MEMPHIS – If there’s been one constant within and around the Grizzlies this offseason, it’s change.
Change is everywhere. So is optimism, at this point.
Just look up and down the Western Conference in the arms race to unseat the young and dominant Oklahoma City Thunder as defending NBA champions.
There have been coaching changes, roster shakeups, the arrival of new stars and top draft picks, the relocation of marquee players and a reset of expectations across the board. Many of those major developments have taken place in the Southwest Division, where Memphis resides.
Just consider Texas alone. The Rockets went all in by acquiring Kevin Durant; the Mavericks regrouped from the seismic Luka Doncic trade by essentially hitting the lottery Powerball and landing No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg in the draft; and the Spurs are gearing up with the healthy return of dynamic center Victor Wembanyama and a remarkably talented supporting cast.
All that activity has largely left the two jewels from the 2019 NBA Draft class – top pick Zion Williamson in New Orleans and No. 2 pick Ja Morant in Memphis – as offseason afterthoughts.
For Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and the revamped Grizzlies to battle to the top of the West, they must fight through arguably the NBA’s toughest and most intriguing division. All five Southwest teams have at least one thing in common: they’re confident they’ll build on last season’s finish.
As we count down to the opening of NBA training camps in less than a month, I’ve joined NBA insiders and analysts covering the Grizzlies, Mavericks, Pelicans, Rockets and Spurs to preview the top storylines from the Southwest Division. Of course, I’ve got the Grizzlies.
Our six-part series begins exploring this new season of hope by answering a key question.
Part 1: What are the top reasons optimism is brimming over the edge entering training camp?
GRIZZLIES – MW, Grind City Media
With the Grizzlies, there’s measured optimism. To the extent that it’s “brimming over the edge” might be a bridge too far, for now. And that’s for good reason. The team that tumbled down the stretch last season after rising as high as second in the West has since traded scoring guard Desmond Bane, added three rookies in the draft and made a couple moves in free agency to retool the supporting cast around newly-extended Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant.
What the Grizzlies showed in stretches late in the season was that new coach Tuomas Iisalo tweaked the system on the fly to get promising production out of Morant and center Zach Edey, particularly in the pick-and-roll game. If that tandem can take the next step and the star players avoid extended injury absences, the Grizzlies will be sneaky dangerous this season. They’ve shown it before, finishing top two in the division three of the past four years.
MAVERICKS – Eddie Sefko, Mavs.com
How many NBA teams have three No. 1 overall draft picks on their current roster? The answer is only one: the Mavericks. Talent is hard to beat in the NBA and the Mavericks have amassed plenty with 2025 top pick Cooper Flagg joining Anthony Davis (2012) and Kyrie Irving (2011). The Mavericks also have No. 2 overall pick D’Angelo Russell, who will begin the season as the starter at point guard until Irving returns from March knee surgery.
The Mavericks are coming off a painful season when they traded Luka Doncic, recalibrating the entire franchise. But every other season since Jason Kidd’s arrival as coach has ended deep into the playoffs – the conference finals in 2022 and the NBA finals in 2024. Why should we expect less in 2026? Kidd has his kind of players on this team. It will be built with more than just lip service about “defense wins.” This team will protect the basket. And the potential that Flagg brings makes this one of the NBA’s must-watch teams.
PELICANS – Jim Eichenhofer, Pelicans.com
The young core that helped the Pelicans win 49 games two seasons ago – nearly earning a top-six playoff seed – remains intact. Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy and Herb Jones all endured injuries last season, limiting them to a combined 103 games. But if that trio returns to previous form (they played a total of 203 games in 2023-24), New Orleans should defy many of the negative national predictions made ahead of this season.
Williamson is an All-NBA-caliber forward when he’s at his best. He added a couple wrinkles to his game in his modest 30 appearances last season, delivering his first two career triple-doubles. Murphy keeps improving every season, while Jones was First-Team All-Defense in his last full season. From the same 2021 rookie class as Murphy and Jones, backup PG Jose Alvarado enters his fifth season with the Pelicans, who win much more when he plays than when he’s sidelined (2-24 last season in his injury DNPs).
ROCKETS – Danielle Lerner, Houston Chronicle
Kevin Durant’s arrival brings the Rockets two things the franchise hasn’t possessed in a long time: a superstar and an elite multi-level scorer. Alperen Şengün is coming off an All-Star season and Amen Thompson looks like a future All-Star. But neither can currently compare to Durant, who has averaged at least 25 points per game in each of his past 16 seasons.
The Rockets are hoping Durant’s presence will streamline the offense and facilitate the growth of their younger players, including those due for larger roles this season like Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard. Houston returns 10 players from last season’s team that finished second in the West and ranked top-five in both defense and rebounding. Add in two efficient shooters in Durant and Dorian Finney-Smith, who shot a respective 43% and 41% on 3-pointers last season, and the Rockets look like a team built to dominate the conference.
SPURS – Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News
The top three reasons for optimism in Spurs Land: Victor Wembanyama, Victor Wembanyama and, of course, Victor Wembanyama. The French star has been officially cleared to resume basketball activities after a blood clot issue nuked his second NBA season last February.
A full season of De’Aaron Fox, acquired at last season’s trade deadline, another leap forward from reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and the arrival of another ballyhooed rookie in Dylan Harper will help. But the Spurs’ climb this season mostly hinges on Wembanyama returning to the floor and playing like himself.