Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman stated at the team's exit interview media availability that Memphis got unintentionally young this season. This came after he caught flak this season for tripling down on youth again, which was headlined by the trading of veteran guard Marcus Smart at the trade deadline.
This was the second season the Grizzlies entered with some sort of expectation of competing for an NBA championship. The first was the 2022-23 season, when they were coming off a six-game series loss to the defending champion Golden State Warriors in the second round of the playoffs as a two-seed.
That offseason saw Kleiman draft four rookies without adding a veteran player to the mix with a young core. Despite that flaw, the Grizzlies finished as the two-seed again but lost in the first round to the experienced Los Angeles Lakers. Last offseason saw him draft three rookies, and two of them became starters due to injury and competition.
That's where the "unintentional" part came from as Jaylen Wells beat out Marcus Smart for the starting small forward spot. With a huge offseason coming up for the team, they must decide who they should keep among their young guys.
Develop the rookies
Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells will likely make the NBA All-Rookie 1st Team, barring a surprise, as they spent the majority of the season as top-five rookies in the league. Wells excelled in a 3-and-D role as a wing, and Edey got better throughout the season in a rebounding role as a bruising center.
Due to injuries and playing rotation, Cam Spencer played a limited role with the team this season, but showed value as a future sharpshooter and tough defender in the backcourt in his limited time on the Grizzlies. His 16-point performance on 4-7 shooting from three in their March 10th game against the Phoenix Suns comes to mind as Spencer is widely assumed to replace upcoming free agent Luke Kennard.
Keep the second year guys around
Technically, next season will be year three in the NBA for Scotty Pippen Jr., but his second season on an active roster. Pippen Jr. was consistently available (79 games played) and active on the defensive end, leading the team in steals per game (1.3).
As the backup point guard, he started 21 games in Ja Morant's absence and averaged 14.2 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.5 rebounds. That momentum carried into the playoffs as he started with Morant in Jaylen Wells' absence and tied for the team lead in points per game with 18.3 points.
GG Jackson had a sophomore slump as he struggled to get acclimated to a new role, the opposite of what he experienced during his impressive rookie campaign last season. However, he is the youngest player on the team at 20 years old, and has the size (6'9", 210 lbs.) and skillset of a player that could become the team's featured wing scorer if they can be patient with his development.