The Memphis Grizzlies are officially turning the page on the history books of their franchise this coming season. Gone are long-time servant Mike Conley (traded to the Utah Jazz in the offseason) and Mark Gasol (traded to the Toronto Raptors last February), which puts an end to one of, if not the most memorable eras in Grizzlies basketball history.
Memphis is now turning to youth, and are looking at a full rebuild. This being the case, there will definitely be some growing pains along the way, with the Grizzlies not expected to be a significant threat in a ruthless Western Conference.
So what does the future hold for this team? Let’s start by looking at the Grizzlies’ outlook for the upcoming 2019-20 season.
Offseason Roundup
The Grizzlies had Lady Luck smiling at them in the draft lottery, as they beat the odds by securing the second overall pick in the draft. Teams like the New York Knicks, Cleveleand Cavaliers, and the Phoenix Suns, to name a few, statistically had a better chance of securing this highly-coveted pick, but as fate would have it, it was going to be the Grizzlies' day.
This led to the selection of consensus second overall pick Ja Morant, who had a tremendous sophomore year with Murray State. The 6-foot-3 point guard was not even considered a lottery pick early on, but thanks to a remarkable 2018-19 campaign (he averaged 24.5 points on 49.9 percent shooting, 5.7 rebounds, 10.0 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks, while also knocking down 1.7 three-pointers on a 36.3-percent clip), the highly-promising youngster forced his way to an extremely high lottery pick.
Memphis also acquired 21st overall pick Brandon Clarke (recently won the Summer League MVP award) in the draft via a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Grizzlies front office were also quite busy in the free agent market, with their biggest move coming in the form of Jonas Valanciunas' three-year, $45 million extension. The 7-foot big man arrived in Memphis as part of the Gasol trade with the Raptors last season, and Valanciunas was outstanding in just 19 appearances for the Grizzlies, averaging 19.9 points (on 54.5 percent shooting), 10.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.6 blocks. The team obviously liked what they saw from the 26-year-old, and they proved that they were willing to bring out their checkbook to retain the services of the former fifth overall pick.
The Grizzlies also traded for three-time NBA champ Andre Iguodala from the Golden State Warriors, but based on recent reports, the 35-year-old veteran will be on his way out sooner rather than later. For Memphis, this move was sanctioned in order to acquire future assets (they got a future first-rounder from the Dubs), and it was pretty much the same story for most of the Grizzlies' other acquisitions in the offseason. Perhaps the only exception was Tyus Jones who signed as a free agent on a three-year, $24 million deal.
Noteworthy exits include Delon Wright (traded to the Dallas Mavericks), Joakim Noah (expired contract; not re-signed), Chandler Parsons (Finally! traded to the Atlanta Hawks), and Avery Bradley (waived).
One to Watch
The development of 2018 fourth overall pick Jaren Jackson Jr. in his sophomore year will definitely be intriguing, but there is no question that the one to watch for the Grizzlies in the 2019-20 campaign will be Ja Morant. The talented guard has the makings of becoming Memphis' point guard of the future, and how he fares in his rookie year will have a huge impact on his and his team's future moving forward. Morant is expected to be the Grizzlies' cornerstone superstar for years to come, and it will be interesting to see how much he impresses in his debut season.
Morant easily would have been a first overall pick in any other draft, but it just so happened that a kid named Zion Williamson was also in his draft class. This can be seen as a blessing in disguise for Morant, who will relatively have less of a spotlight shining on him, as all eyes will be fixated on the New Orleans Pelicans phenom. This could provide Morant with a bit more breathing room, allowing him to make a more natural transition to the NBA game.
Season Outlook
There's just no two ways about it, though. The Memphis Grizzlies are still going to have a miserable year this season. This team have won just 22 and 33 games in the past two seasons, respectively, and while they will absolutely miss out on the playoffs for a third straight year this term, the upwards trend should continue. The Grizzlies could be looking at a 35 wins in 2019-20, but considering how teams are stacking up in the West, they are still likely to finish in the bottom three.
This won't be Memphis' year just yet, but the Grizzlies faithful will at least have some optimism entering the new campaign, knowing how this season could serve as a preview of what should be a bright future ahead for the franchise.
Follow Us
Subscribe