1 week Ago By Kenny Kluska, Last Word On Sports
There was a time this season when the Memphis Grizzlies had the second-best record in the Western Conference. Things were looking up for both the present and the future, as they were having success even with mostly starting two rookies. That success didn’t last all season.
Their second-half swoon even resulted in a late head coaching change after the team fired Taylor Jenkins . Memphis was forced to participate in the Play-In Tournament. After losing to the Golden State Warriors, they defeated the Dallas Mavericks to earn the eighth seed.
Their reward? They would have to face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. The result? Memphis was swept in four games, and Game 1 was one of the most lopsided losses in NBA playoffs history. It’s now time for them to focus on the offseason.
Let’s take a look at the Grizzlies free agents and predict whether they stay or go. (Note: This doesn’t include their two-way players Yuki Kawamura and Cam Spencer who will also be free agents. Lamar Stevens , who signed for the rest of the season after a 10-day deal in mid-March, is also not listed.
) Stay Or Go? Predicting What Happens With Grizzlies Free Agents Santi Aldama (Restricted) – Stay Now four years deep into his NBA tenure, it was a career-best season in 2024-25 for Santi Aldama . The 24-year-old power forward spent the majority of the season as the Grizzlies sixth man (65 games, 16 starts). On the year, Aldama posted averages of 12.
5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists (all career-highs).
He also shot career-bests from the field (48.3%) and from three-point territory (36.8%).
As reported by ESPN, it is widely expected that Aldama will be retained as he is to enter restricted free agency. Marvin Bagley III – Leave The second overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Marvin Bagley III hasn’t had the career expected of him. While he averaged double figures in scoring each of his first six seasons, Sacramento Kings fans certainly wish he hadn’t been selected over Luka Doncic (as well as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Trae Young ).
Starting the season with the Washington Wizards, Bagley III was traded to Memphis in February. Now on his fourth NBA team, the 26-year-old power forward often wasn’t a part of the Grizzlies rotation. He went 8-8 from the field with 17 points in Game 1, albeit in garbage time as Memphis was embarrassed.
Bagley III played 11 minutes in Game 2, but didn’t come off the bench in the last two outings. Luke Kennard – Leave A three-point sniper, Luke Kennard just finished his second full season with the Grizzlies. The team acquired him in a trade in February of 2023 from the Los Angeles Clippers.
He shot 43.3% from beyond the arc this season which was remarkably his lowest mark in five years. Kennard led the league in three-point accuracy back-to-back seasons in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
While he’s still relatively young (28 years old), the Grizzlies have younger guys who play the same shooting guard position. Jaylen Wells (who missed the first round series with injury) likely will find his way on the All-Rookie First Team. Vince Williams Jr.
was hurt much of the year, but he will turn just 25 on August 30. Aldama will likely be the priority for Memphis, and Kennard is likely to find a decent-sized deal from another team due to his three-point prowess. This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.
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