Memphis Grizzlies 2025 Mock Offseason
What should the Memphis Grizzlies do? What are their options this offseason?
The Memphis Grizzlies suddenly have a lot of directions they can go after the shocking trade of Desmond Bane. They brought back Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony, and the latter feels like a candidate to be on the move because of Ja Morant and Scotty Pippen Jr.’s presence. In the trade, they received four first-round picks and a swap, including the 16th pick in this year’s draft.
The Grizzlies have signaled that they’re not moving Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., and they intend to continue building around them going forward. How do they go about doing so? It’s safe to say that after the Bane trade, who really knows.
I took a crack at putting together — what I think would be — a good offseason for the Grizzlies.
Objectives
When assessing what the Grizzlies need to do this summer, it revolves around these objectives.
Clear the necessary cap space to get Jaren Jackson Jr. on a renegotiation and extension. Jackson is a core player for this team, and they have to get his long-term future locked in.
Fortify the wing rotation. After trading away Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart, and the down years from GG Jackson and Vince Williams, the wing rotation became a house of cards that came tumbling down after Jaylen Wells’ injury. Now, the Grizzlies just traded Desmond Bane, and Luke Kennard is likely not returning to Memphis. The Grizzlies currently have Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jaylen Wells, but they need more alongside them.
Have an identifiable playoff rotation in tact. The Grizzlies are looking to remain competitive, and they should bolster this roster around Morant and Jackson. Looking to go after their third guy is key. They don’t need to do anything flashy like trade for Kevin Durant, and the Grizzlies’ lack of interest has been reported by the Commercial Appeal’s Damichael Cole, Daily Memphian’s Drew Hill, and The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer. While pursuing the third guy — Deni Avdija, Derrick White, or Trey Murphy III — may be unattainable, due to their teams’ lack of desire to move them, they should pursue a similar route to Indiana. Go get a cast of players that may usually top out as the 4th, 5th, or 6th-best players, but because there’s an abundance of them — in the Pacers’ case it’s Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard, Myles Turner, Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, and even TJ McConnell in spurts — they can essentially alternate providing a boost alongside Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. Be aggressive in pursuing a third guy next to Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., but if it’s going to strip all the flexibility they just built, it has to be worth it. Otherwise, just stack a rock solid, deep team together.
Get a big man. The Grizzlies won’t have Zach Edey to start the season, and Brandon Clarke is coming off another lower body injury. They need someone that can provide “spot starter” value at the 5 spot to mitigate this risk, and to allow Edey to ease his way back.
Find something valuable with Santi Aldama. Find something valuable with Santi Aldama. I’m buying all the stock sold on Aldama from the Grizzlies fanbase. Sure, the defense can be considered a question. He’s a 7-footer that can dribble, pass, and shoot. He’s also shot 43.6% from 3 on 3.9 attempts per game in his postseason career (10 games). Having role players that hit shots can swing a series, and Aldama fits the mold. If another team gives Aldama an offer he cannot refuse, the Grizzlies need to find a way to get value with him. Or, just bring him back on a good deal that makes all parties happy.
Don’t forget the shooting. In the Grizzlies’ quest for more defense, and with the departures of Bane and Kennard, they shouldn’t sacrifice shooting. Wells and Caldwell-Pope are good shooters, and Pippen became a knockdown shooter — connecting on 43.5% of his three’s after January 1st, although on 2.6 attempts per game.
Setting the table
I used the figures from Yossi Gozlan from Substack’s The Third Apron.
Obviously it’s different now, because the Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane. I adjusted the cap sheet based of Yossi’s calculations.
What moves could the Grizzlies go with?
Draft + Cap
Let’s start with the 16th pick in the NBA Draft.
From a consensus mock draft, the following players are on the board: Jase Richardson, Liam McNeeley, Nique Clifford, Thomas Sorber, Danny Wolf, and Asa Newell. I’d likely go with Nique Clifford here. He’s an older prospect that crashes the glass, finish at the rim, makes plays for his teammates, and uses force on both sides of the ball.
For what it's worth, if I went by ESPN’s mock draft — which leans more intel — then the Grizzlies would have their choice of Richardson, Cedric Coward, Sorber, McNeeley, and Newell. I’d be sprinting to the podium for Coward. He fits what the Grizzlies have been looking for on the wing — 7’2” wingspan, ultra efficient finishing (75.8% at the rim in his recent season with Eastern Washington), 40% three-point shooter, can get to the mid-range game, and leverages his physical tools to stifle ball-handlers and make plays defensively.
But let’s stick with Nique Clifford for consensus.
