New beginnings are difficult, but change is inevitable. For the Memphis Grizzlies, that change has arrived all at once.
This season begins a new era without Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., or Desmond Bane, the three players once expected to keep Memphis among the Western Conference’s best teams. For a while, it seemed possible. The Grizzlies won consecutive Southwest Division titles, brought postseason basketball back to FedExForum, and gave the city reason to believe something special was taking shape. Those teams were young, loud, and fearless, and for a time they made the franchise feel close to breaking through.
However, the bigger moment never came. Injuries became a constant part of the story. Memphis never made it beyond the second round of the playoffs and eventually, the front office stopped waiting for everything to come together.
Bane was traded to Orlando in 2025. Jackson went to play for Utah in a deal that sent the Grizzlies Walter Clayton Jr., Taylor Hendricks, and three future first-round picks. Morant followed in June, going to Portland for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. A core that once looked set for years is now gone.
The Reset Could No Longer Be Avoided
It is fair to mourn what the previous era might have become. It is also fair to admit that starting over was necessary.
Memphis spent too many seasons planning around the healthiest possible version of its roster. Morant, Jackson, and Bane were good enough to make patience feel reasonable. But patience eventually became an excuse to postpone a difficult decision. The team kept waiting for the injuries to stop, the rotation to settle, and the postseason breakthrough to arrive. None of it came to fruition.
The Grizzlies finished 25-57 last season and used 33 players. Only Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wells, and Cam Spencer appeared in more than 55 games. The front office can’t be blamed for every injury, but it must build a roster that can survive them. And that never happened.
Now Memphis has draft picks, financial flexibility, and a collection of players who should develop on a similar timeline. That is a reasonable place to begin, but tearing down a roster is the easy part. The people who dismantled the old core must show they can build a better one.
That distinction matters because the organization has asked fans to invest in a core before. The city will give players time, but patience is not the same as blind faith. Supporters have watched the franchise rise, stumble, and start over before. They know development is rarely linear. They also know when a team competes with purpose and when it merely collects losses. The Grizzlies don’t owe anyone playoff contention, but they do owe fans a clear plan, an honest evaluation, and month-to-month progress.
No one knows yet where this new beginning will lead. That is what makes this season worth watching closely. The previous era is over; however, the next one has to earn the city’s belief.
Cameron Boozer Steps Into the Spotlight
Ready or not, Boozer enters the season as the new face of the franchise, whether the title is fair to a 19-year-old rookie or not. He was one of the most productive players in college basketball, averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists during his only season at Duke. He is strong, skilled, and unusually composed for a teenager. He processes the game quickly, which should help him contribute even when his shot is not falling.
The question now is: How much of that game will translate immediately to the NBA?
If Boozer can become a dependable 20-point, 10-rebound presence, he will change the direction of the organization. Memphis has not had a big man who could deliver that kind of production since Zach Randolph anchored the Grit and Grind teams. Boozer does not play exactly like Randolph, nor should anyone ask him to. But being able to score and rebound reliably from the frontcourt would give this young team a place to go when the offense stalls.
The big man may have difficult nights. NBA defenders are stronger, faster, and far less forgiving than the players Boozer faced in college. He will have to learn where his advantages are and which shots are no longer available. The Grizzlies must give him room to make those mistakes without treating every bad game as evidence that the rebuild is failing.
Memphis should not treat him like a finished product. He shouldn’t be expected to carry the offense or replace the excitement Morant brought to FedExForum. Boozer’s progress should be measured by whether he improves, competes, and shows that Memphis can eventually build its team around him.
In short, Boozer will face stronger and faster competitors and needs room to struggle without every mistake becoming a referendum on the rebuild.
Everything Changes if Zach Edey Stays Healthy
The most important number attached to Zach Edey this season may not be points or rebounds. It may simply be games played. His presence may determine whether the Grizzlies are interested in being competitive sooner than expected as the long season unfolds.
While limited to just 11 games in the 25-26 season, the Purdue alum averaged 13.6 points and 11.1 rebounds while shooting 63 percent from the field. Even in that small sample, his size changed the way opponents approached the paint. Standing 7-foot-3 and weighing over 300 pounds, he gives Memphis a unique asset no one else on the roster can replicate.
The third-year center can set hard screens, finish near the rim, and create second chances. Boozer can operate from the perimeter or high post when the defense collapses. Their rebounding could become a reliable advantage. If the pairing works on both ends, Memphis could have its frontcourt in place for years.
The second preseason game marked his first appearance since December 2025, and, as expected, Memphis limited his minutes. The brief outing didn’t provide enough evidence to declare him fully recovered. It was encouraging to see him back, but it didn’t answer the larger question.
Edey has undergone two procedures on the same ankle since his rookie season. Memphis will likely manage his minutes early and may sit him during some back-to-backs. That caution is justified. The Grizzlies need him for years to come more than they need him to prove anything in October.
When Edey plays, his fit with Boozer is clear. He can set punishing screens, finish around the rim, protect the paint, and create second chances. Boozer can work from the high post or pull defenders away from the basket. Together, they could give Memphis a frontcourt with size, skill and rebounding.
That possibility only matters if both players are available. Memphis needs as close to 82 games as it can get from Edey, Boozer, and Coward. After several seasons derailed by major injuries, health is not a footnote to this rebuild. It is one of its foundations.
