Vince Williams Jr. has officially inked his name on a standard, guaranteed NBA contract and is no longer occupying a two-way spot for the Memphis Grizzlies and Hustle. First and foremost, Vince Williams Jr. worked his ass off for this moment, and I can’t think of a guy more deserving of this deal. Vince has spent the last two seasons between the Hustle and Grizzlies while occupying a two-way spot after being selected 47th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. After only appearing in 15 games of action for the Grizzlies in his rookie season last year, he cracked rotational minutes this season after a rough start for the team due to Ja Morant’s suspension and various injuries across the roster. Making the most of his minutes and opportunity, he officially signed a standard NBA contract Wednesday afternoon with a guaranteed $7.9 million after the team waived recently signed center Bismack Biyombo. Now that Vince Williams Jr. has established himself as a legitimate force in the league, the next question becomes: who is going to do it next?
It is already rumored that the Memphis Grizzlies are looking to fill their newly opened two-way spot and, preferably, are targeting a big man due to cutting Biyombo as a result of the VWJ signing and lack of depth at the position, so I figured I would compose some realistic targets to fill the new gap in Memphis. Key word: realistic.
Kai Jones
So, Kai Jones isn’t fully my idea off the rip. This was actually a recommendation Damichael Cole of the Commercial Appeal posted about Wednesday afternoon, yet Jones was a player I was interested in earlier this season after his strange dismissal from the Charlotte Hornets.
The 19th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft appeared in 67 games for the Charlotte Hornets, averaging 2.7 ppg and 2.0 rpg on 57% shooting from the field. If you’re unfamiliar with Kai Jones, at least on the court, you’re probably questioning why you would use a two-way on a guy with such lackluster numbers. Jones spent two years at the University of Texas, where both seasons were unfortunately cut short, and he finished his collegiate career with averages of 6.2 ppg and 4.0 rpg, which was good enough to be a first-round pick in the NBA, but again, you’re probably asking, how?
Jones possesses a ton of raw potential, freakish athleticism, and an uncanny feel for the game of basketball. He is 6’11, quick as lightning, and can fly on both ends of the floor. The only thing that has held Jones back is playing time and an inability to find his footing in a Hornets program that is already notoriously questioned for their ability to develop talent anyway.
Why would Memphis do it? You’d add a 6’11 body that can score around the rim, soar for boards, loose balls, and passes, run the break like a guard, and provide a bolt of energy for the squad coming off the bench. (Spoiler: Ja Morant to Kai Jones alley-oops would feed families.)
Why wouldn’t Memphis do it? With Memphis already possessing their fair share of publicity and criticism, bringing in a guy who lit the internet on fire this summer for not the best of reasons may not be the direction the franchise is looking. Jones would be a wonderful addition on the court; the question would ultimately be what Jones would be doing off the court and how it would reflect on a franchise that is already struggling to do damage control.
Matthew Hurt
Matthew Hurt is probably not a likely candidate, but he is a ways away from being ruled impossible. Hurt was in the same draft as Kai Jones yet went undrafted after a two-year stay at Duke, where he became a valuable player in his sophomore season, tallying 18.3 ppg and 6.2 rpg off 56% shooting from the floor. There were question marks around his game and also how he would acclimate to the professional level, and here we are almost three years later and he has yet to appear in an official NBA game yet. While he hasn’t been officially called up by Memphis, he has been signed and waived twice, with his first tenure lasting two days and his second barely over two weeks, and he has never appeared in any games with the team. In his two seasons with the Hustle, Hurt has put up solid numbers and is currently averaging 19.7 ppg and 6.6 rpg in 33 minutes of action in the regular season.
Why would Memphis do it? The team would add a player with familiarity with the franchise and have the opportunity to continue to develop talent from within.
Why wouldn’t Memphis do it? Matthew Hurt is an undersized big and with Memphis already lacking depth at the position they’re probably going to aim for a larger player considering Xavier Tillman Sr. is 6’8 and is currently our only active center. The lack of NBA experience also tremendously effects his chances as well in my opinion.
Trey Jemison
Trey Jemison is literally built like a walking tank. Currently averaging 14.8 ppg and 11.6 rpg at 6’10 and 260 pounds for Birmingham Squadron, Jemison is a force to be reckoned with on the floor, especially in the painted area. He played a total of five years at the collegiate level after being granted an extra year of eligibility due to COVID; during that time, he played between both Clemson and UAB, with his best averages coming in his senior season, averaging 9.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks. After going undrafted in the 2023 draft, he signed an exhibit 10 deal with the Pelicans that ultimately was converted to a two-way deal before getting waived in October, right before the regular season.
Jemison has had a very impressive stint with the Birmingham Squadron this season as he is currently averaging a double-double for the Squad and put up a monster 21 point and 17 rebound masterclass versus Sioux Falls Skyforce. He has the strength, size, and skillset that could easily translate to the professional level smoothly.
Why would Memphis do it? Trey Jemison offers tremendous size and strength down in the low post and excels at getting boards and finishing at the rim. He is 24 years old, on the edge of 7’0, and built like a Brinks truck. He also did draft workouts with Memphis so there is a slight sense of knowledge about him already. The Grizzlies would get a big, young body that they could continue to let learn, develop and marinate between the Grizzlies and G League as Steven Adams is set to go into his twelfth season next year. (P.S. He also played for Team Penny in his younger years.)
Why wouldn’t Memphis do it? This is a tough one because I honestly don’t see any significant reasons that would prevent Memphis from going for him. He was waived by the Pelicans, but they also weren’t missing their primary center, and they already have pretty good depth at the power forward and center positions. I think it would be hard for Memphis to lose off of a two-way signing for Jemison.
The Hustle face off versus the Birmingham Squadron on Monday in Southaven… talk about interesting timing.
Wait until the deadline…
With the trade deadline impending, the Grizzlies season looking uncertain, and Vince Williams Jr.’s contract making him the fourth small-forward on the Grizzlies roster, a trade may be in the works. All four small forwards (Jake LaRavia, David Roddy, Vince Williams Jr., and Ziaire Williams) are all 23 years of age or younger, and three of them came from the 2022 NBA Draft alone. With this many young guys in one spot, especially considering Vince getting a promotion, you can’t help but wonder what could be in the works movement-wise. That being said, the Grizzlies could bring in a center in a deal by the deadline and end up utilizing their final two-way spot for a player who is not a big man if they’re able to fill their needs in the trade market.
This could also result in other teams waiving players after taking them on as a part of their respective deals. I definitely think that could be a realistic possibility as well, given that this is typically a normal occurrence during the deadline period. Memphis could definitely strike gold on a guy who hits the chopping block after a deal in February.