5 Players the Memphis Grizzlies held onto for too long

3. Zach Randolph

The Grizzlies traded Quentin Richardson for a prime Z-Bo in 2009, and the 6’9 big man immediately took over as their leading scorer. Randolph averaged 20.8 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 1.0 steal as he made his first All-Star appearance in 2010. It was the start of the best eight-year run in the Grizzlies history.

Z-Bo was a pillar of the Grit and Grind era, but his playing time and production began to drop off in his mid-30s. He was a two-time All-Star before his minutes dipped below 30 a night for the first time in 2016, and they tumbled further in his final year in Memphis.

Zach Randolph walks after a legendary run with Memphis Grizzlies.

Despite his signs of slowing down, the Sacramento Kings signed him to a two-year $24 million deal in 2017 and instantly regretted it. He played one more year but struggled to stay healthy. The Kings flipped his contract to Dallas in 2019 for Harrison Barnes.

Zach Randolph was one of the best power forwards in the league for more than a decade, and the Memphis Grizzlies failed to maximize his value. He was the first core piece of the Grit and Grind era to leave, and Memphis should have tried to deal him two years before he departed in free agency to get the best return.