The NBA Finals are set as the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder will begin Game 1 on Thursday to determine the 2025 NBA Champion. Both teams enter the Finals with identical playoff records of 12-4 throughout their separate playoff runs.
Unfortunately, the Memphis Grizzlies were one of the teams defeated by the Thunder in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs by a 4-0 sweep. Injuries played a significant role in the Grizzlies' disappointing season, but it also highlighted the team's lack of depth, a characteristic that the current Finals teams possess.
Depth matters more than ever in this new NBA climate
The Grizzlies arguably had one of the deepest rosters in the NBA during the first half of the season. Multiple long-term injuries to players like Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, GG Jackson, Vince Williams Jr., Santi Aldama, and Zach Edey paved the way for Jaylen Wells, Jake LaRavia, Jay Huff, and Scotty Pippen Jr. to display their skills.
Having teams that shorten their rotations in the playoffs is becoming a thing of the past, but the Grizzlies were forced to shorten theirs this postseason due to late-season injuries to Brandon Clarke and Jaylen Wells. Also, trading Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia at the trade deadline narrowed the team's options of trustworthy players to play after it became known that GG Jackson and Vince Williams Jr.'s effectiveness was missing following their significant injuries.
The Grizzlies only had one game with their full roster together before the trade deadline deal that became worse by the day. While consolidating the roster played a part in that deadline deal, future financial flexibility of the team plays an even bigger part.
Jaren Jackson Jr. will likely be renegotiating his deal for a salary increase next season, and Santi Aldama is a restricted free agent this summer. However, paying three players max deals will likely take its toll on the team that hasn't been past the first round since 2022.
Moving one of their core pieces might be the move
Desmond Bane is currently the highest-paid player on the team, but he has likely reached his ceiling of what he can become. Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. offer the Grizzlies their best chance at a tandem with a deep supporting cast surrounding them, like the Indiana Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam.
Instead of looking to add another star to their current core, the Grizzlies should look to either package part of their core for a megastar (Giannis) or trade one of their core players for a combination of surrounding pieces to complete the puzzle. The Grizzlies likely have another season before they have to make that decision, but this offseason gives them an opportunity to explore it earlier than anticipated after watching how the playoffs conclude.