Winning an NBA championship is one of the toughest tasks in sports. Many of the game’s best players have never lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy, and some franchises are still chasing their first title.
The Memphis Grizzlies are among them. In the franchise’s 25 years in Memphis, the closest they came was a 2013 Western Conference finals appearance, where they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs.
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After the Grit ‘n’ Grind era ended and the recent run featuring Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies are back at a crossroads. Building a team that can compete in the Western Conference is no longer enough. If that were the goal, they could have kept their core together.
General manager Zach Kleiman made a bold statement after the February trade deadline when he said this rebuild would not be a five-year process. If that’s truly the case, the Grizzlies need to identify foundational pieces this summer.
Here’s how Memphis can become a championship contender.
The Grizzlies own picks No. 3, No. 16 and No. 32 in the June NBA draft. This is the time to be aggressive.
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They already have several young players who project as high-level rotation pieces. Cedric Coward and a healthy Zach Edey appear to be in the upper tier, while Jaylen Wells, GG Jackson and Cam Spencer also have shown long-term potential.
But this draft is about finding a franchise cornerstone — a player capable of matching the elite talent at the top of the Western Conference. To win a championship, Memphis likely will have to go through stars such as Anthony Edwards, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic for years to come.
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Drafting a player like Cam Boozer, Caleb Wilson or Darryn Peterson would help, but Memphis should not stop there. Whether it’s trading up from No. 16 to get a point guard or targeting a high-upside prospect such as Cameron Carr, Jayden Quaintance or Nate Ament, the Grizzlies should be willing to swing for star potential.
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Maintaining financial flexibility for 2027 is crucial to this plan. That flexibility serves as a safety net. If one of the Grizzlies’ draft selections fail to develop, the team still would have avenues to improve through trades or the following draft.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has $21.6 million remaining on the final year of his contract in 2026-27. Ty Jerome has two years left on his current deal, but he also has a $9.7 million player option after the 2026-27 season that he is unlikely to exercise if he remains healthy.
There’s also Morant’s contract situation. He has approximately two years and $87 million remaining on his current deal, and the Grizzlies have reportedly listened to trade inquiries involving him since January. If they ultimately move Morant, acquiring expiring contracts or players who fit the team’s long-term timeline would be important.
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With those moves, Memphis could create enough cap flexibility to pursue a max-level player through free agency or the trade market next offseason.
If the Grizzlies have Coward, Edey and a power forward such as Boozer or Wilson in place, that addition could come in the form of a point guard or elite wing.
Projecting future availability is always difficult. Situations around the league change quickly, and unexpected stars become available every offseason.
At first glance, players such as Jaylen Brown, De’Aaron Fox and Kyrie Irving come to mind. Those players are older than Memphis’ current core, but age becomes less vital when a franchise believes it has a championship window.
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This approach has become increasingly important under the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement. Both the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs provide examples of teams trying to build contenders before most of their core players reach their second contracts.
Once young stars sign max or near-max extensions, roster-building becomes significantly more complicated. Teams often lose key rotation players in an effort to avoid first- or second-apron penalties.
Oklahoma City won a championship before paying Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren on their second contracts. After this season, the Thunder likely will face difficult financial decisions as their payroll rises.
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The Spurs are also operating with Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper still on rookie-scale deals, extending their opportunity to add quality depth around the roster.
If Edey and Coward develop as expected, they will eventually command expensive second contracts as well.
Edey’s next deal would not begin until the 2028-29 season, while Coward’s would start a year later. That gives Memphis roughly three more seasons to position itself as a legitimate contender before salary-cap pressures create tougher roster decisions.
That reality eventually affected the Grizzlies’ previous core. Bane, Jackson and Morant played only one season together on their second contracts before the franchise decided to pivot.
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Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: How draft, free agency can help Grizzlies build NBA championship contender
