriors early in the season, and that Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office should genuinely have a look if Hawkins is quickly moved on by the Grizzlies could now be the case.
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