Some quick next-day notes now that the NBA’s trade deadline has passed: 

Staggered Arrivals: The Grizzlies acquired four new players on Thursday ahead of the NBA’s annual trade deadline but won’t have any with them for Friday night’s game in Philadelphia. This is normal. Trades take time to become official. Players have to relocate and get physicals with their new teams. All parties have to sign off before a trade can become official and the Grizzlies’ primary deal included six players and three teams. 

There’s a decent chance that centers Gorgui Dieng and Jordan Bell join the Grizzlies on Sunday in Washington and at the very least should be in the mix when the Grizzlies return home next Wednesday for the team’s first game this season against the Portland Trail Blazers.

But what about Miami Heat imports Justise Winslow and Dion Waiters? I did a full Grizzlies trade-week breakdown last night (see below), but can add a little more to the Winslow and Waiters questions. 

Grizzlies trade analysis: What it means for today, the summer and beyond

Winslow has played only one game since Dec. 4 while dealing with what has been described as a bone bruise in his back. As of this writing, Winslow has not made it to Memphis for his team physical and therefore the team has not made a specific decision as to his timetable for taking the floor. But they are expected to exercise patience on this front despite the team’s ongoing playoff race. The prize the Grizzlies will be eyeing with Winslow will be next season and beyond. The bet here is that Winslow won’t take the floor for the Grizzlies in the month of February, and while I would bet on Winslow playing for the Grizzlies this season, I would not consider it a certainty.

As for Waiters, a report yesterday afternoon from Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes suggested that a buyout or release was expected. This is probably the most likely outcome, but the Grizzlies had not committed to it at that time and likely perceived that report as premature. Taking on Waiters’ contract in order to get Winslow was a cost of doing business and there’s no perfect outcome here. Buying out Waiters now would preclude the Grizzlies from using his expiring contract as a trade chip next season, but given the range of Waiters’ recent problems, there would almost certainly be reluctance to bring him into the team’s young locker room. We shall see.

Grayson Allen out for season?: I never saw this, but I’m told the Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said yesterday that Grayson Allen would be out for the rest of the season. The Grizzlies have not publicly declared this and I doubt they want Coach K making their medical announcements, but my sense is that this is likely true. Allen’s hip problems are not a surgical concern, but the rehab timetable now likely runs longer than the season schedule. 

Calkins: A year into the rebuild, Grizzlies aiming for greatness

Outside Reactions: Opinions varied on the Grizzlies’ trade deadline moves. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton gave the Grizzlies a “D.” The Ringer’s D.J. Foster gave them an “A.” So that’s a pretty wide range.

The Ringer’s Jonathan Tjarks surveys post-deadline questions for 11 teams, the Grizzlies among them. For the Grizz, Tjarks rattles through a series of questions, one of them something I left out of yesterday’s piece but broached on the radio this morning: Will adding Dieng squeeze Jaren Jackson Jr.’s minutes at center? Like Tjarks, I think Jackson’s center minutes are good for both the team and his own development. Dieng’s a good player and probably a good system fit for the way Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins has the team playing, but this bears watching. 

Rest of the West: On Thursday night, the Portland Trail Blazers beat the San Antonio Spurs while the New Orleans Pelicans won in Chicago. The results gave the Blazers cushion over the Spurs and moved the Pelicans above the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference standings, two things that each feel like a preview of coming attactions. 

The race for the West’s 8th seed as the weekend begins:

• Grizzlies: 26-25
• Blazers: 24-28 (2.5 games back)
• Spurs: 22-29 (4)
• Pelicans: 21-31 (5.5)
• Suns: 20-31 (6)
• Kings: 19-31 (6.5)

Of these six teams, the Grizzlies made the most significant trade deadline move. 

There was some thought that the Spurs (LaMarcus Aldridge) or Pelicans (Jrue Holiday) might deal a veteran in a forward-looking move, but both stayed pat.

The Kings sent away an unhappy player (center Dewayne Dedmon) without materially changing their current prospects, and the Suns poked around Pistons’ wingLuke Kennardbefore ultimately doing nothing. 

The Blazers had a win-now deal in them, but held off. Maybe they thought they didn’t need it? Portland added veteran forwards Carmelo Anthony and Trevor Ariza – both now starting – in earlier in-season transactions and are set to get incumbent big men Zach Collins and Jusuf Nurkic back from injury in the next month. 

Whether the Grizzlies’ deadline moves help or hurt in the short term remains to be seen – they weren’t intended to do either, but rather were made with the long-term in mind – but the Blazers are quickly emerging as the major threat to the Grizzlies’ playoff perch and in most minds have probably become the favorite.