The 2025-26 NBA season is here! Over the next few weeks, we’re examining the biggest questions, best- and worst-case scenarios, and win projections for all 30 franchises — from the still-rebuilding teams to the true title contenders.
2024-25 finish
-
Record: 48-34 (lost to the Thunder in the first round)
Offseason moves
-
Additions: Ty Jerome, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cedric Coward, Jock Landale
-
Subtractions: Desmond Bane, Luke Kennard, Jay Huff, Marvin Bagley III
(Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports Illustration)
The Big Question: Can Ja Morant be Ja Morant again?
The Grizzlies made a significant move over the summer, trading Desmond Bane for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the rights to four first-round draft picks. Bane is one of the game’s greatest sharpshooters and was easily Memphis’ third-best player behind Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. His loss will be felt severalfold.
But the fact remains that the Grizzlies have been a very good team so long as Morant and Jackson are on the floor, regardless of whether Bane shares the court with them. Lineups featuring Morant and Jackson and not Bane actually outscored opponents by 13.5 points per 100 possessions this past season.
[Yahoo Sports TV is here! Watch live shows and highlights 24/7]
Jackson, a big man, took a step forward last season as an offensive player, assuming more playmaking duties and creating from the perimeter, and he was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2022-23.
Morant, meanwhile, has taken several steps backward in his career. He was once considered a future face of the league, the sort of talent who could carry a contender, but injuries and off-court issues (he flashed guns on Instagram on multiple occasions, earning a serious suspension) have prevented him from reaching those heights. After missing all but nine games of the 2023-24 season, he played 50 last year.
When on the court, though, Morant has been a productive player, averaging a 23-4-7 last season (and 28-4-7 after the All-Star break). That is not quite the production we became accustomed to at his peak, when Morant made consecutive All-Star appearances and earned MVP votes in both 2022 and 2023, and his shot has not developed, but if he puts it all together — man, look out. He is an electrifying athlete.
His performance and availability will determine how competitive the Grizzlies can be in a crowded Western Conference, where they have been among the elite as long as Morant and Jackson are healthy. (Related: Morant is currently nursing an ankle injury and Jackson is recovering from offseason surgery for a turf toe injury.)
Memphis’ success will also hinge on a pair of second-year players, Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey, who started as rookies last season. Both showed promise as rotational mainstays, and both should take another step forward this season. Morant also plays a role in that, as the point guard in their charge.
Likewise, this will be the first full season for head coach Tuomas Iisalo, who took over for Taylor Jenkins — a very good coach — with only nine games remaining last season. Iisalo is known for a unique, screen-heavy style of offense, and it will be interesting to see if the Grizzlies can maintain a top-flight outfit in the absence of Bane. They rated sixth on offense last season, even without Morant for 30-plus games. It will also be Morant’s responsibility to ensure everyone buys into the first-year head coach’s philosophy.
[Get more Grizzlies news: Memphis team feed]
The Grizzlies often extract more from their roster than the sum of its parts, getting contributions from Santi Aldama, Brandon Clarke, Vince Williams, Scotty Pippen Jr. and a slew of players with whom most casual NBA observers are unfamiliar. The addition of Ty Jerome makes another face to add to that list.
There are plenty of other talented players in Memphis, but none of it works without Morant performing like a superstar. No one should believe in the relevancy of the Grizzlies without the relevancy of Morant.
Best-case scenario
Morant submits the most impressive (and healthiest) season of his career. Jackson’s defense returns, and his offense remains. Caldwell-Pope enjoys a resurgence after a disappointing year for the Orlando Magic. Aldama earns the three-year, $52.5 million extension he just signed. The Grizzlies continue to mine gems throughout the roster, and Iisalo finds a way to field a top-10 unit on both sides of the ball. The Grizzlies believe so much in this group that they package their newfound cache of picks for another piece and find themselves right back on the fringes of contention in the Western Conference.
If everything falls apart
Morant either can’t stay healthy or can’t stay consistent enough to serve as the head of the snake. Wells and Edey stagnate or take a step back from their impressive debuts. Those gems throughout the roster lose their shine. Iisalo doesn’t have a grasp on the Bane-less Grizzlies, and they lose faith in themselves as a competitive team, much less a contender. The Grizzlies fail to make the playoffs, and Morant becomes available via trade.
2025-26 schedule
-
Season opener: Oct. 22 vs. New Orleans
It’s no fun rooting for poor health. And when healthy the Grizzlies are good. Take the over.
More season previews
East: Atlanta Hawks • Boston Celtics • Brooklyn Nets • Charlotte Hornets • Chicago Bulls • Cleveland Cavaliers • Detroit Pistons • Indiana Pacers • Miami Heat • Milwaukee Bucks • New York Knicks • Orlando Magic • Philadelphia 76ers • Toronto Raptors • Washington Wizards
West: Dallas Mavericks • Denver Nuggets • Golden State Warriors • Houston Rockets • Los Angeles Clippers • Los Angeles Lakers • Memphis Grizzlies • Minnesota Timberwolves • New Orleans Pelicans • Oklahoma City Thunder • Phoenix Suns • Portland Trail Blazers • Sacramento Kings • San Antonio Spurs • Utah Jazz
Read the full article here
