Breaking Trade: Grizzlies Send Recent Top 10 Pick To Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets continue their rebuild from the ground up, adding a recent Top 10 lottery pick to their roster, acquiring forward Ziaire Williams from the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Memphis Grizzlies are trading forward Ziaire Williams and a 2030 second-round pick via Dallas to the Brooklyn Nets for Mamadi Diakite, sources tell ESPN. Williams was the 10th pick in the 2021 draft. pic.twitter.com/N4s9vh06mF
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 19, 2024

The Nets also receive a 2030 second-round pick from the Grizzlies, while they send to Memphis Mamadi Diakite and the draft rights to Serbian Nemanja Dangubic, the 54th pick in the 2014 draft.

For the Grizz, it removes $6 million from their books, as they need the cap room to aid in re-signing guard Luke Kennard. Memphis now sits at about $10 million under the luxury tax threshold and $14 million under the first apron.

The move is a boon for Williams, who, as the No. 10 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, simply hasn't been given a great opportunity thus far in his time with Memphis. With the rebuilding Nets, he should be handed plenty more responsibility and minutes to work with.

Williams has averaged just 19 minutes per game in his three seasons with the Grizzlies, averaging 8.2 points and 3.5 rebounds. Going into his age-23 season, the 6'9" small forward will now get a chance to really show his stuff in Brooklyn.

Diakite, who heads to Memphis, is a 27-year-old who won't be much of a factor for the Grizzlies. He's already bounced around between five teams in his four years in the NBA, averaging just 9.6 minutes a game, in 55 contests.