The Grizzlies' Full Rebuild: JJJ Trade, Ja Morant Trade Rumors, and the 2026 NBA Draft Pick
Memphis made it official at the February trade deadline: Jaren Jackson Jr. was shipped to the Utah Jazz in an eight-player deal that brought back three future first-round picks, giving the Grizzlies an estimated 11–13 first-rounders over the next seven years. First-year head coach Tuomas Iisalo is now running a youth movement featuring Jaylen Wells, Cedric Coward — who is averaging 13.8 PPG in a breakout rookie campaign — and Walter Clayton Jr. Ja Morant, limited to just 20 games by a left elbow UCL sprain, went unsold at the deadline despite the team actively shopping him; a summer trade remains widely expected. With a 26.3% shot at a top-four lottery pick and CBS Sports mocking SEC Player of the Year Darius Acuff Jr. to Memphis at No. 8, the 2026 NBA Draft is the franchise's brightest near-term hope.
Grit and Grind Forever: What Makes the FedExForum Faithful Different
The 'Grit and Grind' identity — forged during the Marc Gasol and Mike Conley era — isn't a throwback slogan in Memphis; it's a living religion. FedExForum crowds erupt on defensive stops and thunderous dunks the same way they did when Ja Morant was announcing himself to the league, because for Grizzlies faithful, the style of play matters as much as the scoreboard. Chants of 'Memphis! Memphis!' and the bear paw logo unite a blue-collar Mid-South fanbase spanning Tennessee, northern Mississippi, and eastern Arkansas that views its team as a working-class counterweight to every big-market franchise in the league. Rebuilds come and go, but #GrindCity doesn't blink.
Grizzlies vs. Warriors: The Rivalry That Put Memphis on the National Map
No rivalry in recent Grizzlies history hit harder than the 2022 first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors. Ja Morant's explosive performances on the biggest stage announced Memphis as a legitimate contender and turned a regional following into a nationally watched team overnight. The Warriors brought the glamour; the Grizzlies brought the grit — and neither fanbase has forgotten it. The Oklahoma City Thunder have since emerged as the Southwest Division rival with the most friction, given OKC's parallel draft-built ascent to contender status while Memphis now rebuilds, making every head-to-head a reminder of the gap Memphis needs to close.
Too Many Storylines, Not Enough Time — Scoutcast Keeps Grizzlies Fans Up to Speed
Right now, following the Grizzlies means tracking Ja Morant trade rumors, monitoring lottery odds, scouting Darius Acuff Jr. highlight reels, watching Cedric Coward's rookie breakout, and decoding what Tuomas Iisalo's system actually looks like — all at the same time. Scoutcast delivers a personalized daily audio briefing built specifically around YOUR team, so you never miss a roster move, a draft update, or a Jaylen Wells breakout game on your morning commute. No scrolling 15 tabs. No hot-take noise. Just the Grizzlies intel that actually matters, ready to play the second you hit the road.
Frequently Asked Questions
Memphis holds its own lottery pick with a 26.3% chance at a top-four selection. CBS Sports projects them selecting around No. 8, with Darius Acuff Jr. of Arkansas as a popular mock target. Their seventh-toughest remaining schedule could push odds even higher before the lottery.
The Grizzlies actively shopped Morant before the February deadline but found a thin market. Per Bleacher Report, Memphis still intends to trade him this summer. He has two years left on his deal at over $42M per season, and the team is prioritizing draft picks and young players in any potential return.
Memphis sent JJJ to Utah in a February 4 blockbuster for Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang, and three future first-round picks. The move confirmed a full rebuild pivot and gave the Grizzlies over a dozen first-rounders in the next seven years to restock the roster.
Cedric Coward leads the pack with 13.8 PPG in a standout rookie season as a two-way wing. Jaylen Wells has locked down a rotation spot as a perimeter defender. Walter Clayton Jr. arrived in the JJJ trade as a scoring guard, and Zach Edey, once healthy from his ankle injury, anchors the frontcourt future.
Tuomas Iisalo is Memphis's first-year head coach overseeing the rebuild. He inherited a historically injury-riddled roster and has been tasked with developing the team's young core — Coward, Wells, Clayton Jr. — while managing the Ja Morant situation heading into a pivotal offseason.
Memphis dealt Bane to the Orlando Magic in the 2025 offseason for four unprotected first-round picks and a pick swap. Combined with the JJJ trade haul, the Grizzlies now hold one of the largest collections of future first-round picks in the entire NBA.
Memphis has roughly a 26.3% chance at a top-four pick, with the likeliest outcome landing around No. 8 or No. 9. With one of the toughest remaining schedules in the league, those odds could improve before the May lottery drawing.