The Memphis Grizzlies did not straddle the fence at the NBA trade deadline. They chose a direction, and EVP/GM Zach Kleiman signaled a belief that a return to the NBA Playoffs can happen sooner than later. Still, trading away Jaren Jackson Jr. while keeping Ja Morant marked a definitive pivot. For a front office often measured in tone, the move carried unusual clarity about intent.
Reset the timeline, accumulate assets, and empower the next wave, without drifting into an extended teardown. Follow the game plan, and the Grizzlies should be fine long-term. Straddling a fence was far more risky.
“We kind of had a fork in the road,” admitted Kleiman. “We had conviction that the pathway to building a team that can achieve higher-end outcomes involved making a move. We are pivoting to a younger build, we're not shying away from that.”
The Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane trades were bold, but they were far from reckless. Kleiman recognized that their current construction had limitations, and rather than continue pushing toward a ceiling they weren't confident they could break through, they chose to reimagine what a contender could look like.
However, conviction alone doesn't guarantee success. What separates the Grizzlies from teams that languish in rebuilding purgatory is the infrastructure they've built to support this pivot.
“The good thing about where we are as we turn the page and embark on building with this group going forward, we're not starting from scratch,” Kleiman believes. “There are a lot of teams that choose to embark on rebuilds that have no young players, maybe one young player that they think could fit the next build of their team, and have negative draft capital going forward.”
Being in control of 12 future first-round picks available, including eight selections in the next four NBA Drafts, provides leverage. The Grizzlies own all of their own picks, providing the front office maximum flexibility.
“We already have a lot to work with. I don't think this is some 5-year, try to be terrible,” Kleiman explained. “I don't believe in that method of team-building. Between the assets that we have accumulated and the players that we have, we're very optimistic about what we have. This is not going to be some drawn-out five-year process.”
Cedric Coward, Cam Spencer, GG Jackson, Taylor Hendricks, Walter Clayton Jr., and Jaylen Wells should expect an uptick in minutes. Zach Edey's return is up in the air for now, though getting some repetitions in for chemistry would not be surprising.
“We're certainly going to be focused on development,” Kleiman shared. “Everything that we're going to be pushing forward the rest of the season, into the next season, it's about our guys being able to continue to progress and become the players that hopefully can help us achieve those types of outcomes.”
Those results need to result in NBA Playoffs appearances sooner rather than later, or Kleiman will have to move aside for the next rebuild. The FedEx Forum's most loyal fans would be too loud in demanding a change.