As a space-clearing move, John Konchar ( $6.2M) is the first domino likely to go. To find suitors, you have to look for teams with cap space (just Brooklyn) or ones with a big enough trade exception and feasible tax space. Four trades stand out to me:
On the Game Theory podcast, Sam Vecenie tossed out the idea of Konchar and 16 for 19. Could Brooklyn be enticed to take his contract in to move up 3 spots? They also have 26 and 27, but Zach Kleiman has never moved down in a draft, so it’s unlikely. Nonetheless, it’s a move that could trim the books because of the differences in cap holds with 16 and either 19 and 26.
Konchar and the 48th pick to Chicago into their $17.2M traded player exception from the Zach LaVine trade. The Bulls have the space and need the wing depth, and the 48th pick would give them a shot at a priority two-way.
Konchar and the 48th pick to Portland for Kris Murray. He’s essentially slots into the Lamar Stevens role, and it’d trim $3M off the books, but still not enough.
Konchar and the 2028 Sacramento second-round pick to Sacramento into their $16.8M traded player exception. Save this one for later.
I’m going to go with the trade to Chicago. And after trading the 48th pick, the Grizzlies select Amari Williams from Kentucky with the 56th pick. He’s a big-bodied center that’s a skilled passer and a good interior presence. They’d sign him on a two-way contract.
The Grizzlies now have $10,654,058 with cap space to do a renegotiation and extension with Jaren Jackson Jr.
This number, off my calculations, would bump Jackson’s 2025-26 salary up to $34,067,453. Then the extension would be four years and $214,916,454 — so $225,570,517 in new money.
They could also trade Jay Huff to get Jackson more money. I don’t think he requires draft compensation to be attached to him. He’s a decent reserve big man that can space the floor, block shots, and provide a spark off the bench. He’s also not expensive at all, making roughly $2.3M next year. He’s almost like a relief pitcher — every now and then, he can give you a spark and carry you through two innings with a different pace thrown at batters, even if he’s not pitched every game.
I’m going to stick with this extension. Mission accomplished.
Sizable Free Agency + Trade Acquisitions
Starting with the easiest move, the Grizzlies have a room exception worth roughly $8.8M. After using the re-negotiation and extension with Jackson, they need to target a big man.
Three names stand out as free agency targets with the room exception: Clint Capela, Precious Achiuwa, and Luke Kornet. I’ve never been the biggest fan of Capela due to his skillset and contract ($20M+), but at more than half the cost, he’d be a good veteran stopgap in Edey’s absence. Achiuwa might be more of a tweener 4 and 5, but he can provide energy. The real target for me is Luke Kornet. It’s going to be challenging for Boston to retain him with their loaded cap sheet. The Grizzlies should offer him a two-year, $15M contract ($7M in 2025-26, and $8M in 2026-27). At 7’2”, he’s a productive big man (+2.3 EPM, +1.2 o-EPM, +1.1 d-EPM) that has a knack for getting offensive rebounds, blocking shots, finishing at the rim, and playing through the pick-and-roll.
The most glaring potential move is Cole Anthony. He has a favorable, sizable contract at $13,100,000 with a team option for that amount next year. There’s a redundant fit with an undersized Ja Morant and Scotty Pippen Jr. The Grizzlies have different directions to take with Anthony, but they cannot aggregate him until mid-August, 60 days after the trade. In a trade with Anthony, they can bring a player back making $20.6M.
So circling back to Sacramento. They have a big trade exception and a need for a point guard. The Grizzlies could trade Anthony with the 2028 second-round pick they retrieved in the Jake LaRavia deal. So who do the Grizzlies get back?
Nickeil Alexander-Walker from Minnesota via sign-and-trade.
Alexander-Walker is high on my board for the Grizzlies this summer. A necessity after Bane’s departure, they need extra ball-handling and playmaking. As a combo guard, he can provide that alongside Morant and Pippen. He’s been relied upon to slow down the opposing team’s best player — ranking in the 87th percentile in matchup difficulty, 90th percentile in isolation perimeter defense, and 99th percentile in ball screen navigation per The B-Ball Index. He’s shot 38% or better from three in each of the last three seasons. He’s battled-tested while fitting the timelines of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.
It’s likely he’s going to be priced out of Minnesota, as their cap sheet is large, and they have the free agency decisions of Naz Reid and Julius Randle to address. They have Terrance Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark ready to step up.
Alexander-Walker could provide the similar impact of Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, or Alex Caruso — with a Derrick White outcome on the table.
And with a sign-and-trade, they can go over the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1M) to acquire him, and this would be worth it.
Next big item on the agenda: Santi Aldama
Again, I’d prefer to re-sign Santi Aldama for the need of shooting, playmaking, and size. The Grizzlies are taking a big hit of scoring and shooting without Bane. Santi Aldama is good, and he’s young. Signing him on a sizable, and not detriment, contract would be good for Memphis.
I’m going to use a suggestion from The Daily Memphian’s Chris Herrington’s column and go with four years, $66M — so the same structure as Nickeil Alexander-Walker of descending contract.
