MEMPHIS – As the Grizzlies’ critical offseason commenced with Sunday’s exit interviews, there were few definitive statements made by players, the interim coach and the top basketball executive on immediate next steps for the franchise.
Perhaps more clarity will come in due time.
But Ja Morant offered a clear thought on where the team should be headed right now.
The Grizzlies spent Sunday regrouping from a four-game sweep by the Thunder in the first round of the NBA playoffs that ended a frustrating and painful season.
Instead of preparing for potential changes on Day 1 of their offseason, the Grizzlies would have been practicing at FedExForum before making the trip to Oklahoma City for Game 5 on Monday.
“I’m even scared to answer this question because stuff I say normally go viral and tend to stick with you forever,” Morant explained. “But I had (the Thunder) figured out. Going out in Game 3 and not being able to play was frustrating, because that win right there could have made this totally different. I feel like we’d be on our way to OKC with the series tied 2-2 right now.”
Morant’s perspective has some credence. The Grizzlies’ star point guard guided Memphis to a 29-point lead over the Thunder late in the first half of Game 3 last Thursday before he was fouled and clipped in the air on a fastbreak layup attempt. Morant’s hard fall resulted in a hip injury that not only knocked him out of the game, but the rest of the series.
The Grizzlies blew the second-largest lead in playoff history in Game 3, dropped Game 4 Saturday by two points without Morant and were swept out of the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The difficult task of picking up the pieces from a tumultuous season began by taking constructive inventory throughout an organization that had set championship expectations.
Five years into a Next Gen Era with Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane as the franchise core, the Grizzlies have produced just one playoff series victory, back in 2022.
The Grizzlies sat second in the West in late February at 38-20, tumbled through the next two months, dismissed coach Taylor Jenkins in March, finished 48-34 and fought through the Play-In Tournament to secure the No. 8 seed. They were the last team to get into the NBA playoff field and the first to be eliminated.
Even before taking the first question at his season-ending media session, Grizzlies president of basketball operations Zach Kleiman set the offseason tone with his initial evaluation.
“Disappointing season,” Kleiman said as he took his seat. “Lots to sort through here. Forty-eight wins. Good for the eighth seed, but who cares? It’s not good enough. There’s a lot to unpack.”
Although Kleiman stopped short of listing the initial offseason priorities in order, here’s my MikeCheck analysis of four takeaways from the exit interviews and next steps for the Grizzlies.
The Coaching Job
Morant and Bane were among those with the most effusive praise for how Tuomas Iisalo handled matters after taking over for Jenkins on March 27 as interim coach.
Their confidence could be seen as an endorsement for Iisalo to land the job fulltime, but Kleiman was not ready to publicly commit to that decision or what the hiring process would entail. The record does not reflect success, with Memphis going 5-10 overall in the nine regular-season games, two Play-In games and first-round playoff series since Iisalo took over.
The upside is Iisalo’s decision to tweak the offense catered to the high pick-and-roll strengths of Morant and rookie center Zach Edey. The first-year NBA assistant was dealt a difficult hand, but would face the same high expectations of a deep playoff run if he were to land the job.
“With 15 games and two practices (to work with), that’s a ratio that makes it very difficult,” Iisalo said of barely being able to implement his system. “I think we’ve struck a good balance of finding (concepts) in this stretch. But obviously, that would look a lot different because you would start with a completely different framework from the beginning.”
Even if key players and Kleiman are keen on keeping Iisalo, it would be prudent to open up a full coaching search to explore all options to ensure the necessary leadership voice lands the job.
The Health Report
By all indications, the Grizzlies enter the summer without any key players requiring offseason surgery or extensive time in recovery.
Atop that list is Morant, who used crutches to get around during Sunday’s exit interviews. Morant indicated he would remain in Memphis for the foreseeable future to continue his rehab from the hip contusion, and was thankful the injury was not more serious.
“That’s the number one thing, get healthy, stay around, continue my treatment and do my rehab,” Morant said. “Once I’m healthy, I’ll take a little break and then get right back to it.”
Veteran forward Brandon Clarke is also progressing from a PCL knee sprain and hopes to be on track for full participation in summer workouts. Clarke missed the last month of the season, marking the third time in as many years his season has been disrupted by injury.
Rookie swingman Jaylen Wells was already back in the gym Sunday working to strengthen his left hand as he recovers from the season-ending broken right wrist he suffered April 8. Wells said he’s planning to participate with the Grizzlies summer league team in three months.
“Obviously, I think me and Jaylen could have helped,” Clarke said of the Grizzlies missing two of their top four defensive players late in the season. “I’m going to do everything in my power not to be here (in this situation) next year.”
Jackson’s contract talks
If Jackson makes one of the three All-NBA teams announced in the coming days, the longest-tenured member of the Grizzlies would be eligible for a “Super Max” contract extension this offseason. That deal would warrant a five-year contract worth up to $345 million.
If Jackson does not make All-NBA, he would still be eligible to sign a smaller extension as he is set to enter the final year of his current contract. Part of the reason Memphis traded Marcus Smart in February was to be positioned with extensive cap space to potentially extend Jackson.
A two-time NBA All-Star and 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, Jackson has averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks in his seventh season. Although Jackson declined to address questions about an extension, he spoke of his commitment and appreciation.
“I was drafted here, it’s all I know,” Jackson said. “It means everything to me. Just being somewhere for a long time and having familiarity with the staff and my teammates, that’s huge. We’re like a family. I’ve seen different family come and go, and that’s the business part of it. But, shoot, this is all I know, man. I’ll be around.”
Still a championship core?
Kleiman still believes Morant, Jackson and Bane can anchor an NBA championship team. But five years into the process, Memphis has yet to make it past the second round of the playoffs.
That brings even more urgency to the decision-making process this offseason. The coaching hire, roster construction and individual player development are all essential.
At different times during his media session, Kleiman reiterated there is no interest in trading Morant, that there remains a commitment to keeping Jackson in Memphis and that Bane is an important part of the foundation.
Yet Kleiman also said, “more generally, we need to have a very open mind from a team-building standpoint to put this group in the best position” moving forward.
Simply put: the Grizzlies must keep all options open – top to bottom. This team is at a crossroads, and a definitive direction must take shape on multiple levels in short order.
The Grizzlies exited a long season of hard truths on Sunday.
They enter a difficult and opportunistic offseason that demands clear answers.