The Memphis Grizzlies have the 9th overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, but there have been several reports indicating they may look to trade up. Memphis is one of the teams that has been heavily linked to UConn star Donovan Clingan, as their need for a center was apparent after the team traded away Steven Adams.
While teams often make these decisions after consulting their franchise player, it seems Grizzlies star Ja Morant will not be involving himself in this process. Speaking with reporters at his recent basketball camp, Morant said he does his scouting after the Grizzlies select a player.
According to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, Morant is not scouting any players until after the Grizzlies select them, and he told reporters, “I’m excited to see what happens. I know the internet is probably going to be going crazy, so I’m probably about to turn mine off.”
The Grizzlies are in a very interesting position, because while they have a lottery pick in this year’s draft, they are not the typical lottery team. A plethora of injuries, including one to Morant, had the Grizzlies finish well below where they expected to last season. This led to them landing the 9th overall pick that could be used to select a rotation piece that helps them make another playoff run.
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