Anything else?
So, let’s step back and look at how things are shaking up right now.
PG: Ja Morant / Scotty Pippen Jr.
SG: Nickeil Alexander-Walker / Jaylen Wells / Vince Williams Jr.
SF: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope / GG Jackson / Nique Clifford
PF: Jaren Jackson Jr. / Santi Aldama
C: Luke Kornet / Brandon Clarke / Jay Huff / Zach Edey (injured)
Two-way’s: Amari Williams, Zyon Pullin
The Grizzlies could use the remaining $1.8M of the room exception to convert Cam Spencer. They’re obviously high on him, and he provides shooting, smart playmaking, and a level of grit that sets a tone. He can be the Grizzlies’ next value contract.
I’d also sign Delon Wright on the veteran’s minimum. He’s a bigger guard that can create defensive events and set the table without turning it over.
That’s 15 right there. Are there any other trades to do?
Obviously, the trades for guys like Derrick White, Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Herb Jones, and Trey Murphy III are home run gets that firmly re-position the Grizzlies towards the top of the Western Conference. The price to get them would be quite worth it. They have 10 first-round picks and 3 swaps. Striking the balance of the right price and the aggressive offer is key and delicate, especially in today’s CBA.
Trading Brandon Clarke seems like a potential candidate to be dealt. He’s halfway through his contract, and he had another lower body injury. I’m skeptical of trying to deal before Jackson’s extension is inked. In addition, with a new big likely coming in, the Grizzlies need some continuity in the frontcourt with Edey out — and Clarke has impeccable chemistry and production with Jackson and Morant, +9.3 NET rating in 803 minutes together since 2019-20***, per PBP Stats.
***- excluding 2020-21 for Jackson’s injury, and 2023-24 for Clarke and Morant’s shortened seasons.
Another deal, or player acquisition I’d consider, is Jaime Jaquez Jr. He fell out of favor in Miami. He could still be a candidate for a bounce-back, but he could also be in a Kevin Durant trade package. I’m very bullish on him being a good role player that’s fit for playoff basketball for his size, physicality, defense, and ability to get his own shot. Could they do Vince Williams and a 2026 second-round pick going to Miami or Phoenix? It seems like a sell-low, but maybe if it’s a three-team trade, Phoenix may welcome the extra asset and another extra $1M on saving money — under the assumption he’s not off limits in a Kevin Durant trade.
One final thing, the Grizzlies were rumored to have interest in bringing Tarik Biberovic over. They could technically sign him with their second-round exception, since he hasn’t signed a NBA contract. For example, they signed Jaylen Wells to a four-year, $7.9M deal. If the Grizzlies did a two-for-one deal — Clarke + a small contract, two small contracts for a smedium-sized contract — they could open up space for Biberovic. He’s been a lights-out shooter in Euroleague, so he’d be a good signing.
However, for now, let’s stick with this:
PG: Ja Morant / Scotty Pippen Jr. / Delon Wright
SG: Nickeil Alexander-Walker / Jaylen Wells / Cam Spencer
SF: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
PF: Jaren Jackson Jr. / Santi Aldama
C: Luke Kornet / Brandon Clarke / Jay Huff / Zach Edey (injured)
Two-way’s: Amari Williams, Zyon Pullin
Backup 3 is a three-way tie between Vince Williams, GG Jackson, and Nique Clifford.
While it doesn’t include any big splashes, it accomplishes a lot while ensuring flexibility. The Grizzlies, most importantly, extend Jaren Jackson Jr. They fortify the wing with the addition of Nickeil Alexander-Walker. They sign a good center with Luke Kornet. They also retain Santi Aldama.
They also start the offseason with two mid-sized contracts, Brandon Clarke ($12.5M) and John Konchar ($6.1M) — to Clarke, Santi Aldama ($18M), Nickeil Alexander-Walker ($18M), Kentavious-Caldwell Pope ($21.6M), and Luke Kornet ($7M). All with their picks. They have a solid 10-man group, and will have these contracts and all those picks to make a swing at the deadline.
Regardless, while these moves may not be the ones to materialize, it all encompasses one overarching question…
How do the Grizzlies plan to build around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.?
Keeping them ensures the desire to remain competitive. They have the flexibility to make moves. How do they go about remaining competitive though? From there, it’s about combinations that answer that question.
Do they get a third star? Can they build a deep team full of players ready to compete in the playoffs? Do they have to make another tough, emotional move with Santi Aldama or Brandon Clarke? Who’s the opening night starting center? Where do they get shooting in the departures of Desmond Bane and (likely) Luke Kennard? How do they leverage Cole Anthony’s contract? How do they mix bringing in veterans with youth?
These questions are the ones I’m monitoring this offseason for the Grizzlies.
While these questions are pressing, the Grizzlies have just as many options with their direction this summer.
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