Hoops Rumors examines the 2026 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s moves in the offseason and take a look at what else could happen before the regular season begins. Today we focus on Memphis Grizzlies.
Signing free agents
- Quinten Post: Three years, $26,100,000. Second year without warranty. Third-year team option. Includes an additional $3,915,000 in unlikely incentives. Signed through an offer letter using the mid-level non-taxpayer exemption; The Warriors chose not to comply.
Trades
- Acquired rights to the project Okorie shares (pick #17), a 2030 second-round pick to the Nuggets, Rockets or Heat (whichever is most favorable), and a 2033 second-round pick from the Thunder in exchange for draft rights Bennett Stirz (Choice #16).
- Acquired rights to the project Karim Lopez (Pick #21), a 2029 second-round pick to the Pistons, Knicks or Bucks (whichever is more favorable), a 2031 second-round pick to the Mavericks and a 2032 second-round pick to the Pistons in exchange for draft rights Okorie shares (Choice #17).
- Purchased Jeremy Grant and Chris Murray from the Trail Blazers in exchange for Ja Morant and cash ($1 million).
- Purchased Isaiah Stewart from the pistons, AJ Johnsonthe Warriors’ 2030 first-round pick (top-20 protected) and the Rockets’ 2029 second-round pick from the Mavericks, and D’Angelo Russellthe Lakers’ 2029 second-round pick, the Wizards’ 2033 second-round pick and the right to trade a 2032 second-round pick to the Wizards in a six-team trade in exchange for Saint Aldama (before Mavericks), draft rights to Tarik Biberavich (to Mavericks), 2029 Pistons, Knicks or Bucks second-round pick (whichever is most favorable; to Pistons), 2031 Mavericks second-round pick (to Pistons), and 2032 Pistons second-round pick (to Pistons).
- Purchased Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavythe Raptors’ 2031 second-round pick and the right to trade the Pelicans’ 2032 second-round pick in exchange for AJ Johnson and That Gibson.
Drafts
- 1-3: Cameron Boozer
- Signed rookie contract (four years, $53,802,568). The first two years with a guarantee. Third and fourth year team options.
- 1-21: Karim Lopez
- Signed rookie contract (four years, $18,368,804). The first two years with a guarantee. Third and fourth year team options.
- 2-32: Richie Saunders
Two-sided signatures
Note: Grizzly moved Jahmai Mashak and Yavon Maly on bilateral contracts from 2025/26.
Abandoned/Unsigned Free Agents
Other moves are listed
Salary cap situation
Note: Numbers are rounded to one decimal place.
- Operating above the cap ($165 million) and below the first tax bracket ($209 million).
- A hard hat on the first apron.
- Team salary: $161.8 million (tax); $164.1 million (apron).
- Below the luxury tax line by $38.6 million; below fixed capital by $44.9 million; could bring in $3.2 million by giving up waivers.
- A partial exemption is available for middle-level non-taxpayers ($4.7 million) and a full biennial exemption ($5.5 million).
- Two tradeable player exceptions are available (the largest at $28.9 million).
Offseason yet
By trade Desmond Bane to Orlando in the 2025 offseason and Jaren Jackson Jr to Utah at the 2026 trade deadline, the Grizzlies have announced their intention to overhaul their roster and move on from veterans who have played in Memphis for the past few years. So entering the 2026 offseason wasn’t really a question when Grizzlies will move Ja Morant — it was more about where the two-time All-Star would land and whether the team could get anything of value in return for him.
As hard to imagine four years ago, when Morant had just made the NBA’s second team, been named the MVP and signed a max-salary contract with the Grizzlies after a 56-win season, the former No. 2 overall pick’s value has plummeted in recent years.
Questionable off-court behavior — including earning a salary during two lengthy suspensions for brandishing a gun in a social media video — was just one of the reasons Marant became a superstar. He’s also battled multiple injuries, including recurring shoulder problems, in recent years and has seen his elite athleticism take a hit as a result.
In the end, the Grizzlies decided to send a player who once looked like a perennial All-Star to the Trail Blazers in exchange for a forward Jeremy Grant and Chris Murray. They even had to put $1 million in cash on Morant to get the deal done with Portland.
Grant is still a productive role player, but his contract, which has two years and $70.6 million left on it, isn’t exactly team-friendly. To top it all off, Murray hasn’t proven himself as an NBA regular, and the Grizzlies were unable to get even a single second-round pick from the Trail Blazers in the trade. It’s a disappointing return given where Morant’s career once seemed to be headed, but it reflects the fact that Memphis’ front office was focused on simply turning the page on its previous era and starting over.
