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Grizzlies GM Zach Kleiman talks trade deadline, team's offseason outlook: Five takeaways
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- Grizzlies GM Zach Kleiman talks trade deadline, team's offseason outlook: Five takeaways
Fresh off leading the Memphis Grizzlies' busiest trade deadline in recent memory, general manager Zach Kleiman wanted to let the fan base know that the team still see its current core as one that could usher the team into championship contention.
That is unlikely to happen this season, but Kleiman and the Grizzlies made three trades in the past week with the idea of creating flexibility for a pivotal 2024 offseason.
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With Ja Morant , Desmond Bane , Marcus Smart and Jaren Jackson Jr. entrenched as starters, Memphis still has a frontcourt need to address. There's also the reality that Bane and Morant will be on max contracts next season, plus Smart and Jackson will combine to make more than $45 million.
Roster construction will look different going forward, and the Grizzlies are nowhere near done with finalizing those decisions.
Kleiman met with the media on Friday morning to discuss the direction of the Grizzlies.
"There's more work to be done," Kleiman said. "We're looking forward to this offseason. This offseason was definitely a major driver of this trade deadline."
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Here are five takeaways from Kleiman's comments.
Grizzlies non-committal on Ziaire Williams , Jake LaRavia
Trading away 2022 first-round pick David Roddy signaled that the Grizzlies will no longer be hesitant in moving off players who once were viewed as potential core pieces. Jake LaRavia also was selected in the first round of the 2022 draft, and Ziaire Williams was selected 10th overall one year earlier.
LaRavia and Williams are out with injuries, but neither player has shown consistency when on the floor. The Grizzlies want to give Williams and LaRavia an opportunity to perform this season when they return, but Kleiman was non-committal on their futures in Memphis. Both Williams and LaRavia are under contract for the 2024-25 season.
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"We're in a spot where we have a lot of young players," Kleiman said. "Nothing has been ruled out. Let me say that. I think that everyone at the very least has shown that in stretches, there's a lot to be encouraged by. What we're focused on right now is giving those guys opportunity. Wouldn't surprise me if some guys emerge and maybe surprise people."
Luxury tax won't handicap Memphis
The idea of small markets being limited when they enter the luxury tax won't impact the Grizzlies, according to Kleiman. Memphis is expected to enter the luxury tax's first apron next season, which leads to limitations on roster building.
Memphis will need to weigh if being a first apron team is worth the restrictions that include limiting the ability to acquire players via a buyout or sign-and-trade.
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"There's not a budget that we have to operate from," Kleiman said. "There's not a place that we need to be relative to any marker or luxury tax. . . . Those are all things we'll have to weigh from a team-building standpoint."
TRADE DEADLINE GRADES: What's the future of the center position for the Grizzlies after Steven Adams trade?
What's next at center
Losing Steven Adams created a 6-foot-11 265-pound-sized hole in the frontcourt. Kleiman echoed Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins' idea that Jackson could become the team's full-time starting center, but Memphis isn't putting itself in a box.
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Memphis currently owns a first-round pick that is likely to be a top-10 selection. Nothing has been ruled out in terms of potentially using the pick to address a frontcourt spot, or even trading it in a deal to acquire an established NBA player.
The Grizzlies will add to the frontcourt. It's only a matter of how and when.
"Wherever that pick might be, we want to be in a position where we're able to kind of navigate and steer that in different directions," Kleiman said.
Grizzlies injury updates
Kleiman said that the team's current record won't impact the decisions on Brandon Clarke , Bane and Smart, but he added that each player is without a timeline.
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Bane and Smart are unlikely to return until at least after the all-star break. Kleiman added that the team's record won't impact whether or not Bane and Smart return.
Clarke has not been ruled out for a return this season.
"Brandon is a significant part of the big equation going forward," Kleiman said. "Brandon's doing really well in his recovery. We'll make a determination when we get a little bit closer. . . . Regardless of record, a little cameo at the end of the season just to build momentum going into next season, I think that's something that's potentially still on the table."
Plan for new Grizzlies acquisitions
Memphis waived Victor Oladipo and Chimezie Metu after recently acquiring them to open roster space. The Grizzlies' roster is currently full after the acquisitions of forwards Yuta Watanabe and Lamar Stevens . Both players are expected to get an opportunity through the remainder of the season.
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Stevens is on an expiring contract, and Watanabe has a player option after the season. Like LaRavia and Williams, these players will be given an opportunity to showcase their skills throughout the remainder of the season.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: 5 takeaways from GM Zach Kleiman's post-trade deadline news conference
