To rebuild or retool? That seems to be the national media's fallout from the blockbuster deal that saw the Grizzlies trade Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four first-round picks, and a first-round pick swap. ESPN's Brian Windhorst mentioned that the whole league is going to investigate the availability of the Grizzlies' two All-Stars following the move.
While that was his biggest takeaway from the trade, NBA Reporter Kevin O'Connor took it a step further, saying he would consider blowing it up and tanking for the "loaded draft class" in 2026. That statement couldn't be further from what Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman said about the team's roster construction at his exit interview in April.
The Grizzlies are retooling around their two stars
Kleiman was pretty adamant about the Grizzlies not being close to championship contention while also acknowledging that Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. were the centerpieces of their roster. That was the first time since he extended Desmond Bane that it appeared he would be the odd man out if the team needed to create flexibility for upgrades.
Morant and Jackson Jr. will be 26 years old when next season begins, meaning trading one or both of them for anyone other than other top-tier players would be malpractice for a small market team. Desmond Bane was the highest-paid player among the three and was widely assumed to be the player who would return the least amount of capital in a trade.
However, the Orlando Magic proved that the Grizzlies get a haul for Bane, which sets the stage for the team to improve its roster construction around Morant and Jackson Jr. Now, the Grizzlies have the 16th pick in the NBA Draft next week after trading away their first along with Marcus Smart to the Washington Wizards at the trade deadline in Feburary.
Zach Kleiman said he would be open-minded about changing his roster construction approach this summer, and the Desmond Bane trade was the first domino to that change. He has always valued draft picks and development, but Morant and Jackson Jr. are ready to compete for a title now, so building the roster around those two takes precedence.
Gaining four additional first-round picks and sitting still would be a setback for the team, but with the NBA Finals still ongoing, it is safe to assume that Kleiman is going for something bigger. Trading Bane's deal and splitting it into two contracts offers the opportunity for the Grizzlies to match salaries, along with the draft capital they need to execute a significant trade to propel them forward.