In recent days, the Memphis Grizzlies have made multiple meaningful moves to begin their current efforts to retool the roster. They brought in a high upside and gritty draft class featuring Cedric Coward, Javon Small, and Jahmai Mashack. Cedric Coward will likely contribute immediately, while Small or Mashack could eventually make an impact on the Grizzlies in the future.
Early in free agency, the Grizzlies reached an agreement on a five-year, $240 million extension with Jaren Jackson Jr., keeping him locked in with Ja Morant until at least the summer of 2028. The Grizzlies also retained Santi Aldama and Cam Spencer on multi-year deals and signed Ty Jerome to a three-year, $28 million deal that is seen as a bargain.
However, just hours after signing his new deal, Jaren Jackson Jr. underwent a procedure to repair a turf toe injury in his right foot. Due to the recent injuries to Jaren Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey, the Grizzlies' frontcourt depth is looking thin heading into the 2025-26 NBA season.
Jaren Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey could both realistically miss the start of the season, leaving the Grizzlies with Santi Aldama, Jay Huff, and Brandon Clarke as their healthy frontcourt options at the beginning of the season. It will be essential for the Grizzlies to make another frontcourt acquisition in the coming weeks via free agency or trade.
The Phoenix Suns will likely look to trade Nick Richards
During the first round of the NBA draft, the Phoenix Suns traded for Mark Williams and selected Khaman Maluach with the 10th overall pick, likely making Nick Richards available for trade. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype recently reported that Nick Richards is drawing trade interest from several teams. While the report did not specifically name the Grizzlies as an interested team, Nick Richards is a solid target for the Grizzlies to add to the frontcourt at a feasible cost.
This past season with the Hornets and Suns, Richards averaged 9.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game on a solid 63.4 true shooting percentage (TS%). Richards proved to be an efficient scorer inside the arc as he shot 59.4% on twos and 74.4% from the free throw line. Although Richards has deficiencies as a shot-creator and playmaker, he is still a solid finisher as a cutter and rollman, making him a great fit for Tuomas Iisalo’s offense.
Nick Richards recorded a -1.3 defensive BPM this season and has a -0.7 defensive BPM for his career. However, it is reasonable to expect Richards to improve a little bit defensively around a more reliable set of perimeter defenders in Memphis compared to his previous teams. Nick Richards is also a reliable defensive rebounder and still adds defensive playmaking upside through shot blocking and drawing charges.
Nick Richards has one year remaining on his current deal and is set to make $5 million for this upcoming season. The Grizzlies could easily build a trade package centered around future second-round picks or players such as Vince Williams Jr. or John Konchar. Although Richards does not project as a long-term starter in Memphis, he would be reliable depth and a good emergency option while Jackson Jr. and Edey continue to recover.