By Devin Zanskas
The Memphis Grizzlies made the playoffs two years ago, but they couldn’t repeat their success in 2024. The subpar season from Memphis was predictable though because Ja Morant was suspended for the first 25 games of the year after flashing a gun on Instagram for a second time in a ten-week span. Morant’s missed 25 games before, but he also underwent season-ending surgery after only playing nine games in 2024. In addition to Ja’s lack of availability, Desmond Bane only played in 42 games, Marcus Smart played in 20 games, and Steven Adams missed the entire year after having a procedure done on his right knee. Even their reinforcements off the bench were limited as Luke Kennard played 39 games, Brandon Clarke returned for just six games after he tore his Achilles, and Xavier Tillman was traded at the deadline. There wasn’t a team that embodied Murphy’s Law, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong”, more than the Grizzlies. A silver lining from having only three of the top ten players in total minutes from 2023 play in 50 games or more is that their prospects got plenty of time to develop, and they got a higher draft pick. For example, Jaren Jackson Jr. played in more games than anybody else on the Grizzlies, and he also averaged career highs in points, assists, steals, and minutes played. While Jackson Jr. had less talent around compared to what he’s gotten accustomed to, the Grizzlies winning only 27 games allowed them to draft Zach Edey with the ninth overall pick. With Edey’s frame, he fits into the same role that Adams had, but even if Memphis erases 2024 from their memories, they still had work to do to advance beyond the second round of the playoffs.
Besides all of the negative press and the injuries that the Grizzlies have had to deal with this past season, there are still plenty of other aspects that are going well for them. For instance, the Grizzlies’ three best players are all 26 years old or younger, and they’ve each signed their second contracts with the team. The core of Morant, Jackson Jr, and Bane joined the Grizzlies through the draft. Therefore, they didn’t have to trade away much of their future draft capital. Only some of their second-round picks have been moved, which means that they are still allowed to move up to four first rounders and three pick swaps if they find a worthwhile trade target. Trading first-round picks just because they’re available wouldn’t be wise, as Memphis may already have multiple players that are talented enough to be in a rotation who are fighting for minutes. If Edey fills in for Adams as the starting center immediately, then the other four starters are most likely going to be Ja, Smart, Bane, and Jaren. The next players who are probably guaranteed to get consistent minutes coming off of the bench are Kennard, Vince Williams Jr, Santi Aldama, and Clarke. That leaves John Konchar and Jake LaRavia fighting for the tenth spot in the lineup. The odd man out may be LaRavia as Konchar has been a mainstay in the Memphis rotation with his on-ball ability and versatility. Deciding who the last player coming off the bench would be could’ve been more difficult if it weren’t for GG Jackson unfortunately being out for a minimum of three months after breaking his foot. With Smart starting, the Grizzlies also don’t have another point guard among their ten bench players. Only Derrick Rose fit this criteria before he retired, but they might’ve felt uncomfortable relying on him for 82 games.
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Ever since the Grizzlies made the leap to become a 56-win team in Ja’s third season, it’s been suggested that they could acquire one of the premier 3-and-D players to make them a true title contender. The reigning champions, the Boston Celtics, just proved that having a plethora of switchable players is a strong approach to fortifying a roster that already has a dynamic duo with immense potential. Some of the players that the Grizzlies could target include Dorian Finney-Smith, Tobias Harris, Andrew Wiggins, Jimmy Butler, Jonathan Isaac, Kevin Durant, Jerami Grant, and Kyle Kuzma. A problem that the Grizzlies will face, which is a less punitive issue than what other teams in the league battle, is that their four best players have their four largest contracts. This is generally ideal roster construction, but if moves are still necessary in order to have a chance to win a ring, that means a more valuable player might have to leave in exchange for an upgrade. An example of this would be if the Grizzlies gauged the market for Marcus Smart, who will make $20.2 million this upcoming year. According to Larry Coon’s CBA FAQ, if a team is sending out $19.6 million or more in salary, then they can only accept a contract worth 125% of the amount that they’re giving up, plus $100,000. In Smart’s case, Memphis could acquire a player who’s going to earn up to $25.4 million in 2024, but that’s only enough to bring back Finney-Smith, Isaac, or Kuzma among those previously mentioned.
Although he played in less than a quarter of the prior regular season, Smart’s the first guard to win the Defensive Player of the Year award since Gary Payton in 1996, per Basketball Reference. Moreover, trading away Smart for Finney-Smith, Isaac, or Kuzma might be closer to a lateral move for the Grizzlies. Instead of sending out more money, the Grizzlies might consider pursuing a younger player who hasn’t quite reached an eight-figure annual salary, such as Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. The veteran leadership that the Grizzlies can benefit from in a home run swing wouldn’t be available with this acquisition, but their main building blocks have all played for at least a few years. There are obvious advantages to having everyone on the same timeline, like not having to find a replacement for veterans when their productivity is no longer high enough to elevate their peers. The skillset of Smith Jr. is also particularly useful in the postseason, where the Grizzlies’ opposition has more time to discover strategies to expose players who are less versatile. Someone who may struggle to defend in space is Edey, so having the choice to pivot is vital to Memphis succeeding in multiple playoff series. The flexibility of Jackson Jr. lets the Grizzlies play two big men to combat the teams with the most size in the association like the Nuggets, Timberwolves, Bucks, 76ers, Cavaliers, and Spurs though. Now it’s time to make all of the pieces that they have work for a full season, and remind fans that they’re a force in the West that’s ready to end a team’s playoff hopes early.
