The Memphis Grizzlies have been incredibly active during the off-season. Not only did they select top-tier talent in the 2026 NBA Draft, but they also participated in several trades and free agency signings. The fans got to see a glimpse of this newly built roster during the Summer League, during which the Grizzlies made it to the championship game; however, it’ll be even more exciting to watch the entire group play together when the regular season officially starts in October.
So the Grizzlies made some moves, but what does this mean in the Southwest Division? Where will Memphis stack up against its divisional opponents?
San Antonio Spurs
Well, the San Antonio Spurs are coming off one of the best seasons they’ve had in years. They were champions of the Western Conference, leaders of the Southwest Division, and made an appearance in the 2026 NBA Finals. This team is built for a title, and they have some unfinished business. A little bit scary for the rest of the division and NBA as a whole, isn’t it?
The Spurs have been relatively quiet during the off-season so far, but that’s not a huge surprise, given they likely feel content with their core and the supporting cast that led them to the Finals. Aside from Victor Wembanyama and Julian Champagnie’s contract extensions and the addition of Tobias Harris, they did add a couple notable assets on Draft Night. Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr. are both talented first-round picks who will join this already impressive roster.
Dallas Mavericks
Unlike the Spurs, the Mavericks have been fairly active so far in the off-season. Dallas, though, was in need of some change, as they work to build a solid core around Cooper Flagg. One of the most recent big stories was the acquisition of the 2024 first-overall pick, Zaccharie Risacher, from the Atlanta Hawks. In exchange, Dallas gave up Ryan Nembhard, who provided a spark for the Mavericks last year. Santi Aldama, from the Grizzlies, was also moved to the Mavs in the mega-trade that involved six teams.
Dallas has a relatively young roster, although the presence of Kyrie Irving, who is healthy again, will be helpful from a leadership and mentorship standpoint. Klay Thompson is still on the team, though there have been some rumors swirling that he could possibly be moved prior to the start of the upcoming season.
In addition to these returning stars, the Mavericks also drafted a group of rookies in the 2026 NBA Draft, including Morez Johnson Jr. and Sergio De Larrea.
Houston Rockets
The Rockets have made a few moves so far during the off-season, and they might be flying under the radar a bit in terms of how competitive they could possibly be. This is a group that has consistently been a force in the Western Conference over the past two seasons, but they’ve fallen short in the playoffs and struggled to gel on the biggest stage.
Last year, Houston played the entire season without veteran Fred VanVleet, but this year, he is healthy again. They’ve also added Marcus Smart during the off-season, who, as Memphis fans are well aware, is a huge threat to opponents if he can stay off the injured list. Another notable addition is Bogdan Bogdanović, who will serve as a key bench piece for the team.
Kevin Durant, Alperin Şengün, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Steven Adams (who is working on getting himself back to full strength), and Jabari Smith Jr. are all still on the team, which makes this roster incredibly deep. It won’t be a surprise if the Rockets continue to compete at the highest level in both the division and the NBA as a whole.
New Orleans Pelicans
For everyone struggling to figure out what the Pelicans have done so far in the off-season, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Aside from some trade rumors surrounding Jordan Hawkins, a contract extension for veteran DeAndre Jordan, and Christian Koloko signing a one-year deal, it's been nothing but crickets in the Crescent City this summer.
The only other addition to the roster was made during the 2026 NBA Draft, where the Pelicans selected Jaron Pierre Jr., a guard out of SMU in the late second round.
The most shocking part about all of this is that New Orleans has struggled for a couple consecutive seasons after they made the playoffs in 2024, but the changes recently have been minimal. Arguably the most significant recent move has been the addition of Jordan Poole, who joined the team after CJ McCollum was traded to the Washington Wizards, but that was back in June of 2025.
The Pelicans have gotten very unlucky with the injury bug, so that hasn’t helped, but perhaps they want to see how well the team performs when they are fully healthy.
But how about the Grizzlies?
So where will Memphis stack up against the rest of these Southwest Division teams? Just like last season, the Spurs and Rockets will more than likely be the Grizzlies’ toughest competitors within the division, although it would not be a surprise if both the Mavericks and the Pelicans perform better than they did last year.
Given Memphis has so many new faces on the team, it's hard to know exactly how they'll perform against these opponents when everyone is playing at full strength. However, it's safe to assume they will stay competitive. Based on the team’s strong Summer League performance and the roster depth they showcased last year, when so many players had to step up due to injuries, Memphis appears to be in a pretty good place within the Southwest Division.
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