Isaiah Stewart and Quinten Post offer valuable insurance if Edey can’t play. Stewart brings physicality and rebounding, while Post’s shooting can pull centers away from the rim.
Ty Jerome Is More Than a Placeholder
Morant’s departure left an obvious hole at point guard. Can Ty Jerome be an NBA-caliber starting point guard? The Grizzlies will soon find out.
Jerome is in a new role as the first option. He played only 15 games for Memphis last season, but he started in all of them. Those 15 starts were more than he had made in all his previous NBA seasons combined. Now he is being asked to run the offense, steady a young roster, and handle the pressure of replacing Morant at point guard. Those are significant expectations to meet.
Jerome gave Memphis reason to believe he can handle a larger role. He averaged 19.7 points and 5.7 assists in 22.6 minutes last season, shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 42 percent from three-point range. The sample was small, but his control and efficiency were difficult to ignore.
He is not a temporary name penciled into the lineup until someone younger is ready. Jerome is key to what the Grizzlies are trying to establish. His ability to work with or without the ball makes him a natural fit beside Boozer. He can organize the offense, create late in the shot clock, and space the floor when Boozer draws attention.
The pressure will be different now and opponents will prepare for him as a starter, and a productive 15-game stretch does not guarantee success over a full season. Jerome must show he can manage games when his shot isn’t falling and keep the offense going during difficult stretches.
That does not make Scotty Pippen Jr. expendable. He worked his way from a two-way contract into a legitimate rotation role, pressures the ball, and gets into the paint. His defense and pace can change games, whether he starts or leads the second unit.
Javon Small and Clayton should have development minutes, but the backcourt cannot become a nightly audition. Jerome gives Memphis its clearest answer now.
The Rest of the Young Core Must Grow
Coward may be the Grizzlies player most likely to take a major step forward. He averaged 13.6 points and nearly five rebounds as a rookie, earned All-Rookie First Team honors, and often looked composed during a season when little around him was stable.
This year, he will see more defensive attention and carry greater offensive responsibility. The next step is not an occasional 30-point game. It is dependable production, better decisions, and the ability to contribute when opponents take away his preferred spots.
Wells remains valuable because the offense doesn’t need to be built around him. He can defend, move the ball, and make open shots. GG Jackson II may be the most naturally gifted scorer in the group, but he must defend more consistently and make faster decisions. Spencer’s shooting should earn him opportunities when the floor needs space.
Veterans Grant, Stewart, and Jerome will be responsible for more than their statistics. A roster this young needs players willing to settle a possession, correct mistakes, and hold teammates accountable when the game starts to drift.
Head coach Tuomas Iisalo also has choices to make. Hendricks, Murray, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and the other young players cannot all receive extended minutes. Development matters, but so does establishing a rotation. The Grizzlies cannot spend the entire season looking as if everyone is still auditioning.
Other Changes
The year will carry Brandon Clarke’s memory. On September 19th, what would have been his 30th birthday, the Grizzlies announced plans for a pregame tribute and moment of silence on opening night. Players will wear a “BC” patch throughout the season. Clarke’s death in May left a hurt much larger than basketball, and he will be deeply missed by the organization and the city that embraced him.
The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day game returns to Memphis after last season’s event was displaced by the Grizzlies’ two games against Orlando in Germany. The game belongs in the city most closely connected to Dr. King’s final days. Moving it should never become routine.
Watching the Grizzlies will require an adjustment, too. DAZN (pronounced “Da Zone”) is the team’s new broadcast home and will stream the 78 locally available regular-season games. Plans begin at $19.99 per month. Early preseason broadcasts look noticeably better than last season’s FanDuel Sports Network production, but requiring another subscription still asks more of fans.
The positive news is that DAZN and ABC24 will simulcast 15 games over the air for free, the most since the franchise moved from Vancouver in 2001. It is a meaningful concession in a season when access could easily have become another source of frustration.
Success Must Be Visible, Even During a Rebuild
The Western Conference remains unforgiving, and Memphis is not built to contend immediately. San Antonio reached the NBA Finals last season; Houston won 52 games and several teams with established stars will be fighting just to reach the Play-In.
There is a non-zero chance this season will be rough. Some nights may be downright ugly. That is the reality of handing a team to young players in a Western Conference that rarely gives them time to learn.
Still, rebuilding cannot become an excuse for aimless basketball. The Grizzlies should be more organized in March than they are in October. Boozer should look more comfortable. Coward should become more consistent. Edey should be healthy enough to establish a rhythm. The bench should have a steady presence. Jerome should provide an answer at point guard, even if it’s not the one Memphis hopes for, and the Grizzlies need to rediscover some of the defensive toughness Memphis basketball has always been known for.
The record matters, but it is not the only measure. Around 30 wins would represent progress. A Play-In appearance would require good health and faster-than-expected development. Forward movement from the new core, along with a signed lease renewal securing the franchise’s future in Memphis, would make the season feel worthwhile even without a postseason berth.
Fans understand growing pains. They won’t accept uncertainty or premature declarations forever. What players say about identity, humility, and growth must eventually match what happens on the court.
No one should expect this team to replace the previous era overnight. It does need to show that the next one has direction. If the young core stays healthy and improves, that will give Memphis a reason to believe again.
