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Many were wondering as to whether or not there would be wholesale changes for the Memphis Grizzlies after falling short of their lofty goals yet again during the 2024-25 season. It looked as though they were on their way to becoming a championship-caliber team after making it to the second round in 2022, but since then, the Grizzlies have declined, suffering first-round exits in 2023 and 2025 and then missing out on the postseason entirely in 2024.
Even then, it came as a huge shock that the Grizzlies decided to trade Desmond Bane away to the Orlando Magic; the timing of the trade was certainly odd, as the NBA Finals is still ongoing. Nonetheless, many lauded the Grizzlies for the return that they got for Bane, as they received four first-round picks and a pick swap along with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony in exchange for the 25-year-old shooting guard.
What this means for the franchise's direction, however, is unclear. Caldwell-Pope is a veteran who can slot into the shooting guard vacancy that Bane's departure opened up, but the 32-year-old guard did not have a very good time in Orlando last season, shooting just 34.2 percent from three last year and averaging a career-low in scoring since his rookie campaign.
Anthony is a helpful piece, a spark plug off the bench who can provide some energy on both ends of the floor, but he's a superfluous piece in Memphis, as Ja Morant and Scotty Pippen Jr. will command most of the minutes at the point (provided, of course, that both remain with the Grizzlies heading into next season).
Crazier things have happened in the past, and perhaps the Grizzlies would want to take a chance on this superstar player who could thrive given the right pieces around him.
Grizzlies welcome Domantas Sabonis
Grizzlies acquire: Domantas Sabonis
Kings acquire: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, John Konchar, Jay Huff, 2025 first-round pick (via ORL), 2027 first-round pick (via ORL), 2027 first-round pick (via MEM), 2029 first-round pick (via ORL)
The Kings franchise has been on the downturn over the past two years, and their current roster doesn't bring much inspiration. They chose De'Aaron Fox over Tyrese Haliburton, only to trade Fox in 2025 for a package headlined by Zach LaVine.
It's as if the Kings forgot that the LaVine-DeMar DeRozan duo did not bring much success in the Windy City, and now, it's fair to question if they can keep up with the other teams in the Western Conference, especially with the San Antonio Spurs being on the rise and perhaps the New Orleans Pelicans on their way back from a nightmare 2024-25 campaign.
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Thus, there is a chance that the Kings decide to trade Sabonis away and begin another rebuild instead of flailing aimlessly in the middle of the Western Conference pack.
Sabonis is a very tricky player to evaluate in today's NBA. On one hand, his impact is crystal clear; he is a dominant rebounder, an incredible playmaker for a big man, as well as someone the team can throw the ball to on the post in hopes of getting a bucket when the going gets rough. But on the other hand, his defensive limitations cap his ceiling; he is not the most mobile big man in the league, as he has his issues defending in space, and to compound matters, his vertical isn't the best and prevents him from being one of the best rim-protectors in the NBA.
As the teams in the 2025 NBA Finals have shown, having players who can defend in space and keep up with a breakneck pace is important. Thus, it's fair to question just how high the ceiling of a team is when Sabonis is one of the team's highest-paid players. Teams are hoping that their max-contract guys are matchup-proof, and Sabonis is not that.
But Sabonis' talent is undeniable, and it's not as if he hasn't been a part of winning teams in the past. He just needs certain personnel around him to do damage — and perhaps the Grizzlies could give him the best chance to be the most impactful he's been in his career.
For starters, Jaren Jackson Jr. is just about the perfect frontcourt partner for Sabonis; Jackson is the more mobile big man, he's one of the best rim protectors in the league, and he can space the floor reliably. Jackson covers up for Sabonis' weaknesses, while Sabonis covers for Jackson's. Jackson, as has been well-documented in the past, is a horrific rebounder for a big man, and the Grizzlies were at their best when he had a bruiser in Steven Adams alongside him. Sabonis could function the same way while providing even more on the offensive end.
Sabonis also thrives when the team plays fast; teams with DeRozan as a lead ballhandler tend to play more slowly and deliberately instead. But in this hypothetical scenario, Sabonis gets to be pick-and-roll partners with Morant, arguably the fastest player in the league, and Sabonis could perhaps work his magic in a similar manner to his partnership with Fox — the duo that powered the Sacramento Kings to 48 wins and a division crown in 2023.
The Grizzlies will have to give up a few draft picks to make this work, but thankfully, their draft pick cupboard has been restocked recently by the Bane trade, giving them breathing room on that front. The shooting guard position will be a major problem, but they can always cobble something together by re-signing Luke Kennard and rotating that position between him and Vince Williams Jr.
One might think that Morant and Jackson are next on the trade block following the Bane trade. But reports have stated that the Grizzlies have no intentions of trading away either. They intend to keep on competing, so that makes them a candidate to pull off a blockbuster trade. Sabonis might end up being unattainable in the end, but at least he is under contract for the next few seasons and is a more logical target than someone like Kevin Durant, who doesn't have the Grizzlies in his list of preferred destinations.
