The Memphis Grizzlies continue to reshape their organization heading into the summer.
After removing the interim tag from Tuomas Iisalo and officially naming him the club's next head coach, the Grizzlies made an even bigger move by trading Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic for four unprotected first-round picks, a pick swap, veteran guard, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and rising guard, Cole Anthony.
The trade came as a surprise to many Grizzlies fans as Bane was the one constant on a team who's top two players in Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. have struggled with injuries or other off-court issues.
Moving on from Bane and his five-year, $195 million salary made many believe that the Grizzlies were heading in a new direction with their roster and perhaps considering moving on from the aforementioned dynamic duo of Morant and Jackson Jr...however, a report from ESPN's Shams Charania has tossed cold water onto those rumors, claiming that the club still plans to move forward with the pair as their franchise's cornerstones.
"I'm told the Grizzlies are signaling privately that they will continue to build around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.," Charania said. "The Grizzlies view this as a pivot away from the core with Desmond Bane, Ja Morant, and Jaren Jackson Jr., and will allow this team to have a little more youth and a little more financial flexibility moving forward, and most importantly, a massive haul of draft picks with four unprotected first-round pick and one lightly protected pick swap. They really want to continue to build around those two and that allows them to have a level of flexibility. Another big thing here is the extension for Jaren Jackson Jr., which they believe helps with this as well."
The Grizzlies still want to build around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr, per @ShamsCharania
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 16, 2025
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Morant, 25, appeared in just 50 games this season due to both injuries and off-court issues. During his limited time on the court, the former All-Star was close to his usual self when he did take the floor, averaging 23.2 points per contest to go along with 7.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game.
Meanwhile, Jackson Jr. continued his ascend into a bonafide All-Star talent. Like Morant, Jackson is just 25 and is fresh-off averaging 22.2 points per game, while adding 5.6 rebounds per contest, and remained one of the best defensive players in all of basketball after winning the NBA's Defensive Player of The Year award in 2023.
Jackson not being named to any All-NBA team this season, cost him a potential $200 million as if he were named to any of the league's three All-NBA teams, he would've been eligible for a five-year, $345 million extension, which would've surpassed Boston Celtics' star, Jayson Tatum's five-year, $315 million deal that the former NBA Champion signed last summer.