It almost hurts to state so matter-of-factly, but the reality that the Memphis Grizzlies spent the better part of four years trying to delay has arrived. Brought down by injuries, attrition and a series of frustrating personnel decisions (and just one win in their last 14 games), the 19–29 Grizz have begrudgingly begun hearing trade offers for Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, inarguably the two most important players in franchise history. The team that famously ripped off three 50-win seasons and a series of enjoyable playoff runs is long gone, and Memphis faces an uncertain future.
The silver lining for the Grizzlies is that rebuilding—and more importantly, selling a fanbase on starting over—is much easier with a bird in hand.