RealGM

26 Apr, 2025


Our 15th team eliminated, the Memphis Grizzliers after a close loss at home in Game 4 against the Thunder.

Previous Threads:



Time of death: April 26th, 2025
Record at elimination: 48-34 (1-1 in play-in, 0-4 in playoffs)
Head coach: Tuomas Iisalo (interim), Taylor Jenkins (former, fired late in season)

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/yearly


Contract summary:
Morant – extension eligible, or 3/125M remain
Bane – 4/160M remain
JJJ – extension eligible (may be Max eligible), or 23M expiring
Marvin Bagley - UFA
Kennard - UFA
Brandon Clarke – extension eligible, or 2/24M remain
John Konchar – extension eligible, or 2/12M remain
Jay Huff – 3/8M remain, final year 3M TO
Lamar Stevens – (rest of season)


Rookie Scale/minimums (varies on 2-4 years remaining):
Jaylen Wells – 3yrs remain (injured-wrist)
GG Jackson – 2yrs remain
Scotty Pippen Jr. – 3yr remain
Vincent Williams – 2yrs remain
Santi Aldama – extension eligible or RFA
Zach Edey – 3 years remain


TW
Yuki Kawamura
Zyon Pullin
Cam Spencer


Dead-cap – 8M off the books this year, <500k retained for 2 more years (Mamadi Diakite)

25-26 Capspace – 1st apron team, hard-capped


PICKS for 2025 draft:
GSW 2nd
HOU 2nd



A SMALL SEASON REVIEW:

https://www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/mem/memphis-grizzlies

After a troublesome, injury-plagued 2023/24, this season was of renewed expectations for the Grizzlies. They were able to draft early in the Draft, and selected Zach Edey who had a pretty successful first year campaign. Also Jaylen Wells, MEM's other rookie, played great all things considered.

Memphis was the 2-seed in the West with their core of Morant, Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr keeping the team on the sharp end. Though surprisingly to me, Taylor Jenkins the head coach was let go and Tuomas Iisalo replaced him [that's two i's at the from of his name by the way!]. Iisalo gave a good effort but ultimately MEM dropped into the play-in games. In doing so, they lost to the Warriors, and their chance at the 7-seed, and beat Dallas to earn the 8th seed.

That turn of events fashioned a quick exit as the Thunder swept, though it has to be said that Memphis played a lot better in the final 2 games. Morant was injured during Game 3 after a hard fall and before that MEM had a significant lead. I think the Grizzlies win that game, and perhaps G4, and play back into the series without Morant's exit, tough loss and I hate to see it. In Game 4 saw a very close effort from the short-handed Memphis team ultimately come up short, its offseason begins now.

In terms of team news, the Grizz traded Smart to the Wizards, Laravia to SAC, and received Bagley and Johnny Davis [waived]. This didn't do much except shed salary for MEM. Smart had a very injury plagued 2 seasons with MEM.

Though the season can be successful for a standpoint of improving record, there are a lot of questions to answer about how to improve further and compete for the HCA in the playoffs, because the talent is there. Ja's high-flying act is incredible (see the NBA Top Plays of the Year for some amazing ones, compliments of Ja). The OKC/MEM series turning-point was unfortunately Morant's hard fall taking him out of G3 and G4.

Talk what you will about the fault of the injury, I tentatively agreed with the call on the floor, but I did not like the sequence. 1) take the shot/layup @Pippen Jr., 2) bail out @Dort, 3) go for a layup not a showstopper play @Morant.

Though not all is lost, Edey and Rookie surprise Jaylen Wells played big all year. There's a future for both in the NBA. Scottie Pippen Jr had a stellar playoff series, and there's some nice things to build on. With Memphis at one point being in HCA this year, just getting more consistent play at end of games, and some overall team health will go a long way. They have a few draft picks and extensions necessary to handle, including JJJ's contract if they choose to.

Oh yeah, Brandon Clarke was hurt for the end of the year, too, and this absolutely hurt MEM's depth in the playoffs. He'll be back next season.

How did you think this year went for MEM ? And of course, the poll is available for some input on what you forsee in the offseason and ahead.

Keep, change, worse than expected, treadmill.

Turns out firing your coach right before the playoffs probably isn't the best timing.

Trade Morant for LaMelo for the lulz

Johnny Tomala wrote:Keep, change, worse than expected, treadmill.

I am pretty sure they performed as expected according to preseason expectations.

It's time to end the Ja Morant experience in MEM. Time and time again Ja gets hurt or plays poorly, but the team manages to stay resilient thanks to their collection of good role players.

MEM replaced Morant with Pippen against OKC and it feels like MEM didn't get marginally worse.

Why continue investing in him? They have the assets to get someone better and more reliable. The GM needs to be bold and make a deal before Ja makes it for them.

