Grizzlies: What’s new, season prediction & 2024 free agents

Back-to-back 50-win seasons for Memphis culminated in the Grizzlies bowing out in the first round for the second time in three seasons. Commissioner Adam Silver delivered crushing news shortly after by announcing a 25-game suspension to start the 2023-24 season for superstar guard Ja Morant in June. That left the club scrambling for not only a backcourt replacement, but also some mature, veteran presences in the locker room capable of providing much-needed leadership.

Memphis let defensive stopper Dillon Brooks walk in free agency. But, it traded for 2021-22 Kia Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart in the offseason — losing Tyus Jones in the deal — while adding another solid veteran in former Kia MVP Derrick Rose.

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What’s new

• Smart’s arrival gives Memphis some insurance throughout the Morant suspension, not to mention another mentor who adds some edge to a Grizzlies backcourt that will also feature Desmond Bane and Rose.
• Memphis will be without center Steven Adams for the entire season after offseason non-operative rehabilitation proved unable to solve his knee instability issues. The rugged big man has been sidelined since he sprained the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last January.
• The Grizzlies smartly locked up Bane with a five-year extension worth $207 million (the richest in team history) in the offseason. The deal sends the right message to the rest of this young squad by rewarding the 25-year-old for steady growth since he was taken No. 30 overall in 2020.

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How far can the Grizzlies go?

Since the 2014-15 season, Memphis has advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs twice, and while Jenkins is proud of what the team has accomplished under his watch, “it’s not good enough,” he told NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner. The Grizzlies are looking to take the next step toward perennial contender status, and that goal could prove difficult in the face of Morant’s lengthy suspension.

Morant will return from his suspension motivated to prove the naysayers wrong, and the young Grizzlies should show more maturity from lessons learned in the past on the way to advancing back to at least the West semifinals.

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1 player that must take a leap

Jaren Jackson Jr. While Morant fits in this space considering the importance of the upcoming season for him, Jackson’s summer run with Team USA at the FIBA World Cup places the big man in the spotlight. Jackson struggled somewhat in international competition, but the experience will only help the rising sixth-year veteran who is coming off his first All-Star nod and Kia Defensive Player of the Year honors.

One of the league’s top rim protectors and a career 35.5% 3-point shooter, Jackson needs to curtail his penchant for committing unnecessary fouls while continuing to grow as a viable inside scoring option for Memphis.

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In-Season Tournament

The Memphis Grizzlies are in West Group A. Here’s a refresher on how the In-Season Tournament works.

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Upcoming free agents

The Memphis Grizzlies have six players that will be free agents in 2024.

• Jacob Gilyard
• G.G. Jackson
• Shaquille Harrison
• Xavier Tillman
• Zhaire Smith
• Vince Williams Jr.

Opportunity should present itself for Luke Kennard, who has a team option for 2024-25. He will receive more minutes as Memphis works itself through Morant’s 25-game suspension. Kennard shot 54% from 3-point range last season, and averaged 10.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists in games last season without Morant in the fold. Given the Grizzlies’ injury situation in the frontcourt with Adams and Brandon Clarke, Tillman should see an increased role, and he’s prepared accordingly this offseason by working to improve his outside shot.

Memphis’ full roster can be found here.

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Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.

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