3 of 5

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Los Angeles Clippers Receive: SF/PF Chandler Parsons, No. 4 pick

Memphis Grizzlies Receive: SF/PF Sam Dekker, SF/PF Tobias Harris, SF Wesley Johnson, No. 12 pick, No. 13 pick

League sources told The Athletic's Michael Scotto the Grizzlies "have gauged the trade market on a package of Chandler Parsons and the No. 4 overall pick." The Clippers, meanwhile, have interest in trading up to draft Luka Doncic, according to Yahoo Sports' Shams Charania.

Let's make one thing clear: Using a top-four prospect to escape the final two years and $49.2 million left on Parsons' deal is a terrible decision. The Grizzlies should look to start over before mortgaging a glitzy piece of their future. They'll squeeze additional value out of a Parsons trade with the fourth pick as bait, but the return won't propel them into the top half of the Western Conference.

Moving out of No. 4 would look especially bad, depending on who's available. As Grizzly Bear Blues' Joe Mullinax wrote:

"If [Marvin] Bagley, or heaven forbid Luka Doncic, falls to No. 4 and the Grizzlies aren't there to possibly take advantage, that could be very bad for the Memphis front office. What if the insane occurs, and Sacramento takes [Jaren] Jackson or Michael Porter Jr. (health concerns may negate this) and then for some reason Atlanta wants Trae Young, who they had in for a private workout? What if both Doncic AND Bagley are there? It isn't as far-fetched as we once thought, and a trade for that pick in that situation is much more valuable than it is sitting here days away from the draft in Brooklyn.

Even then, it is a tough sell to a fan base hungry for new blood and direction toward a future. Jackson or Porter (if healthy) would be decent consolation prizes if Doncic and Bagley are gone, and they could both be key cogs in a future Grizzlies team that doesn't involve [Marc] Gasol or [Mike] Conley. To pass on a shot at control (in theory) for almost a decade of a franchise level talent for moving on from two years of a bad contract and the chance to be 1st or 2nd round fodder to Golden State or Houston feels short-sighted."

This package is as close as the Grizzlies will come to neutralizing the risk inherent in shipping out a potential franchise pillar. Harris is a certified buckets-getter at the 3 and 4, and they'll be able to grab a wing and a guard with the 12th and 13th selections. Dekker and Johnson could move the needle a smidge as small-ball 4s. If not, both come off the books in 2019.

Harris' impending free agency will factor into the Grizzlies' decision. He'll fetch a pretty penny next summer. He'll also have just wrapped his age 26 season and will cost appreciably less than the $25.1 million Parsons is owed for 2019-20.

Giving up this much to (hopefully) take Doncic or Jaren Jackson Jr. would be quite the leap from the Clippers. They'll have more than $45 million per year wrapped up in Parsons and Danilo Gallinari through 2019-20. But they're toeing the line of a rebuild anyway. Doncic affords them a premier focal point, and they'll be set up to reload in 2020 free agency—when he's presumably ready to headline a postseason irritant.