The central element of this “new beginning” will be Cameron Boozerthe No. 3 overall pick that some experts believed was the safest option in the hyped 2026 draft. The son of a former NBA All-Star Carlos BoozerCameron is considered ready to contribute right away in the NBA after averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game as a freshman at Duke, earning Player of the Year honors.
While Boozer and the 2024 lottery pick Zach Edey projected to be the long-term starting frontcourt for the Grizzlies, the team had no shortage of frontcourt options this summer to complement that duo starting later in the first round of the draft. Memphis’ front office made a pair of smart trades to move from No. 16 to No. 21, acquiring five second-round picks in the process and then drafting a Mexican forward Karim Lopez – who was widely viewed as a potential lottery pick.
Complementing the youngsters and adding solidity in the front lane will be a former Piston Isaiah Stewartwho was acquired in a six-team trade that sent Saint Aldama to Dallas. Stewart played as a backup in Detroit and will likely do so again in Memphis as long as Eddy and Boozer are healthy, but he makes a big impact on the defensive end and could step into the starting five if Eddy, who had two ankle surgeries and was limited to 11 games last season, misses time.
The Grizzlies also signed the Warriors big man. Quinten Post to a smartly crafted offer letter that included a higher first-year salary and unlikely incentives that count toward the apron, making it too unwieldy for Golden State. Post, a career 36.4% 3-pointer on 8.9 attempts per 36 minutes, would add an element of space to Memphis’ frontcourt and carries a bit of risk as only the first season of his three-year contract is guaranteed.
While the frontcourt has undergone significant changes in recent months, the Grizzlies will return a similar group from last season in the backcourt and on the wing. The team will build on rebuilding seasons with You, Jerome and Scottie Pippen Jrwho played a combined total of just 25 games last season due to injury and will be hoping the core youngsters love Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wellsand Cam Spencer take another step forward.
Before we get to the next steps for the Grizzlies, it’s worth noting that their third pick in the draft behind Boozer and Lopez was a BYU star Richie Saunderswho tore his ACL in February. The number 32 is unlikely to be ready to return until the second half of the 2026/27 season at the earliest, so he may not sign his first standard contract until February, March or April – or even next summer. I would expect Saunders to open this season with either a two-way deal or the G League and spend a lot of time with the Memphis Hustle as he goes through the final stages of his rebuilding process.
Next
The Grizzlies faced a major roster deficit this fall, with 19 players on standard contracts, including 18 with fully guaranteed salaries.
There are 11 players that I would consider locks on the team until they are traded. That leaves four spots for the following eight players: Taylor Hendrix, H. G. Jackson II, Olivier-Maxons Prosper, Walter Clayton, D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavyand Murray.
A report this week indicated that Prosper should be safe, which makes sense considering he had a very good year in Memphis last season. Hendricks has also been quite effective since coming over from Utah in Jackson’s blockbuster, and he was the ninth overall pick with some untapped upside at 22 years old. Along with those two, I would be very surprised if Memphis gave up on Jackson, a homegrown player who has shown real promise in his first three NBA seasons.
On the other hand, I can’t imagine Russell being a part of the Grizzlies’ starting roster, and I think Murray probably doesn’t have much of a shot either. So I could see the final 15 man spot going down to Clayton, Hawkins or Peavy.
Ideally, the Grizzlies would be able to make a preseason trade involving some of these players instead of just giving them up and eating their guaranteed salaries. But I’m skeptical that the team will be able to get a positive for most of these guys, who will be viewed more favorably and attract more interest on minimum salary or two-way contracts.
Memphis also has several extension candidates this fall, including Hendricks, Jackson, Pippen, Stewart and Wells. Among that group, Wells seems to me the main contender for a new deal, although his current contract includes the team’s minimum wage for 2027/2028, so it’s not a now-or-never situation.
If the Grizzlies were to extend Wells until the opening night, they could exercise that option in the deal and then add three years and up to $68.8 million in additions starting in 28/29. If a deal isn’t reached on or before Oct. 19, he’ll be eligible for an extension after the start of the regular season, but the in-season deal requires Memphis to waive that option on 27/28. Of course, this could ultimately benefit the front office if it leads to friendlier terms for the team in the years to come, as the club has a ton of short-term cap space.
Finally, the Grizzlies are among the teams with an open two-way slot. Report immediately after the draft shown this Michigan State big man Carson Cooper fill that hole. It’s possible this was a misreport or a deal fell through between the two sides, but Memphis does have a full 21-man roster and can’t sign a third two-way player without giving up one of the aforementioned 19 players on standard contracts. So signing Cooper could still be on the cards in the coming weeks if space becomes available.
