As the Oracle told Neo, "everything that has a beginning has an end."
The era of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. is over; the time of Cameron Boozer , Cedric Coward, and Zach Edey is now.
Memphis has shaken up their core with a whole new look heading into the 2026-27 NBA season.
Let's look into the crystal ball and predict the Grizzlies 2027 rotation, but be warned.
This your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes . Remember, all I'm offering is the truth. Nothing more.
Purdue center Zach Edey (15) is guarded by Connecticut center Donovan Clingan (32) during the 2024 NCAA men's basketball tournament championship game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on April 8, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
PG: Ty Jerome
SG: Jaylen Wells
SF: Cedric Coward
PF: Cameron Boozer
C: Zach Edey
There's a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.
Most teams would start the thirty million dollar player making over three times the salary as any other player on the roster, but the Grizzlies aren't most teams; they have options.
While Jerami Grant has a case to start in the frontcourt, the true answer may reveal itself based on matchups and availability; Memphis has other viable choices to play against the average team, and multiple two-way players who could help in a playoff rotation.
As Memphis kickstarts its next era around a potentially generational offensive hub in Boozer , the Grizzlies look to have a legitimate foundational cornerstone to build around for years to come
Zach Edey, Cedric Coward, and Jaylen Wells round out one starting lineup option that should compete well defensively with Wells at point of attack, Coward guarding wings, and Edey down low protecting the rim as a complementary inside presence next to Boozer.
Split up the right mix of touches with Ty Jerome as a primary scorer, and who knows, maybe that insanely high offensive impact spark keeps getting hotter, especially playing off a hub like Boozer.
Memphis can split up its opportunity, touches, shots -its entire offense any way it wants next season, until they find two-way lineup balance among their many prospects to round out their young core.
The Grizzlies have many questions to answer this season:
How many young prospects do they want to play on any given night?
How often will their starting unit, rotation, or closing lineup change by matchup, let alone availability and the flow of the game?
How good could this team be at relatively full strength for the whole season?
How focused are the 2027 Grizzlies on player development compared to winning games?
Some answers reveal themselves as the year goes on, not before.
You didn't come here to make the choice, you've already made it. You're here to try to understand *why* you made it.
After this theoretical starting unit of Jerome-Wells-Coward-Boozer-Edey, who else would fill out this 2027 Memphis rotation?
Whether he starts or plays a sixth man forward/big role, Grant will likely eat up a good share of the minutes in the frontcourt this year. Maybe a new spot reinvigorates Grant's defensive versatility, scoring chops, and reliable play.
Isaiah Stewart, recently acquired from Detroit, adds another fringe 4/5 big man who can defend a little of both positions well like Grant, giving Memphis two veteran pieces to pair with its young core who deliver two-way impact as plus-defenders and play-finishers next to Boozer's playmaking, while also being two startable options if Edey misses time at the five.
Quinten Post is a sneaky good pickup for Memphis, a shot-blocking 3pt shooter; Memphis can also break the glass for Taj Gibson in case of emergency, who is as reliable as fill-in NBA centers come.
The Grizzlies have plenty of perimeter players they can keep investing in, but really the test is how well these guards and wings fit with the rest of this young core between Boozer, Edey and Coward. Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cam Spencer are the two best bets for minutes on the perimeter; after that, Memphis could go in many directions.
Javon Small is an impressive two-way guard who fits this Grizzlies grit-n-grind culture next to Wells and Coward on the perimeter as a bulldawg defender, connective PG passer, and sound 3pt shooter. GG Jackson II can still be an upside play for this team. Rookie Karim Lopez may eventually provide two-way connectivity with his all-around play. Walter Clayton can shoot the three ball and may offer a sparkplug hot hand option. Olivier-Maxence Prosper has impressed as a scorer and shooter.
At a certain point, there's only so minutes to go around, so tough decisions will be made. With good health, the next four of Grant, Stewart, Pippen and Spencer are likely to see playing time in the Top-9 rotation for Head Coach Tuomas Iisalo. One name to watch to earn more burn with this group in the long term among the surprise players is Small.
PG: Ty Jerome
SG: Cedric Coward
SF: Jerami Grant
PF: Cameron Boozer
C: Zach Edey
Come winning time, Memphis wants its best five on the court; that pretty much means finding a way to force Jerome/Coward/Boozer/Grant/Edey out there together in some form or fashion, while probably trying out different guards to see who fits this young core best over the long term.
Jerome brings the immediate answer as an offensive spark; Wells provides reliable perimeter defense if the team needs to shut down an opposing star guard, especially navigating screen. Maybe one day it's Small in this role bringing the two-way D&3 impact best of both worlds; to deny our own impulses is to deny the very thing that makes us human.
Boozer would still be best left defending fours, with Grant on the perimeter at this point defending threes and big wings; on the other end, Boozer would operate more on the perimeter in the offensive role closer to a three while Grant could operate in a role slashing to the rack and doing offensive things that fours traditionally do. These starting and closing lineups are built to free Jerome as a scorer, testing how far one can push his volume while still maintaining elite impact and efficiency.
Starting Game 1 of the 2026-27 season, the Grizzlies will likely close games with Jerome-Coward-Grant-Boozer-Edey, arguably their best five players today, at least until Game 2.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/grizzlies/onsi as Projected Grizzlies Starting Lineup, Rotation, and Closing Lineup for 2026-27 .
