The deal
Grizzlies get: Forward Brice Johnson, 2022 second-round pick
Pistons get: Forward James Ennis
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Detroit Pistons: B+
The Blake Griffin trade left the Pistons perilously thin on the wing, particularly at small forward. Besides starting small forward Stanley Johnson, starting 2-guard Reggie Bullock is basically the only player on the roster with the size and athleticism to defend bigger wings. Enter Ennis, who fits the bill at 6-foot-7, 210 pounds and has the requisite shooting ability to be part of the rotation.
So far this season, Ennis is making 36 percent of his 3s, a little worse than his career mark of 37 percent. He has been even better inside the arc, making a career-high 57 percent of his 2s -- most of them set up by teammates. Defensively, Ennis is good, but not great.
Detroit was able to use the disabled-player exception the team was granted after Jon Leuer's season-ending ankle surgery to add Ennis, who is in the final season of his contract. Sending back Johnson kept the Pistons barely out of the luxury tax, something they'd prefer not to pay.
The price was reasonable. According to Chris Herrington of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Detroit will give Memphis the 2022 second-round pick remaining after a possible swap with the Chicago Bulls stemming from the Pistons' other deal Thursday.
Memphis Grizzlies: B
Any value the Grizzlies could get for Ennis in the final season of his contract was probably a good thing. Memphis did surrender early Bird rights on Ennis, but if the Grizzlies re-sign Tyreke Evans, the luxury tax will start to become a concern. That may have rendered re-signing Ennis difficult.
Johnson is less than two years removed from being drafted in the first round, so Memphis could give him a look for the remainder of the season. Having played just 47 NBA minutes in two seasons, Johnson has very little body of work to go on, but it's discouraging that two teams have moved on from him in the past two weeks.