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The Memphis Grizzlies depth was tested last year. They went into last season with arguably the deepest roster in the NBA, and it was needed, as nearly all of their rotation players missed significant time with injury. The injury bug forced the Grizzlies to have a down year, but they ended up with a lottery pick because of it, and now they are looking to contend again.
Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., Marcus Smart, and the rest of the gang will be going into next season healthy. The team has the talent to contend, but injury concerns have to be in the back of the mind for Memphis' front office.
An injury-riddled repeat of last year would be the worst-case scenario for the Grizzlies, so the team has to secure the depth to make sure they can survive, even if they are hit by injuries again.
The team just signed rookies Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells, so now they only have one more standard roster spot open.
The big names have come and gone in free agency, so Memphis will now be looking for a bargain-bin option to fill out the roster. In a long and grueling 82-game season, this 15th man can end up playing an important role, so check out the gallery here to see our four options for Memphis to grab during the tail end of free agency.
Luke Kennard, SG
The Grizzlies declined the team option on Luke Kennard's contract, which was worth north of $14 million for next season, but there is still a chance he could be back for next year. The original price to pay for the sniper's services was too expensive, but he still makes a lot of sense for Memphis' roster at a discounted rate.
The Grizzlies' offense runs through Ja Morant. Although he had a disappointing year last season that was filled with injuries and suspension drama, you can expect a bounce-back season from the star point guard who was once viewed as the future face of the NBA. Assuming Morant has gotten his act together, the former second-overall pick is a wizard with the ball in his hands, and he should be in for a big year.
His athletic abilities are freakish, and few players can get to the rack as easily as him. This makes defenses collapse in on his drives, which allows the point guard to kick the ball out to open shooters. There are few better shooters out there than Kennard, and he'd make life super easy on Morant if he were to return.
Prior to last season, the shooting guard nicknamed “Nuke” was the back-to-back league leader in three-point percentage. He thrives off the catch-and-shoot, and that is a big reason the team traded for him back in 2023.
Kennard might not be brought back because he isn't as big of a positional need as some of the other players on this roster. He has already proven he works well with Morant and company, though, so his systematic fit might be enough for the Grizzlies to give him the contract he seeks. This is especially true since Kennard is one of the best unsigned free agents left.
Boban Marjonovic, C
Whereas Luke Kennard doesn't play the position that Memphis most desires, Boban Marjonovic does. The Grizzlies are thin at the center position, even after drafting one in the lottery of the 2024 NBA Draft. The team traded Steven Adams and Xavier Tillman last season, and Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama are better suited to play the power forward position.
Memphis might be comfortable going forward with Jackson Jr. spending more time at the five, but that is a risky proposition. If Jackson Jr. proves incapable as a center, and Zach Edey isn't ready to play as a rookie, then the team will be stuck without a player to man the middle.
For that reason, the team should consider bringing in a player like Marjonovic. If all works out for Edey/Jackson Jr. at center, then Marjonovic will be happy to root from the bench as he has done in seasons past. If the team needs him to step up, though, he has proven he can perform when called upon.
Shockingly, Marjonovic has a historically high PER, although he hasn't met the minute requirements to rank among the best of all time. Still, he has always made the most of his minutes, and he would do so in Memphis as well.
Additionally, Marjonovic has a similar build and skill set to the Grizzlies' newest rookie. At seven-foot-four, he was tied for the tallest player in the NBA last season with Victor Wembanyama. Zach Edey, who was drafted ninth overall, is also seven-foot-four. Edey's skillset isn't the most modern for a big man. He lacks lateral speed, his ability to pass out of double-teams has been questioned, and he doesn't provide much spacing.
These have all been critiques of Marjonovic's as well, but the big man who last played for the Houston Rockets has managed to carve out a long, nine-year career. Marjonovic is the perfect player for Edey to learn under. The rookie could learn the ropes of being an old-school big man under the Serbian, learn from his mistakes, and become a better player because of it.
Bismack Biyombo, C
With the Detroit Pistons picking up Paul Reed off of waivers, Bismack Biyombo is arguably the best center still on the open market besides Precious Achiuwa. Achiuwa is a restricted free agent, and he is unlikely to be cheap, meaning he isn't a realistic bargain big option for the Grizzlies.
Biyombo, on the other hand, won't demand more than a minimum contract, and he is still a serviceable backup center. We actually saw this last year in Memphis, as Biyombo was one of many players the team signed throughout the season to fill up minutes on the injury-riddled roster.
During his albeit brief time in Memphis, Biyombo played more minutes per game than he had in any season since his sophomore year back in 2012-13. Biyombo is familiar with the team's system, and the team is familiar with him.
Additionally, the center market in free agency is extremely thin, so the Grizzlies might not have a better option. If Memphis does want another center on their roster, which we believe that they should, then Bismack Biyombo is the cheap big man to pursue.
Jordan Goodwin, SG
Jordan Goodwin is another player with Memphis ties who makes sense for the Grizzlies to give their final roster spot to. The six-foot-three guard went undrafted in 2021, and he barely saw the floor as a rookie. However, he quickly made a name for himself with the Washington Wizards in year two.
Goodwin averaged 6.6 points per game as a sophomore while effectively knocking down shots from deep. He even spent some time starting for the team, so fans were optimistic about his future in the league. After being traded to the Phoenix Suns as a part of the Bradley Beal trade, though, Goodwin struggled to find minutes, and his production dipped.
This led the Suns to trade him to the Brooklyn Nets, who quickly waived him. Goodwin ended his 2023-24 campaign in Memphis, though, and the Grizzlies would be smart to bring him back. In his 17-game showcase with the team, he averaged 10 points per game over 29.2 minutes per game.
The effective stretch reminded everyone why fans were high on him during his time with the Wizards, yet Goodwin still remains unsigned. He was vital in keeping the Grizzlies afloat last year, and he should be rewarded with a new contract.
