While the Memphis Grizzlies aren’t technically done with the 2022 offseason, it’s never too early to get a head start on what the next offseason will look like.
The 2022 offseason saw the Grizzlies basically subtract two key rotation players and add five rookies through the draft and undrafted free agents.
The team’s roster currently sits at 18 total players and they’ll need to subtract one before the start of the 2022-23 season.
The reason that tidbit of information is relevant in this article is because one of the players on the chopping block to get the roster down to 17 players is scheduled to be a free agent in 2023— Killian Tillie.
Which Memphis Grizzlies players are free agents in 2023?
I predict the former Gonzaga product will not make the final roster, which is why he’ll be excluded from my list of predictions further along in this article.
What I will be doing is going through the other four players (currently on the roster) that are scheduled to become free agents next season: Danny Green, Brandon Clarke, Dillon Brooks and Steven Adams. Plus, we’ll have a bonus prediction at the end for some possible outside free agent targets.
A lot can change between now and the 2023 season, but I’m going to go through and make some predictions based on how things currently stand with the Memphis Grizzlies roster.
Let’s get in to it, beginning with recently acquired guard Danny Green.
No 5. Memphis Grizzlies will let Danny Green walk in free agency
Acquiring sharpshooter Danny Green was just the kind of low-risk, high-reward roll-of-the-dice that’s happened frequently enough that it’s almost become the modus operandi of GM Zach Kleiman.
He’s parlayed many of those risks into huge windfalls and helped him secure the 2021-22 NBA Executive of the Year award.
While Green is suffered two ligament tears in his knee during last season’s playoffs, he’s reportedly targeting an All-Star break return.
Even though he can’t play until late in the season, the veteran has won multiple championships and knows what it takes to climb the mountain.
As much of an asset he could be for the Grizzlies as far as intangibles go, he’s on borrowed time at age 35 and waning productivity in recent seasons beyond shooting threes.
He’ll be an unrestricted free agent heading into his age 36 season and it this stage in his career, relative to what the Memphis Grizzlies are doing, doesn’t seem like a wise investment beyond the one season he’ll likely be with the team.
Soak up the advice, wisdom and knowledge from the veteran and then let him walk next summer.
No 4. Memphis Grizzlies will re-sign Steven Adams to a team-friendly deal
In a previous article, I’ve gone through why the Grizzlies should look to go ahead and re-sign big man Steven Adams this summer instead of waiting until next summer, when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
The Grizzlies have a little bit of leverage with Adams. His style of play and his limited skillset doesn’t mesh with many teams.
If Adams is willing to continue setting hard screens, rebounding, and being a playmaker at the top of the key, the Grizzlies can give him some longevity in a contract that other teams would probably be unwilling to give him.
If the Grizzlies want to lock up the 29-year-old for the next three or four seasons, go ahead and do it now. However, Adams may want to see if he can increase his value with Jaren Jackson Jr. being out for the first few months of the season.
It seems unlikely that happens, given that Adams has never been a player opposing teams have ever really had to account for on offense.
Adams should take the job security and sign now so he’s not exposed on defense like he was during the series against Minnesota in the playoffs.
No 3. Brandon Clarke gets re-signed to a long-term contract in July 2023
The clock is officially ticking with regards to the Memphis Grizzlies and Brandon Clarke negotiating a contract extension.
As reported by Chris Herrington from The Daily Memphian, the club has until Oct. 17 to reach a deal with Clarke. If no deal is reached before then, the former Gonzaga standout will become a restricted free agent in 2023.
We could see a situation vaguely similar to that of Deandre Ayton and the Phoenix Suns— minus the max contract expectations and awkwardness on display during the playoffs.
Basically, Clarke would be free to negotiate a new contract with any NBA team, but the Grizzlies would have the right to match the contract offer and retain him.
Or, Clarke could take a qualifying offer for one year and then become an unrestricted free agent in 2024.
As I wrote earlier in the offseason, Clarke may be more inclined to not sign a deal now, and take advantage of Jackson’s absence to increase his value. He may not have any intention to leave the team, but it could certainly up his asking price.
So, why short himself now, when he can bet on himself and cash in for a potentially much more lucrative payday during the summer of 2023?
Conversely, if he regresses in some way or gets a long-term injury, it would drastically impact his negotiating power.
It’s quite a gamble for Clarke to make, but one that’s too hard to pass up. Expect Clarke to wait until July 2023 to re-sign with the Memphis Grizzlies for a big pay day after a really impactful 2022-23 season.
