NBA FREE AGENCY
Key Free Agents: NONE
Other Free Agents: G Tim Frazier (2020-21 salary – $296K), F Killian Tillie (Two-Way), F Sean McDermott (Two-Way)
Entering the offseason, Memphis actually has quite a bit of cap space with the potential for more. The Grizzlies currently have about $12.4M in cap room, given that most of their team are still on their rookie deals, and Justise Winslow has a $13M team option for the 2021-22 season that Memphis could decline to open up even more cap space.
Everybody from this past year’s team is under contract for next season, so if Memphis wanted to make a play for a big name free agent, this would be the year to do so. The only catch though is that if they wind up being big spenders this year, then they could be sacrificing some of their current assets.
Jonas Valanciunas, Kyle Anderson, Jaren Jackson Jr., Tyus Jones and Grayson Allen will all be entering the final year of their contracts and with both Dillon Brooks and Ja Morant set to become free agents following the 2022-23 season, Memphis could run into a big financial problem and hard cap problem should they look to bring in one of the bigger names in free agency this offseason.
READ MORE: NBA Rumors: This Grizzlies-Thunder trade pairs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ja Morant
On the other side of things, bringing in a big name like a DeMar DeRozan type of player would give the Grizzlies that star player next to Ja Morant that they so desperately need, potentially making them one of the top teams in the Westrrn Conference.
It is definitely a tough decision to make for the Grizzlies and I think a ton of what they will potentially do comes down to whether or not they see Jonas Valanciunas being with this team long-term. He is the highest paid player on their roster ($14M during the 2021-22 season) and with him being 29-years-old now, they could look to utilize guys like Brandon Clarke and Xavier Tillman more in order to move on from Valanciunas.
READ MORE: NBA Rumors: This Grizzlies-Warriors trade is centered on Jonas Valanciunas
If the Grizzlies are going to look to move on from Jonas Valanciunas, then going after several free agents this year could make a ton of sense for Memphis. Not bringing back Valanciunas after this season or even trading him mid-season gives the Grizzlies the salary space they would need in order to retain guys like Kyle Anderson and Jaren Jackson Jr. while also staying underneath the hard cap.
With the free agent market not being as deep as it usually is, Memphis will probably make one or two moves to bring in some key veteran contributors, but overall, they probably will not be making any significant moves. Jonas Valanciunas was great for them this season and was a key for them in their play-in tournament/playoff run, so getting rid of him may not be the best thing for this franchise to do right now.
