Previewing the Memphis Grizzlies for the 2026–27 Season
The Grizzlies have officially entered a new era and are going through the process of a retool. I don't like to use the word rebuild because a lot of the young talent on this roster has been with the team for a couple of years now. It isn't like the Grizzlies have nothing. The young core of Cameron Boozer, Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells, and G.G. Jackson, along with other young players, is the headline of this roster. Depending on how Cameron Boozer develops and how quickly he can do so, this team might not be that far away from being somewhat competitive. But can that happen this season? Time to dive into it.
The Roster
Point Guards – Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., Walter Clayton Jr., Javon Small (Two-Way Contract)
Shooting Guards – Cedric Coward, Cam Spencer, Jordan Hawkins, Jahmai Mashack (Two-Way Contract)
Small Forwards – Jerami Grant, Jaylen Wells, Karim López, Kris Murray
Power Forwards – Cameron Boozer, G.G. Jackson, Taylor Hendricks, Olivier-Maxence Prosper
Centers – Zach Edey, Isaiah Stewart, Quinten Post, Carson Cooper (Two-Way Contract)
The roster has gone through a few changes this offseason, with the biggest being the trade of Ja Morant to Portland for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. They also acquired Isaiah Stewart in a multi-team trade that involved sending out multiple second-round picks. Cam Boozer will likely be the team's number one option in year one, and I believe he has a great chance to win Rookie of the Year because of that.
The organization also dealt with the tragic passing of Brandon Clarke during the offseason. Clarke spent his entire NBA career with Memphis and was a well-respected member of the organization. May he rest in peace.
Biggest Questions
A major question I have is how the weak point guard room will affect this team. I think moving on from Ja Morant was not a good move whatsoever by GM Zach Kleiman. Obviously, Ja had some off-the-court issues, and his last couple of years in Memphis were not good due to various circumstances. However, when he was on the court and healthy, he was one of the most electric players in the league. I think having Ja around to be the leader of this young group could have been very beneficial, especially because now that they traded him for what I consider scraps, the point guard room is very weak.
Ty Jerome is a solid player, but Scotty Pippen Jr. has not shown enough to make me believe he can be a long-term starting point guard by any means. I hope this opens up a spot for Walter Clayton Jr. to really get into the rotation this year. He was traded from Utah, but he is still very young and gives off a Jalen Brunson-type vibe. I think he has a high ceiling, but he did have a very rocky season last year. Let's hope he can improve this season because his career trajectory could really use a strong year.
Another major question is just how good Cameron Boozer can be in his rookie season. I think Boozer has the potential to be a franchise-changing player for Memphis, but expecting him to immediately turn this team around is a lot to ask. He is coming off an incredible college career at Duke, where he showed his ability to score, rebound, and make plays for others. His versatility is what makes him so exciting, and I think he has the potential to become one of the better forwards in the league in the coming years.
The biggest concern I have with Boozer is how quickly he can adjust to being one of the main offensive options against NBA-level competition. He is going to have a lot of responsibility right away, especially with the lack of a true star point guard on this roster. There will definitely be some growing pains, but I think giving him this much responsibility early in his career could be very beneficial for his long-term development. If he can have a strong rookie season, it would make the future of this organization look even brighter.
It will also be interesting to see which young guys start to pan out and which ones cannot find a role in the rotation, at least not yet. This team is one of the youngest in the NBA and is filled with a lot of high-ceiling young players. Guys like Taylor Hendricks, G.G. Jackson, Karim López, Cedric Coward, and Jaylen Wells are all very high-upside players, some more than others, but all of them have potential.
Depending on how this team plays this season, Memphis could potentially package some of these guys for a point guard in the offseason or even at the trade deadline. Not all of them will be able to reach their maximum potential in Memphis, and there will be a couple of odd ones out for sure. The Grizzlies need to figure out which players fit alongside Boozer and which ones might be more valuable as trade assets moving forward.
The last major question mark is the future of head coach Tuomas Iisalo. Iisalo is probably on the hot seat a little bit, and he really has not shown a whole lot in his NBA head coaching career so far. The key focus for him this season is development, and if the Grizzlies do not like the way he is developing these players and the team as a whole, I do not think they will hesitate to move on from him.
I just think Iisalo is being put in a tough position. This roster is very young, the point guard situation is questionable, and the team is still trying to figure out its identity after moving on from Ja Morant. If things really go sideways this season, the organization could look for more of a veteran voice to lead this young team in the future. However, I do think he deserves some patience considering the situation he has been put in.
Betting Markets
Win Total: 28.5
To Win the NBA Finals: +100000 (Tied for Last)
To Win the Western Conference: +40000 (14th Best Odds)
To Reach the Conference Finals: +12000 (14th Best Odds)
To Reach the Conference Semifinals: +5500 (14th Best Odds)
To Win the Division: +30000 (5th Best Odds)
To Make the Playoffs: +750
To Miss the Playoffs: -1200
To Participate in the Play-In: +320
To Win the NBA Cup: +70000 (27th Best Odds)
These odds are among the worst in the NBA. The betting markets are expecting the Grizzlies to finish near the bottom of the Western Conference, likely somewhere in the 13–15 seed range, with a win total set below 30 games. Being at around 3-to-1 odds to make the Play-In is interesting, though, compared to some of the other markets that have Memphis as one of the biggest long shots in the league.
This team is officially in rebuild mode as of now, whether the organization wants to call it that or not. I think the Grizzlies could surprise some teams throughout the season, but they are still going to struggle with consistency. The Western Conference is loaded with talent, and I just do not think this roster has enough experience or established star power to compete with most of these teams on a nightly basis.
Final Prediction and Outlook
I think this team is not quite where it needs to be to compete yet. If the Grizzlies had kept Ja Morant, I think they could have made the playoffs and been a competitive team, but I guess we will never know. Losing a player with that kind of talent and replacing him with a couple of role players is going to have an impact, regardless of how promising the young core looks.
My biggest concern is the lack of consistency this team will likely have throughout the season. With so many young players still trying to establish themselves, I expect the Grizzlies to have some very impressive performances followed by some really poor ones. The lack of an established point guard, the pressure on Cameron Boozer to produce right away, and the overall inexperience of this roster are the biggest reasons why I have Memphis finishing below its projected win total.
The team has a very bright future, though, and could become the next up-and-coming team like the Spurs and Thunder have in recent years. I seriously believe this young core has the potential to be that good in the coming seasons, especially if Boozer develops into the player many expect him to become.
This season will not be as successful for them, though, and they will need to continue building the foundation they have already set up. For Memphis, this season should be more about development, figuring out the rotation, and finding out which young players can be part of the team's long-term future rather than worrying about making the playoffs.
Final Prediction: 24–58 | 14th Seed in the Western Conference
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