Looking back, 2023 was actually the beginning of the end for the Ja Morant-led Memphis Grizzlies. Their first-round loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and the eventual departure of Dillon Brooks in free agency have gotten the Grizzlies to where they are today: in the midst of a rebuild, with multiple first-round picks at their disposal after blockbuster trades of Desmond Benn (back in June) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (before the 2026 trade deadline).
Now, the Grizzlies trail only the Oklahoma City Thunder and Brooklyn Nets in first-round picks over the next seven years, and they are at least ready to start a rebuild around recent first-round picks Cedric Coward and Zack Eddy, both of whom have shown a ton of potential.
It’s quite a shame that the Grizzlies weren’t able to reach their full potential while the Morant-Jackson duo was firing on all cylinders, but at least, Memphis didn’t fall victim to denial and hit the reset button before the value of their players declined, leaving them with fewer future assets (looking at you, Chicago Bulls).
That said, the Grizzlies did just that before the trade deadline and they deserve a grade for the way they handled the maneuver.
Ja Morant somehow outlasts Jaren Jackson Jr. on Grizzlies
Leading up to the trade deadline, the Grizzlies’ most likely star was Morant, as his relationship with the team had clearly soured and his play on the court didn’t help matters. His three-point shot has let him down, his athletic ability has diminished, and he hasn’t looked like a game-changer for most of the season, in which he has only played 20 games.
It’s a complicated matter for the Grizzlies. Morant was the star they wanted to make, but a combination of off-court troubles and on-court decline made him so unreliable for Memphis that the Grizzlies definitely had to listen to whatever offers were available for their floor general in the trade market.
But the Grizzlies found those offers too inadequate, and Morant remained with the team as a result. He had two more years left on his contract, and there weren’t many teams that wanted to take a risk on a highflying guard, and Memphis thought it best to retain their mercurial point guard, even though he was clearly unhappy with the team for the entire season, if not longer.
However, instead of trying to compete for a play-in spot, the Grizzlies decided to simply blow it after receiving a grandfather offer from the Utah Jazz for Jackson. They received the Minnesota Timberwolves/Cleveland Cavaliers/Utah Jazz’s 2027 first-round pick, as well as the Los Angeles Lakers’ and Phoenix Suns’ unprotected picks in 2027 and 2031, respectively.
There is a possibility that two of those picks become incredible assets for the Grizzlies. The 2027 first-round pick may not be worth much, but considering that the Jazz included them in the trade, and they are not guaranteed to make the playoffs due to how stacked the Western Conference is, Memphis could win big.
The Lakers’ pick won’t be very valuable since Luka Doncic is on the roster, but there’s so much uncertainty between here and next year that it’s hard to say anything definitive in that regard. And then there’s the Suns’ vulnerable challenge in 2031; They may be a good team now, but Devin Booker will be 34 by the time the 2031 NBA Draft arrives, and Phoenix could be a bad team by then.
In addition to those selections, the Grizzlies also received valuable young players such as Walter Clayton Jr. and Taylor Hendricks, further adding to the team’s youth movement.
The Grizzlies have done well in deciding when to sell their star players. Bain acquired them four first-round picks and a pick swap. Jackson got them three first- and two recent first-round picks. JJJ’s supermax contract extension is also about to kick in, so this is no longer a Memphis problem.
To that end, the Grizzlies have earned the benefit of the doubt on the Morant front. He has two years left on his deal after this season, so Memphis is in no rush to sell him. Perhaps they are still hoping that he can revive his trade value at Beale Street, which could then fetch them a more suitable return than the offers available before the deadline.
(The Grizzlies also acquired Eric Gordon and a 2032 second-round pick swap from the Philadelphia 76ers to facilitate a salary dump, and later waived him – an irrelevant move.)
The tank is on in memphis
As mentioned earlier, the Jackson trade at least indicates that the Grizzlies front office was realizing the direction the team was headed and instead of waiting for the worst-case scenario to come true, they got ahead of it and received a lot of assets in return.
Now, Memphis has great potential to participate in tanking wars. They could still have a very good roster, especially with Ty Jerome playing out of his mind since returning from injury. Currently, Memphis has the eighth-worst record in the NBA, and with 20 wins, it’s likely they won’t be able to improve their lottery odds any further.
But if his performance on Monday night against the Golden State Warriors was any indication, the Grizzlies are about to make some serious tanking maneuvers — because what other reason would there be for Cam Spencer to not even get a shot toward the basket after Tuomas Isalo decided to skip a timeout in order to move the ball to get a better shot?
The tank is on, and the Jackson trade proves they can tank without guilt, unlike the Jazz and Washington Wizards, two teams that came out of win-now trades but are clearly trying to lose some games because they will miss their respective first-round selections if those picks fall out of the top-eight.
The worst place to be in the NBA is the middle, and the Grizzlies have stayed away from that dangerous area.
Grizzlies’ trade deadline grade: A
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