To tank, or not to tank?
That has been the hot-button issue for NBA Commissioner Adam Silver the last two seasons. Last year a sternly written letter was sent to the Dallas Mavericks after reports leaked that owner Mark Cuban advised his team of their tanking intentions.
But all of that is thrown out of the window when generational talents like Zion Williamson and Ja Morant are in the draft pool.
Several teams showed no shame in their hopes of landing Williamson this NBA season, and as Morant's stock continued to rise, so did team's desire to nab him as well. Even if it meant blatantly throwing in the towel without even attempting to compete for a playoff spot.
In an ironic twist of fate, the Memphis Grizzlies defied the odds and secured the second overall pick of this year's draft, thus securing the services of Morant....who has been viewed by most as a can't-miss face of a franchise.
And they did so without tanking. In fact, they tried to do the exact opposite.
The Memphis Grizzlies actually started the season on fire. After the first month they owned the best record in the west with a 12-5 record.
Then an epic free fall ensued shortly after as the Grizzlies lost 28 of their next 36 games.
Now looking up from the bottom of the western conference, and at a crossroads, the Grizzlies chose to play out the string and win as many games as possible in hopes of fulfilling their final trade obligation and convey their draft pick to the Boston Celtics.
The pick was protected if the Grizzlies chose outside of the top 8.
So while teams were trading assets and sitting healthy players in a desperate attempt to improve their lottery chances, the Grizzlies were desperately trying to jump those teams.
Yes, Memphis traded franchise cornerstone Marc Gasol at the deadline, but held on to their star point guard Mike Conley.
And he didn't just stay in Memphis, he suited up and played...and performed to his All Star caliber level.
The nightmare scenario for Memphis was to fall out of the top 5, but not out of the top 8 in what is considered a draft class of two or three impact players. The last thing on their minds was securing Ja Morant of all people.
So as the cards continued to be flipped, a franchise that has been devoid of lucky breaks the last few seasons sat in anticipation of landing the 6th, 7th, or lord forbid....8th spot and have to keep that pick.
Landing the number two overall pick was not only mathematically improbable, but the timing was perfect.
Memphis is still looking to move off Conley's massive contract, and Conley is still looking to finish his career on a championship ready team....something he deserves considering how he handled the aftermath of dismantling the Grit and Grind squad that made Memphis a playoff regular for seven straight seasons.
Morant steps right in to fill that role. And he's younger. And he will be paid pennies to Conley's dollars.
And he will be paired with last year's fourth overall pick, forward Jaren Jackson Jr, giving the Grizzlies their Conley/Gasol combo for the future.
As it relates to the lottery being rigged, as people say every year, what would be the league's incentive in this case?
Memphis is the smallest media market in the entire league...in a lottery that featured heavyweight cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
Memphis' lottery draw was a gift from the basketball gods that were sick and tired of the tanking. And why not? The city of Memphis has always been known as a basketball town.
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