The Memphis Grizzlies view themselves as contenders as Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. enter their prime years as their star duo. Depending on additional youth is arguably what has set them back from already being legit title contenders.
As well as Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman has done in the draft, his reliance on it has been a gift and a curse. The recurring problem with the Grizzlies' early exit from the playoffs the last couple of seasons has been their lack of veterans.
This season, the Grizzlies traded their first-round draft pick to get rid of the only veteran they had in Marcus Smart. They retained two second-round picks (one this year) by including Jake LaRavia in the same deal as part of a three-team trade with the Washington Wizards and Sacramento Kings.
With picks 48 and 57 in this year's draft, the Grizzlies will be forced to pivot from adding additional youth to scour the market for veteran difference-makers. The reasoning for the pivot also goes beyond just the need for the team to add veteran playmakers, as this year's draft is more watered down than in years past
The Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) era depleted the depth of the 2025 NBA Draft
The NBA had its lowest number of early entrants to declare for the draft in a long time, and plenty more withdrew their names following the draft combine. The NIL money college players can make has changed the calculus on players who are not guaranteed first-round prospects.
First-round draft picks are guaranteed contracts, while second-round picks are not. There are plenty of cases when second-rounders get guaranteed deals, but the ability for some of those guys to make more in college than risking becoming a two-way player is more intriguing if they have college eligibility remaining.
The transfer portal has made the bidding for fringe first-round prospects more appealing, too, as they can leverage the combine to receive more money from another school they previously didn't play for. The Grizzlies have made their living drafting second-round steals, including All-Rookie first-team member Jaylen Wells.
After drafting Jaylen Wells with the 39th overall pick last season, the Grizzlies signed him to a guaranteed contract. However, their 53rd overall pick, Cam Spencer, had to begin his career on a two-way with the team following a national championship victory with the University of Connecticut.
Wells was an early entrant while Spencer ran out of eligibility, so some players will still enter the draft because they want to execute their dreams. While the Grizzlies' second-round picks have panned out for the most part lately, the days of depending on that appear to be coming to an end for Zach Kleiman.