ESPN put together a list of different topics answered by a panel to present a summer forecast of what's to come in the NBA's 2025-26 regular season. Ja Morant received one vote out of 25 in their question about the next superstar to request a trade. What quickly followed was the Grizzlies receiving a vote as the team most likely to make a big move before the trade deadline.
The Grizzlies have mostly been a team that has executed its team-building strategy through the NBA Draft and development with moves around the margins. However, they changed course this summer when they traded away starting guard Desmond Bane for a package that is assumed to set them up to chase after bigger fish.
Will their general manager, Zach Kleiman, finally make the necessary move to expedite their championship aspirations?
Their asset collection is the best it has ever been
Trading Desmond Bane was a shocker in NBA circles, and even had some questioning if the team is considering a rebuild. However, the Grizzlies ensured that isn't the case after extending Jaren Jackson Jr. to a five-year, $240 million extension. They also signed last year's Sixth Man of the Year finalist, Ty Jerome, to shoulder some of the scoring and shooting void left by Bane.
The thought of them starting over stemmed from the haul they received from the Orlando Magic, which included Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and four first-round draft picks for a player who hasn't made an All-Star team. The conversation should've been what the Grizzlies plan to do with that asset collection to make the move to solidify a championship core.
With Desmond Bane, the team fell to the eighth seed last season and was swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs. Running it back with him making the most money on the team (before Jaren's extension) would've been a hard sell for a fanbase that saw this team secure back-to-back two seeds just two years ago.
After using two of their picks received in the Bane trade to trade up and select Cedric Coward in this year's draft and waiving Cole Anthony, the Grizzlies have the most prized possession remaining. The Phoenix Suns' 2026 first-round pick is expected to be a high lottery pick in what is perceived to be a strong draft.
The ESPN panel ranked the Grizzlies sixth behind the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Philadelphia 76ers for teams likely to make a big move before the deadline. Zach Kleiman made a great first step this offseason with the splash trading of a core player; now is the time for him to make the move to gain the player that will make them a championship contender.