What's next for Memphis Grizzlies in 2025 offseason?

The Memphis Grizzlies closed a disappointing end to the 2024-25 season. The big question is what’s next, and it has multiple crucial dynamics tied to it.

In Sunday’s exit interviews, Memphis Grizzlies Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Zach Kleiman didn’t sugarcoat anything.

Disappointing season. Not good enough. We’re not close.

These phrases were emphatic in his interview — a time where he expressed an open mind on the roster and coaching decisions, his confidence in the core and different young players around it, and the desire to add more around this group. All of this leads to the overarching question:

What’s next for the Memphis Grizzlies this offseason?

It’s a layered question, one with different decisions that have multiple dimensions. I’m not going to go into the weeds in this singular post, but will dive into each component of the Grizzlies’ offseason throughout the next two months.

Nonetheless, the Grizzlies have a massive summer. I’m not going to say it’s the “biggest” one, even if there’s truth to it. For starters, I’ve said it for several offseasons of this iteration of the Grizzlies’ basketball. Most importantly, when operating with urgency within a contention window, every offseason can be the “biggest” one as any mishap — moves or non-moves — could derail championship efforts.

The lead-up to this was rough. The Grizzlies were 35-16, then faltered after the trade deadline — with admitted bets on returning, yet young, talents. The defense sputtered, and the urgency came down with it. They couldn’t beat the best of the West. The Grizzlies looked to a coaching change, and while the fight existed, the momentum may have swung a bit too far within a fall from the 2nd seed to 8th and the first series sweep in this franchise’s iteration.

Now, questions will fly around and have to be answered this summer.

It starts with a coaching search. What will Zach Kleiman decide with Tuomas Iisalo? How much will the 5-10 record outweigh the intel on him — the success in Europe, his performance as an assistant and as the interim, and the stuff we all don’t see? If not, will Kleiman go after a fresh perspective or a proven commodity?

The Grizzlies will also have a unique opportunity with the roster around the Big 3. Kleiman added the desire to bring in players that fit the DNA of the city — and Iisalo backed that up when asked about the culture he’d instill, if he earns the permanent head coaching role. How will the Grizzlies go about it?

With the assumption we may have seen the last of Luke Kennard, Marvin Bagley, and Lamar Stevens in Grizzlies uniforms, the Grizzlies would have three open roster spots without the obligation of signing a rookie to the main roster without a first-round pick. While they don’t have the flexibility with a boatload of mid-sized contracts or premium assets, they still hold open roster spots, some salaries, and all but one first-round pick at disposal to be creative with fielding an improved roster.

The Grizzlies will have to address Santi Aldama’s restricted free agency. While his defensive woes are loud amongst critics, he boasted a career year and possesses an intriguing skill set as a 7-foot big man. When factoring in age (24 years old), it’s hard to find many 7-footers with his combination of skill, shooting, and finesse. What will his future with Memphis look like? Does a team add some pressure with a lucrative offer sheet?

Finally, the Grizzlies will face the ultimate question of whether the Big 3 of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane are good enough to lead a championship team. I’ll tackle Jackson’s extension later, but the championship question is one I’ll answer here. Sure, trades are a part of the game. Some teams have made difficult moves in order to potentially better their team. Milwaukee had to trade Jrue Holiday, a key part of a championship run, to get Damian Lillard. The Boston Celtics traded Isiah Thomas for Kyrie Irving in 2018. There is a laundry list of moves as examples.

Unless there’s a move that makes the Grizzlies an undeniable contender, they likely won’t move any of Morant, Bane, or Jackson. Nor should they. Their strength is not just with talent but compatibility — Morant’s otherworldly athleticism with his dynamism as a driver and playmaker, Bane’s flame-throwing jumper with an evolving three-level attack, and Jackson’s all-encompassing defensive versatility with an offensive skillset that at its apex is a walking mismatch.

They’re entering their prime. You don’t move a talented trio at its juncture of their careers unless it undoubtedly makes the team better, or it’s utterly broken beyond repair.

I’m of the belief it’s not broken. The Grizzlies showcased real upside up until the All-Star break. For the majority of the season, they were flirting with a top-5 offense and defense, a typical benchmark of a contender.

However, the margins were so thin in the West. The Grizzlies’ existence on razor-thin margins highlights how they’re not close. They finished with 5 wins fewer than expected — given where their efficiency (net rating) fell, per Cleaning the Glass. That mark was last in the NBA.

Five games is the difference between being 2nd and 8th in this year’s Western Conference. The teams that aren’t close to a championship skate on thin ice in the margins. The squads close to a championship blow the margins out the window, like we saw from Memphis in the 2022 and 2023 seasons where they had a seven-game gap between 2 and 5.

With that said, their situation is fixable, and the Grizzlies should exhaust the options necessary to bolster this roster to benefit the Big 3, not at the expense of it.

They have a talented trio with two All-NBA caliber players at the forefront that fit together. They discovered complementary pieces in Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells, and Scottie Pippen Jr. Can they find more battled-tested guys that fit the identity the franchise has built? Will their next coach embrace it while maximizing the talent of each player on the roster?

But at the same time, Kleiman mentioned how he’s open-minded on how to improve this roster. Is it open-minded to the degree where that includes anything revolving around the Big 3? That’s a massive question.

This offseason will bring a lot of reflection, tough dialogue, and pressure. As the saying goes though, pressure makes diamonds. The Grizzlies have the opportunity this summer to use bouts of adversity to take the next step across the board, and to see out its vision as a championship contender.

What’s next for the Memphis Grizzlies? How will they operate this summer? We’ll find out how uncomfortable they’re willing to be in order to rise out of adversity.

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