In his first full season as the Grizzlies head coach, Tuomas Iisalo faced a nightmare injury situation on top of a midseason Jaren Jackson Jr. trade. There are still valid concerns about if Iisalo is the right long-term fit to lead the Grizzlies. Luckily for him, the Grizzlies have a golden opportunity to improve this summer, and no one has more to gain from it than Tuomas Iisalo.
Most of the questions about Iisalo should be about his rotation patterns and overall game feel, especially when the Grizzlies have to take the next step forward in their rebuild. If Iisalo wants to stick in Memphis long-term, it will be essential for Iisalo to optimize his best players while also figuring out how to not let his substitution patterns disrupt the team's momentum.
On the flip side, Iisalo did well to have the young players on the Grizzlies competing after the trade deadline. While the main priority was to improve draft positioning, there were many instances where the young players on the roster kept games competitive, even against some of the league's best teams.
Now, Iisalo has a golden opportunity to keep growing as a coach with an improved core of young players.
Iisalo will have plenty of exciting young players to develop
Even though resolving Ja Morant's future remains a significant offseason priority, the 2026 NBA Draft will be a deciding factor of how successful the Grizzlies' rebuild ends up being.
Cedric Coward and Zach Edey are promising pieces, but the Grizzlies could potentially have their franchise guy if one of Darryn Peterson or Cam Boozer is the pick at #3. Picks #16 and #32 can land quality rotation players or even be used in potential trade-up scenarios to improve the Grizzlies' chances of finding another franchise cornerstone in a stacked class.
It's easy to get excited about what a trio of Cam Boozer, Cedric Coward, and Zach Edey can end up achieving together in Memphis. However, other young players such as Jaylen Wells, GG Jackson II, and Javon Small can't be forgotten about either. Iisalo has shown some positive signs of player development, and now he will get an even stronger foundation of young talent to work with.
While this offseason should excite Grizzlies fans, Tuomas Iisalo will have to make significant adjustments to best fit his coaching style for the NBA. It will be essential for the Grizzlies to add proven veterans as well, but Iisalo has a golden opportunity to shape a new young core into one of the league's best.
The Grizzlies have a league record $28.8 million trade exception, a loaded 2026 NBA Draft, and multiple tradable contracts to significantly improve the roster for next season. If all goes well, Tuomas Iisalo could end up being the Grizzlies' biggest winner this offseason.
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