Marvin Martian wrote:It's time to end the Ja Morant experience in MEM. Time and time again Ja gets hurt or plays poorly, but the team manages to stay resilient thanks to their collection of good role players.

MEM replaced Morant with Pippen against OKC and it feels like MEM didn't get marginally worse.

Why continue investing in him? They have the assets to get someone better and more reliable. The GM needs to be bold and make a deal before Ja makes it for them.

Yeah, this is just not true. When Okc turned up the pressure, Pippen could barely get it across half-court. Okc, couldn't pressure Ja.

Any smart ownership and any competent GM would collectively agree that trading Morant should be their off seasons top priority.

Tough spot. They have a very solid young group, and 3 vets that all play at an AS level.

I would keep it together personally,, but would still kick the tires on a Ja trade just to see what a potential deal would look like. If they are getting something solid I would consider it, but the reality is Ja is still a dude that can go for 27 for the year, and still be a solid play maker that gets on Top 10 plays nightly. It's going to be hard to replace that unless you are getting something back of equal value which I don't see outside of a swap for Zion.

MEM has just had some terrible luck lately with injuries, and I would like to see what this team can do with Wells and GG healthy and developing. Jackson looks like a solid scoring prospect, but like Ja he too hasn't been able to put it together consistently.

My first step would be to trade Clarke. Edey has shown enough, Huff is okay in certain matchups, and this dude is the most replaceable of their always injured crew. He has a solid salary slot, and could be combined with other players to upgrade the bench.

Clarke for Grayson Allen works on the trade machine, and would be solid adding another two way player that bangs 3's.
Bobby Portis is another guy that might be available if Giannis asks out and could play with both their bigs.
Vanderbilt for the Lakers would also be another way to get back to their defensive roots.
Grant Williams would also be a nice get for this team

Other than that, I don't see any way this team improves unless someone big asks out and wants to go to MEM. The team still has a ton of internal improvements that can take place, and health is always a factor. Going into the year with young dudes who have more experience, and JJJ and JA hopefully still maturing, and this team can certainly be a 50+ win team and make some noise.

Edey- Huff
JJJ- Santi
Wells- GG
Bane- Allen- Vince
Ja- Pippen

Just try like hell to turn Clarke, Konchar, Santi, and one of their young wings into a trade like the Celtic's did with DWhite, Thunder with Caruso, ect. They need to find that one more piece either internally or through trade.

Just pointing out that they finished the season with a +4.8 SRS. Part of the struggles is they just in the tougher conference.

Give coach Iisalo a full year to prove his worth. He has built a winner everywhere he went to coach and he can also do it in Memphis, but the roster probably needs some work to support his concepts.

Morant for Trae?

Trade Ja Morant.


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durden_tyler wrote:Trade Ja Morant.


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2nd that.

JujitsuFlip wrote:Turns out firing your coach right before the playoffs probably isn't the best timing.

It was perfect timing. They would have lost 1-4 to the Thunder with no coaching change.


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Black Jack wrote:Morant for Trae?

I actually really like that for Memphis and it's fine for Atlanta who needs to shake things up too

rickxdel wrote:

Black Jack wrote:Morant for Trae?

I actually really like that for Memphis and it's fine for Atlanta who needs to shake things up too

It’s just replacing Morant with anothe flawed point guard. Would rather have the non-star player in that position and upgrade elsewhere (SF? SG?)


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durden_tyler wrote:

rickxdel wrote:

Black Jack wrote:Morant for Trae?

I actually really like that for Memphis and it's fine for Atlanta who needs to shake things up too

It’s just replacing Morant with anothe flawed point guard. Would rather have the non-star player in that position and upgrade elsewhere (SF? SG?)


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Morant for Zion?

Black Jack wrote:

durden_tyler wrote:

rickxdel wrote:
I actually really like that for Memphis and it's fine for Atlanta who needs to shake things up too

It’s just replacing Morant with anothe flawed point guard. Would rather have the non-star player in that position and upgrade elsewhere (SF? SG?)


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Morant for Zion?

Better.

I think they got a lot of good pieces but they don’t fit well. It’s just that the pieces are that good it can carry you to near 50 wins & the playoffs.

I think they need a legit #1 option. Those don’t grow on trees, so they need more consistent firepower through the rotation.

Put resources into the wing positions. Everyone wants them but that doesn’t mean you can’t find serviceable guys. Plus you never know who becomes available. There are some good teams who have some tough decisions to make.

I’d try to find a legitimate two way PF who can play next to JJJ & Edey, b/c I don’t know if that combo should start together. AD if DAL bites the bullet?

I’d question whether they should make Morant a super 6th man and let SPJ start. They’d never do it and there are plenty of reasons not to do it. Just something that I think will be asked this summer.