Memphis Grizzlies begin the real rebuilding in earnest
By Phil Watson
2019-20 roster
Key additions: Ja Morant (draft), Grayson Allen (trade), Jae Crowder (trade), Brandon Clarke (draft/trade), Andre Iguodala (trade), Josh Jackson (trade), De’Anthony Melton (trade), Solomon Hill (trade), Miles Plumlee (trade), Tyus Jones (free agency), Marko Guduric (undrafted international free agent).
Key subtractions: Tyler Dorsey (free agency), Joakim Noah (free agency), Justin Holiday (free agency), Tyler Zeller (free agency), Avery Bradley (waived), C.J. Miles (trade), Mike Conley (trade), Julian Washburn (trade), Jevon Carter (trade), Chandler Parsons (trade), Delon Wright (trade).
It has been a busy offseason for the new management team of the Memphis Grizzlies, starting on draft night when they used the No. 2 overall pick to take Murray State sensation Ja Morant as the point guard of the future (and likely the present as well).
Morant’s availability — there was zero chance he was going to be off the board at No. 2 with Zion Williamson there for the taking — set the wheels in motion for the blockbuster deal with the Utah Jazz that sent Mike Conley to Salt Lake City for Grayson Allen, Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver (later traded to the Phoenix Suns), the rights to Darius Bazley (later swapped to the Oklahoma City Thunder) and a 2020 first-round pick from the Jazz that is both top-seven and 15-30 protected each of the next two years.
The protections on the pick gradually decline to top-six in 2022, top-three in 2023 and No. 1 overall in 2024. If it hasn’t moved by then, Memphis is both the unluckiest team with a protected pick since the Orlando Magic and the proud owner of second-round picks in 2025 and 2026.
Memphis flipped Bazley’s rights with a 2024 second-rounder to the Thunder for Summer League MVP Brandon Clarke and then took on the final year and $17.19 million owed to Andre Iguodala from the Golden State Warriors, surrendering Julian Washburn and getting a lightly protected 2024 first-round pick and cash in the process.
Earlier, they had shipped veteran C.J. Miles to the Washington Wizards for Dwight Howard‘s contract and a traded player exception (they also got one of those in the Conley deal). Howard was eventually bought out.
The Grizzlies weren’t done. Korver was packaged with Jevon Carter and sent to the Suns for Josh Jackson and De’Anthony Melton along with 2020 and 2021 second-round picks (the 2021 pick is bottom-25 protected, as that pick was also traded to the Brooklyn Nets previously with 31-35 protection).
One of Chris Wallace’s worst contracts found its way out the door to the Hawks, with Chandler Parsons traded for veteran journeymen Solomon Hill and Miles Plumlee. Delon Wright was sent to the Dallas Mavericks in a sign-and-trade for a pair of second-round picks and the mostly valueless rights to Satnam Singh.
In free agency, the Grizzlies retained Jonas Valanciunas — acquired from the Toronto Raptors in the Marc Gasol trade — and brought in Tyus Jones from the Minnesota Timberwolves, as well as signing undrafted Serbian free agent Marko Guduric.
A lot of roster churn to be sure.
Given all the changes, there are storylines emerging in Memphis, one that may have to be resolved sooner rather than later.