Another fantastic Memphis Grizzlies season is officially in the books after we saw massive leaps forward from players like Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr.
We also witnessed a wild playoff ride that saw the Grizzlies knock off the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games and then ultimately falling to the Golden State Warriors in round two in six games.
Now that the team’s season is over, it’s time to starting thinking about the offseason. One of the biggest items on any team’s agenda is free agency.
Memphis Grizzlies have four players hitting free agency in 2022 offseason
The Grizzlies are going to have several big decisions to make on whether or not to keep some players or let some players walk this offseason.
Dillon Brooks and Steven Adams will be entering the final year of their contracts, next season and could be thought of when making free agency decisions for this year.
After another year of growth and improvement in the playoffs, the Grizzlies are going to have to make big decisions about how this team is constructed moving forward, especially with big extensions looming for players who are still on rookie contracts (i.e. Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Brandon Clarke).
Without further adieu, let’s take a look at the four Memphis Grizzlies players who will be free agents this offseason.
Yves Pons, restricted free agent
Age: 23
Experience: 1 season
Agents: Todd Ramamsar & Jaafar Choufani
Memphis Grizzlies reserve player Yves Pons is set to be a restricted free agent this offseason, which means he’s free to negotiate and sign a deal with any NBA team; however, the Grizzlies will have the right of first refusal to match or decline any offer he finds on the open market.
Pons played sparingly through the 2021-22 season as an undrafted rookie, recording averages of 1.1 PPG, 1.0 RPG, and 0.1 APG.
The best game of his young career came in the season finale against the Boston Celtics on April 10, scoring 6 points, blocking 3 shots, pulling down 2 rebounds, and dishing out 1 assist in the loss.
Pons is an athletic freak, but a massive project—one I’m not sure the Grizzlies are going to want to be patient enough to see through. The team’s window to pursue a championship is open now and they should strongly consider filling his roster spot with someone who has a wider skill set that blocking shots and playing above the rim.
Pons is a non-qualifying veteran free agent, which means the Grizzlies can re-sign him for the qualifying offer amount or 120% of last season’s contract.
Prediction: Grizzlies let Pons walk
Jarrett Culver, unrestricted free agent
Age: 23
Experience: 3 seasons
Agents: Chris Emens & Ron Shade
The Grizzlies took a flyer on Culver when they acquired him from the Minnesota Timberwolves last offseason, hoping they could develop the former No. 6 overall pick into a regular contributor for the team.
We saw Culver play some meaningful minutes here and there, mostly out of necessity due to a winter outbreak of Covid-19.
The former Texas Tech standout appeared in 37 games during the regular season for Memphis. Culver averaged 3.5 PPG, 1.3 RPG, and 0.9 APG in 9.1 minutes of action per game this year.
Culver is an unrestricted free agent and I just didn’t see any reason why the team should go out of their way to re-sign him. His play was inconsistent at best. At worst, he was someone who couldn’t shoot the ball and made poor decisions when handling the ball.
Prediction: Grizzlies let Culver walk
Kyle Anderson, unrestricted free agent
Age: 28
Experience: 8 seasons
Agent: Thaddeus Foucher
Kyle Anderson was a key component for the Grizzlies this season, using his 6’9” frame to guard multiple positions and fill in the gaps anytime the team lacked something.
Whether it was grabbing rebounds, dishing out assists or occasionally picking up some easy baskets, Anderson was our guy. He’s been a known commodity for this team ever since his arrival in Memphis back in 2018.
Anderson’s poor shooting became a pain point for Grizzlies fans, especially during the playoffs. He had several instances where he appeared scared to shoot jump shots or couldn’t get his slow-windup released quick enough.
Anderson’s veteran presence has been a luxury for the very young Memphis Grizzlies, but his time may be nearing an end. Memphis has a cheaper, more offensive minded player percolating in Ziaire Williams. He’s just as long as Anderson and is more dynamic on offense.
While Anderson is a free agent this offseason, the team should try and leverage a sign-and-trade to get return value. Dozens of teams will likely be calling Anderson, who is youthful enough to play a lot of minutes, but seasoned enough to help a star-filled team like the Brooklyn Nets or Los Angeles Lakers that need a lot of bang for their buck for their top-heavy rosters.
Anderson isn’t outstanding at any one thing, but he can do everything at an above-average level.
Prediction: Grizzlies construct a sign-and-trade to move Anderson
Tyus Jones, unrestricted free agent
Age: 26
Experience: 7 seasons
Agents: Kevin Bradbury & Bill Duffy
Tyus Jones, as I’ve said several times previously, has to be a top offseason priority for Memphis.
Ja Morant’s playing style portends injuries that leave the team vulnerable for days or sometimes weeks on end. That’s when having a steady guiding hand in the form of Tyus Jones becomes supremely invaluable.
Jones is going to have a lot of interest from teams in need of a point guard because this free agency class is seen as relatively anemic.
Team owner Robert Pera has gone on record with ESPN’s Brian Windorhorst to say that he is willing to spend to improve the team.
He’s likely going to have to shell out some big bucks for Jones, unless he prioritizes a starting role over a bench role.
Re-signing Jones is one of the most important free agency goals this team has had in years. I think he’ll stick around in Memphis, but the team will have to shell out an excessive amount of money, which is ok.
Prediction: Grizzlies re-sign Jones to a long-term deal to keep him in Memphis