No 2. Dillon Brooks won’t be on the Memphis Grizzlies roster in 2023
Dillon Brooks is set to be an unrestricted free agent after the 2022-23 season. It’s really tough to predict what will happen without seeing if he’s 1) healthy in 2022-23 and 2) becomes more selective with his jump shot on offense.
Brooks is an important part of the team and arguably the best on-ball defender currently on the roster. But, his errant shot selection and inconsistency was much maligned by Grizzlies fans during the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
Dillon Brooks will turn 27 in the middle of the upcoming season, making him one of the elder statesmen on a team full of players in their early 20s.
The former Oregon product is at an important crossroads with the franchise: adapt or move on. If Brooks can refine his role into more of a 3-and-D type player and defer much of the scoring load to Morant, Bane and Jackson, there’s absolutely a role on this team for Brooks.
However, if he’s unsatisfied with that role and/or wants to be a bigger part of the offense, then it may be time to explore other options for the young veteran.
The Grizzlies have insulated themselves in case Dillon Brooks chooses a path in which he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 20223 by drafting David Roddy and Jake LaRavia— players that could potentially fill the void of a departed Brooks. Not to mention Ziaire Williams, who could also fill that void.
I think Brooks will do what he needs to do to rebuild his on-court image and increase his earning potential in the open market. If things go the way Brooks wants (playing really well in 2022-23), he may price the Grizzlies out of retaining him beyond this season.
I think the Grizzlies will open up talks with Brooks and his camp this summer. They’ll get an idea of what he desires as far as a contract. If the asking price is too high, maybe the team looks to deal him before the 2022-23 NBA trade deadline.
No 1. Memphis Grizzlies finally get a fresh face in the fold
If Brooks is traded or leaves in free agency, it’ll create a sizeable hole in the roster. The Grizzlies seem committed to allocating the majority of the team payroll to Jaren Jackson Jr., Ja Morant and Desmond Bane. So, it’s conceivable that the team passes on inking him to a lucrative deal.
It’s a similar situation to what we saw with the Tennessee Titans during this past NFL offseason if you follow professional football. They had AJ Brown, a big-time wide receiver, who wanted a lucrative contract extension. The Titans didn’t think he was worth the asking price and instead traded him and drafted his replacement in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft (Treylon Burks).
So the Grizzlies could trade Dillon Brooks for a couple of prospects or draft picks. They could also look to reload in free agency if they can’t trade him or he chooses not to re-sign at a price point in which the Memphis Grizzlies are comfortable.
So, who are some free agents in 2023 that fit the Grizzlies’ age timeline (age 30 seems to be the line of demarcation) with their core, and who, if signed, might make the team better?
- Khris Middleton, 30 (PO)
- Cameron Johnson, 27 (RFA)
- Andrew Wiggins, 28 (UFA) (may seek a max contract)
- Kyle Kuzma, 27 (PO)
- Kelly Oubre Jr., 27 (UFA)
- Myles Turner, 27 (UFA)
- Josh Hart, 27 (PO)
- Bruce Brown Jr., 26 (PO)
- De’Andre Hunter, 25 (RFA)
- Grant Williams, 24 (RFA)
Of the players listed here, the restricted free agents (RFA) will likely be headed back to their current respective teams. The players are all too young or too valuable to let walk.
The player option (PO) candidates will all probably opt-out and sign lucrative, long-term contracts. You have to think Milwaukee will do everything they can to retain Middleton. Kuzma and Brown Jr. seem like attainable starter-level players for the Grizzlies.
Then there’s the unrestricted free agents (UFA), headlined by Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Myles Turner.
Wiggins will likely be looking for a max-level contract. I don’t know if the Warriors can or will be able to shell out that kind of money for the young veteran. But, should the Grizzlies offer him that kind of money? I don’t think so.
Kelly Oubre Jr. is similar to Dillon Brooks in a lot of ways. I would really only be interested in having him on the team in a sixth-man scoring type of role.
Myles Turner, depending on how he performs this year, will likely have suitors from every corner of the league. Making a pitch that stands out will be tough. But, the idea of pairing him with Jaren jackson Jr. in the starting lineup— two freakishly athletic 7-footers that can block shots and shoot threes may be the kind of player the Memphis Grizzlies should aggressively pursue.
I think a Ja Morant-led pitch and the promise of a stable culture might be inticing enough to get the former Texas Longhorn to committ to the Grizzlies.
Morant, Bane, Williams, Jackson and Turner is a really long and crazy athletic lineup that would be a tough matchup for every single team in the NBA.