Why the Grizzlies should not trade the No. 3 pick

The Oklahoma City Thunder are interested in trading up in the first round of the NBA Draft, per multiple reports.

Apr 26, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) reacts after defeating the Memphis Grizzlies in game four for the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder are reportedly interested in trading picks No. 12 and No. 17 to move up in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.

REPORT: The Thunder are fully expected to trade their picks 12, 17, and 37 to try and move into the top 10, per @WindhorstESPN 🤯

OKC only has ONE roster spot available and wouldn’t be able to draft all three players. pic.twitter.com/BtED0Zd2Bh

— Polymarket Hoops (@PolymarketHoops) May 20, 2026

Per ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel, two executives think Presti could use both picks to trade as high as the top four in pursuit of Duke forward Cameron Boozer.

REPORT: OKC could trade their two 1st-round picks this summer in an attempt to move up and land Cam Boozer, per @BrettSiegelNBA.

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 25, 2026

Discussions around a potential Oklahoma City trade-up for Boozer have centered around Memphis, because the Grizzlies have been the most popular landing spot for Boozer. Much of the speculation around a potential deal has involved Thunder All-NBA wing Jalen Williams going to Memphis.

While the idea of acquiring a player of Williams' caliber sounds exciting on the surface, it would not be wise for the Grizzlies to move off of No. 3 to do so.

The entire premise of the Thunder including Williams in trades is contract-related. The 25-year-old is entering the first year of a 5-year deal worth $239,250,000. His cap hit in 2026-27 is $41,250,000. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren set to make over $40 million, and extension time nearing for Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort, and Cason Wallace, Williams could be seen as a luxury piece that the Thunder does not necessarily need.

For Memphis, one of the benefits of entering a rebuild is resetting the clock on its cap sheet. By holding No. 3 and drafting its franchise player, the hope is that the Grizzlies are getting high-level production at a bargain during that player's rookie contract.

Trading the pick for Williams, which would speed up the timeline, is risky due to the true upside of the player Memphis would be getting. Williams is obviously an All-NBA level player, but trading a pick that many think would turn into the team's 1A option going forward for a player who is most likely a second option at best does not make sense relative to where the Grizzlies currently stand.

It is worth noting that there is always a price on all assets in the NBA, even if it is astronomically high. Hearing out offers for No. 3 would not hurt the Grizzlies. If Memphis were to make a deal with Oklahoma City, it would be better off as a deal centered around multiple first-round picks and players from the Thunder rather than Williams.

A deal centered around No. 12, No. 17, 1-2 more future firsts and 1-2 players out of a pool of Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins would make more sense for Memphis to consider than the potential Williams package.

While the Thunder can build arguably the strongest package out of any team in a deal for the No. 3 pick, Memphis is most likely better off holding onto the pick and taking its next face of the franchise in a loaded draft.