The Grizzlies enter this season with a boatload of questions after an offseason of roster turnover to fit their All-Star duo of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. Their biggest position of need just lost a potential trade target after P.J. Washington signed a four-year extension with the Dallas Mavericks that won't allow him to be traded until March 3, 2026 (after the trade deadline).
P.J. Washington became a popular name in trade topics this summer after the Mavericks drafted Copper Flagg with the number one overall pick in the draft this summer. Both players play the same position at small forward, so Washington is likely to come off the bench because Anthony Davis plays his secondary position at power forward.
There was no specific talk of the Grizzlies calling or inquiring about Washington this summer, but if things didn't go as planned with the young wings this season, he could've been a name to watch for at the NBA trade deadline in February.
The Grizzlies need their young wings to emerge
Jaylen Wells will likely receive the starting small forward nod after starting 74 of his 79 games played during his rookie season. Some of those starts came at shooting guard, which is the position the team wants him to switch to after trading Desmond Bane this summer. However, their other options at small forward at the moment are mostly unproven players, players who are better suited to play a different role.
Rookie wing Cedric Coward was drafted with the 11th overall pick in the NBA Draft this summer, but he hasn't played a basketball game since November 2024 after suffering a season-ending left shoulder injury during his last season at Washington State. Expecting him to become a starter out of the gate following no summer league action is modest.
Can he develop and get comfortable enough to trigger a starting wing combo of him and Jaylen Wells by midseason? That is the biggest question mark for the team that traded two first-rounders to move up to take him. Then there is third-year forward GG Jackson, who one could argue is most suited to play power forward more than small forward. However, his scoring ability makes him an intriguing candidate to seize the opportunity to become the starter at small forward.
The Grizzlies just made a move to sign a former Dallas Mavericks forward to a two-way contract in Olivier-Maxence Prosper, a player who entered the league with comparisons to former trade target Dorian Finney-Smith. With the news of the P.J. Washington extension, the Grizzlies are likely done with any dealings with players from their divisional rivals for the duration of the next season.