3 Questions that will shape the Grizzlies 2023 offseason

How will the front office evaluate and utilize assets to tweak the roster?

Memphis Grizzlies GM Zach Kleiman has done a commendable job of building the current iteration of the Grizzlies into a perineal contender in such a short amount of time. The speed of the rebuild can partially be attributed to lottery luck, getting the number 2 overall pick in 2019 to select Ja Morant. Another factor in the rebuild could be considered the drafting and development of several young prospects into near-immediate contributors, with the Grizzlies racking up wins despite consistently fielding one of the youngest rosters in the league since 2019.

However, an underrated aspect of the early rebuild, and one that will be put to the test this off-season, was high-level asset management. The front office in the 2019 off-season took Mike Conley, a Grizzlies legend in his own right, but a single asset with questionable value at the time due to a hefty contract and injury concerns, and turned him into a treasure trove of assets that were later utilized to help craft the roster Grizzlies fans see today.

In fact, the Grizzlies are still actively benefiting from Conley’s trade exemption alone, as that was utilized in the Andre Iguodala trade that brought along Golden State’s 2024 1st round pick that could potentially be used in further deals this off-season.

Kleiman and the front office have an established reputation for utilizing assets to the fullest of their value. However, this off-season poses different challenges from their point of view in regard to the standard the Grizzlies have set on the court. The front office can no longer evaluate its assets from the perspective of a rebuilding team. The Grizzlies are now set up to be an above-average team for the foreseeable future, seemingly regardless of injury concerns if past seasons are to be evidenced, and other franchises are aware of this.

This negatively impacts the value of assets such as the Grizzlies’ own future 1st round picks, however it could also positively impact the value of Grizzlies role players such Tyus Jones or Santi Aldama, who have proven to contribute to winning both from reserve roles, as well as spot-starters in case of injury.