After going 25-57 and having a roster full of young talent, it is very easy to understand why the Grizzlies aren't being discussed by many as a playoff hopeful for next season. Even though the skepticism outside of Memphis makes sense, the Grizzlies head into next season as one of the most overlooked teams in the NBA, and they have a golden opportunity to surprise everyone.
ESPN just did their first set of post-NBA Finals power rankings, and it won't be a pleasant sight for Grizzlies fans. The Grizzlies landed at #26, with just the Bucks, Wizards, Nets, and Kings being below them. That projection would have the Grizzlies as the 14th seed and one of the worst teams in the NBA for a second straight year.
The Grizzlies have exciting young talent to speed up the rebuild
Most of the explanation stemmed from a potential Ja Morant summer trade. ESPN wrote, "It's hard to imagine a team improving without the services of star guard Ja Morant. But that's the expectation in Memphis, with the club undergoing another personnel reset while looking to trade the 26-year-old."
A Ja Morant trade would signal the end of the Grizz Next Gen era and rightfully raise significant questions about any long-term vision the Grizzlies have. However, there is still a case for optimism that the organization can get back to winning ways relatively quickly.
ESPN mentioned how promising young players such as Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wells, and Zach Edey are, while the team still has the 3rd and 16th overall picks in this year's draft. Even though the Grizzlies will have to find their true #1 option, that is a collection of players that can help the team stay competitive early in their rebuild.
Whoever is selected third overall between Duke's Cam Boozer or Darryn Peterson out of Kansas could end up making an immediate impact. A second-year leap from Cedric Coward should also be expected, and Zach Edey already impacted winning as a second-year player, but one of the biggest keys to the Grizzlies' rebuild will be for him to stay healthy.
The cases for optimism and skepticism are both fair
The Grizzlies must add more seasoned veterans that can produce, and they simply need improved injury luck, but a core consisting of Coward, Edey, and one of Boozer or Peterson could help the team avoid being a bottom-two seed like ESPN currently projects. The Grizzlies also have multiple young contributors such as GG Jackson II, Taylor Hendricks, and Cam Spencer who can still be factors.
With a Western Conference continuing to improve, the path to playoff basketball next season will be extremely challenging; however, the Grizzlies can shock many teams with how competitive they could be. Despite any potential Morant trade, the Grizzlies should be able to rebound quickly and could make a decent improvement in their win total for next season.
We have seen healthy Grizzlies teams thrive against teams under .500 in recent seasons and do well on home court. Despite having a roster full of youth, Tuomas Iisalo had them competing well against some of the better teams in the NBA after the trade deadline, even while lacking available frontcourt options.
Truthfully, on the flip side, a lot of the national skepticism around the Grizzlies is entirely fair. The Grizzlies will need a healthier season than last, and for now, they are relying on lots of young talent heading into next season. But given some of their recent draft hits and a stacked 2026 NBA Draft coming, they could end up exceeding expectations.
This is a pivotal offseason for the Grizzlies, and it will be exciting to see if they can make a surprise jump for next season.
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