The Memphis Grizzlies made a number of moves this 2022 NBA offseason, but did these moves make any difference for the team?

Some observers felt that the Grizzlies were poised to make a big move in the offseason, but that didn't exactly happen. Instead, Memphis's offseason decisions were predicated on building around their star player, sustaining their depth, and nurturing their young talents.

Maybe their biggest move was letting go of De'Anthony Melton, but that may yet be worth it as their draft class is pretty solid.

It's hard to condemn the Grizzlies for not pursuing a star despite having the cap space and a plethora of future first-round selections at their disposal. As such, the Grizzlies preached patience. That may actually be the best strategy when you have one of the league's youngest rosters and still win 56 games the season prior.

On the flip side, the Grizzlies won't have another opportunity to play the cap-space game anytime soon since they've already locked in Ja Morant's maximum rookie extension in addition to Jaren Jackson Jr.'s nine-figure deal. The latter, by the way, has a fractured foot that will keep him out of action for a significant portion of the upcoming season.

The gist of the Grizzlies' offseason went like this. They traded De'Anthony Melton to the Sixers in exchange for Danny Green and a draft pick. Memphis also lost Kyle Anderson to the Minnesota Timberwolves in free agency. The Grizzlies kinda made up for this with four interesting rookie choices along with Morant's extension and re-signing Tyus Jones. Let's grade these and a couple of other Memphis Grizzlies offseason moves.

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Grizzlies 2022 NBA offseason grades

Trades: C+

The Grizzlies traded De'Anthony Melton to the Philadelphia 76ers for Danny Green. For the Grizzlies, this isn't a horrible deal. It appears doubtful that they would retain Green in the expectation that the 35-year-old play heavy minutes by the postseason of the upcoming season. Although if they do keep him, Green can give them championship experience and a good locker room presence in addition to streaky three-point shooting. It does kinda sting that they lost Melton here, but the kicker is getting another first round draft pick, which they used on David Roddy, whom we'll grade below.

Draft: B

The Memphis Grizzlies were quite active in the 2022 NBA Draft, ending up with a solid set of rookies. In order to advance in the draft order and choose the players the organization was looking for, general manager Zach Kleiman made three deals.

In order to move up and choose Jake LaRavia with the 19th overall pick, the Grizzlies struck a deal with the Timberwolves and exchanged two first-round picks (Nos. 22 & 29). LaRavia played five seasons in college, the first two at Indiana State and the last three at Wake Forest.

He was named to the Second Team All-ACC in 2021 after averaging 14.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. The 6'8 forward got good defensive grades, which go well with his shooting prowess. Last season, LaRavia shot an astounding 55.9 percent from the field, including 38.4 percent from three. He has a lot of potential to grow into a crucial role player for Memphis and is an underappreciated talent in this draft class.

The Grizzlies should be happy with the fit, especially after considering trading Kyle Anderson. But to move up three positions by trading two first-round picks? That was a bit of a stretch.

Now, on to David Roddy, who has garnered some P.J. Tucker comparisons. Roddy has a wingspan of almost 7 feet while having a 6'6 body. He can make good use of that length as a defensive stopper. Roddy is also a strong and aggressive rebounder. He might play the same position as LaRavia, though, so they might end up competing for playing time.

As for Kennedy Chandler, he was one of the SEC's most disruptive defenders last season because to his 6'5 wingspan. Chandler was also second in the league in steals per game with an average of 2.1. The Grizzlies likely picked him as insurance in case they wouldn't be able to re-sign Tyus Jones. With Jones back, however, Chandler will be in the team's third unit.

Vince Williams Jr. was the last rookie Memphis picked in the draft. Williams was one of the top shooters in the Atlantic-10 throughout his four seasons at VCU. The 6'6 guard provides the Grizzlies with good length on the defensive end and another reliable perimeter option. Williams' long-range shooting percentage was 38.7 percent last season. Perhaps he can be Green's understudy at the wings. Williams was signed to a two-way contract by the Grizzlies along with undrafted rookie Kenneth Lofton Jr.

Free Agency: A

It is clear that the Memphis Grizzlies are trying to run it back with their youthful core after a season in which they had 56 wins. That win total tied their franchise's single-season record.

As such, they extended Ja Morant's deal by a maximum amount, re-signed Tyus Jones, and also extended John Konchar's contract.

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Morant was a no-brainer, of course. After a season that saw him make the All-Star Team, become the Most Improved Player, and be named to the All-NBA Second Team, Morant certainly deserved no less than the max. He's the cornerstone of this franchise for the years to come.

Jones, meanwhile, is just hitting his prime. He shot a career-high 39.0 percent from three-point range last season, and he's a solid backup playmaker for Memphis. Konchar, meanwhile, is also another solid shooter (41.3 percent last season from beyond the arc). He seems due for another very productive season as part of the team's supporting cast.

These were very sensible signings all around, and these gave the Grizzlies a lot of stability.

Overall: B+

Priority number one for the Grizzlies was to lock up their franchise player. They did that.

After losing Anderson to free agency and shipping Melton to Philadelphia, they next turned to the draft to bolster their depth. The loss of those two should help define positions on a squad that was very deep in the previous year. LaRavia should also contribute straight away on both sides. Memphis continued to develop one of the league's strongest young talent pools this summer without taking any significant steps back.

In the final accounting, the Grizzlies lost two rotational components overall while keeping one. Maybe their depth takes a bit of a hit, but their draft picks are promising enough to potentially fill all those roles well. In all, Memphis is on solid ground, especially with Morant firmly in place surrounded by a good supporting cast.