The Memphis Grizzlies hosted the Phoenix Suns on Jan. 7, a game that left the home crowd disappointed.
Sure, it was the second night of a back-to-back for the Grizz. They were without Ja Morant, Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, Brandon Clarke, and Ty Jerome, amongst others.
Were the Grizzlies Too Quick To Reinvent Themselves After Contending Seasons?
The result was expected, but it was the comments from a former Grizzly after the game that turned heads. Dillon Brooks, after the game, told reporters:
“I just think they moved too fast, especially when I was there, Des was there, Steve-O. They tried to move too fast, tried to be reinventive too fast, and kind of bite them in the butt a little bit.”
In Brooks’ final two seasons for the Grizzlies, Memphis finished as the two seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The bar was high for head coach Taylor Jenkins and his team. The ceiling felt low with the current roster in place. Spacing was limited, and depth was an issue at times.
Las declaraciones de Dillon Brooks después de enfrentarse anoche a los Memphis Grizzlies:
“Jaren (Jackson Jr.) me llamó feo, pero él es más feo que yo. Siempre es bueno encontrarme con mis antiguos compañeros aquí, los echo de menos”
— Pasion Basket (@PasionBasketNBA) January 8, 2026
Beginning at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, Kleiman started to move on from rotation players in an attempt to be “reinventive,” as Brooks put it.
It started with Grayson Allen. Memphis got Allen from the Utah Jazz after his rookie season in a deal that shipped out Mike Conley, making room for the Morant era. Allen was a great fit next to Morant, a secondary ball handler who can spread the floor.
However, after just two seasons, Memphis traded Allen to the Milwaukee Bucks for one season of Sam Merrill, who has since become an essential piece on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ contending team.
All Grayson has done since he left is shoot 42.2% from three on 5.80 attempts per game. Gone too soon? That summer also saw Jonas Valanciunas being exchanged for Steven Adams, which led to the Grizzlies skyrocketing to the second seed in the West in 2021-22.
Jonas wanted to be an offensive option, but the pecking order was falling into place with Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane becoming the primary focus, despite the sporadic attempts of Brooks to assert himself as an option.
Steven Adams’ presence changed the game for the Grizzlies. Sure, he wasn’t going to spread the floor, and they were forced into drop coverage on screens, but his screen-setting gave Morant wide-open lanes to operate in.
His ability to guard the opposing center led Jackson Jr. to win Defensive Player of the Year, and the two-man game between Adams and Bane was one of the top combinations in the NBA.
However, after that ascension, Kleiman made further adjustments.
Kyle Anderson had averaged 24.1 minutes per game for Memphis before not being retained as a free agent in the summer of 2022. He went on to be a key rotation piece for a Minnesota Timberwolves team that finished third in the West in 2023-24.
Aggressive Moves Defined the Grizzlies’ Post-Contender Shift
De’Anthony Melton was also traded in the summer of ’22 to the Philadelphia 76ers for Danny Green and David Roddy. Melton went on to shoot a career high 37.9% from deep in 27.6 minutes of play during his two years in Philly.
Roddy is nothing more than a G-Leaguer now, and Green played all of three games in Memphis. Nonetheless, Memphis still finished second in the West at the end of the 2022-23 season.
The Grizzlies decided to move on from Brooks and backup point guard Tyus Jones that summer, as Jones was headed to a starting role with the Washington Wizards. The 2023-24 season was a disaster.
The Grizzlies were riddled with injuries and trouble, and superstar Morant battled his own demons off the floor. At the trade deadline, Memphis traded an injured Steven Adams for a pick that turned into current starter, Jaylen Wells.
Kleiman had been praised for his ability to find gold in the draft. He drafted Desmond Bane, Santi Aldama, Jaylen Wells, GG Jackson, Jake LaRavia, and even Edey and Coward.
While his innovation through the draft has paid off, his innovation in team building has yet to yield the same results.
They declined LaRavia’s player option, who is having a career year with the Los Angeles Lakers. They knew Edey would miss the beginning of the 2025-26 season and declined to bring back Marvin Bagley, who is in the midst of arguably the best season of his career. Brooks is a floor raiser that also lowers your ceiling.
The end of his time in Memphis was needed for both sides. But, perhaps, he was right. Maybe the Grizzlies have moved on from others too soon, trying to be innovative. Kleiman can scout the draft, but can he build a team?
