The Memphis Grizzlies used to have a simple formula: punch you in the mouth for 48 minutes, win the possession battle, and turn every game into a grind you didn’t sign up for.
Now they’re stuck in the modern version of NBA limbo. They’re 15-20, sitting 10th in the West, and they’ve dropped four straight, which is exactly the kind of slide that forces a front office to make a real choice instead of selling “patience.”
A big part of why this feels so shaky is that the Grizzlies already cashed out on their old third pillar. Desmond Bane is gone, shipped to the Orlando Magic in a deal that brought back Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and multiple first-round picks.
On paper, that’s a smart asset swing. In real life, it also means the Grizzlies no longer have that clean, obvious third scorer who can punish defenses when the stars get boxed in.
And the truth is, the current “two-star” situation doesn’t feel championship-shaped right now. Ja Morant is still explosive, but he’s not playing like peak Ja on a night-to-night basis, sitting at 19.0 points and 7.6 assists while shooting 40.1% from the field, which is a real dip from the 23.2 points he averaged last season.
Jaren Jackson Jr. is a monster defender and a huge piece, but he doesn’t consistently look like the second option on a title team either, putting up 18.6 points and 5.6 rebounds.
That’s why this article is even a thing: the Grizzlies need another star, someone who brings the old “Grit and Grind” edge but also gives them a real third pillar they can lean on when the playoffs turn into half-court warfare.
1. The “Offer The Pacers Can’t Refuse” Swing
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Pascal Siakam
Indiana Pacers Receive: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Santi Aldama, GG Jackson, 2027 first-round pick, 2029 first-round pick (via Magic)
This is the kind of trade that only exists if the Grizzlies decide they’re done playing around and want to fast-forward the “third star” conversation overnight. Pascal Siakam is still a real, nightly load.
He’s putting up 23.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 48.7% from the field and 37.2% from three this season. If you’re trying to rebuild an actual playoff offense around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., this is the cleanest way to add a proven half-court scorer who doesn’t need a perfect ecosystem to get buckets.
The Pacers’ side is where this really starts to make sense. They’re 6-29, riding a brutal 12-game losing streak, and the season is essentially gone. On top of that, Tyrese Haliburton will be out for the season, which kills any short-term optimism and pushes the timeline conversation forward.
With their current trajectory, they’re staring at a top-three pick in a draft that’s expected to feature a true franchise-altering prospect. That changes everything.
This package is basically the Grizzlies saying, “fine, we’ll pay the desperation tax.” Caldwell-Pope gives the Pacers a veteran guard who can help stabilize the perimeter right away, and he’s at 8.5 points with 3.1 assists this season.
Aldama is the real basketball sweetener, not just salary, because he’s been productive and playable. GG Jackson is the upside chip, the kind of young swing rebuilding teams still talk themselves into. Then the two first-rounders are the actual power move, because they give the Pacers real future control instead of just swapping contracts.
And yeah, the money works. Siakam is making about $45.6 million this season, while Caldwell-Pope comes in around $22 million, Aldama around $18.5 million, and GG Jackson around $2.2 million, so the outgoing number lands in the right neighborhood.
The risk for the Grizzlies is obvious: you’re paying picks and giving up depth, and if Siakam doesn’t elevate the ceiling, you’ve burned flexibility.
The upside is also obvious: this is the type of swing that turns the Grizzlies from “annoying” into “playoff problem,” because now defenses can’t load up on Morant and live with Jackson as a secondary creator.
If the Grizzlies want a third ‘Grit and Grind’ star who’s actually proven, this is what paying up looks like.
2. The Jazz Finally Hit The Reset Button
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Lauri Markkanen
Utah Jazz Receive: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Santi Aldama, GG Jackson, 2027 first-round pick, 2029 first-round pick (via Magic)
The Jazz are in the exact zone where keeping a $46 million scorer starts to feel like a luxury they can’t justify. They’re 12-22, sitting 13th in the West, and the numbers scream “lottery team” even when the offense pops.
Their net rating is in the red, and their defense has been a disaster, with a 122.7 defensive rating while sitting dead last in defensive efficiency.
So yeah, Lauri Markkanen can be awesome, and it still doesn’t matter if the team isn’t contending. He’s averaging 27.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 47.7% from the field, and he’s a legit 7’1, 240-pound mismatch who can score from everywhere.
But he’s also making $46.4 million this season, and paying that kind of money to hover miles outside the playoff picture is how teams get stuck in the middle forever.
That’s why the Jazz side here is simple: lean into the rebuild instead of pretending. The roster already has young pieces to evaluate, and the season is trending toward premium draft position anyway. If you’re staring at a long runway, Markkanen becomes a “cash out at peak value” asset, not a guy you cling to out of pride.
This package is the kind of return that actually looks like a pivot instead of a sad salary dump. Caldwell-Pope brings a real veteran perimeter presence, and Aldama is the type of forward who can either grow with the rebuild or get flipped later without killing flexibility. GG Jackson is the young upside chip, exactly the kind of swing a rebuilding team takes ten times and hopes one of them turns into a hit. Then the two first-round picks are the real prize, because they give the Jazz multiple bites at the apple without having to bottom out for five straight years.
On the Grizzlies side, Markkanen isn’t “Grit and Grind” at all. He’s not going to pick up 94 feet and start barking at people. But offensively? He’s a cheat code for what they need. His spacing changes the geometry for Morant, his size forces small-ball teams to pay, and his frame next to Jaren Jackson Jr. is nasty because Jackson already proved he can anchor a defense at the highest level as the 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year.
Markkanen gets to be the scorer, Jackson gets to clean up on help defense, and the rebounding burden gets lighter for a big who’s never been a natural glass-eater.
If the Jazz are serious about a reset, this is the kind of trade that finally makes it feel real. And if the Grizzlies want to modernize “Grit and Grind” into something that can actually score in the playoffs, adding a 7-footer who drops 27.9 a night is the loudest way to do it.
3. The Perfect “Modern Grit And Grind” Wing
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Trey Murphy III
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, GG Jackson, 2027 first-round pick, 2029 first-round pick (via Magic)
The New Orleans Pelicans are in that brutal spot where you’re too broken to chase wins, but you’ve got expensive, win-now caliber talent keeping you from a clean reset. They’re 8-29, 15th in the West, and the vibes are as bad as the numbers. They’ve dropped seven straight, they’re 2-13 on the road, and they’re giving up 123.1 points per game, which sits near the bottom of the league.
That’s the context where a Trey Murphy III decision actually becomes real. Murphy is awesome, but he’s also on a $25 million salary this season. When your season is already sliding into lottery territory, paying that kind of money for a prime-age scorer can feel backwards, because he’s good enough to drag you into the “not bad enough” tier without actually making you dangerous.
And yes, there’s been noise that the Pelicans are still resistant to moving Murphy at all, which is exactly why the offer has to be aggressive. Two first-round picks is the conversation starter.
Murphy’s production is exactly why the Grizzlies would do it anyway. He’s averaging 20.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting 49.2% from the field and 37.9% from three, plus 91.0% at the line. He’s basically a walking release valve for a team that desperately needs a secondary scorer who can punish defenses when they load up on Ja Morant.
He’s not “Grit and Grind” in the Dillon Brooks sense. He’s not the loud villain. He’s not the guy picking fights and trying to win the game with his chest. But he fits the Grizzlies in a way that might be even scarier, because he brings the spacing and shotmaking that the old version never had. He’s 6’8″, he plays big, and he forces defenses to respect him at the arc and on straight-line drives.
The pairing with Jaren Jackson Jr. is the sneaky part. Jackson has been at 5.5 rebounds this season, and everybody watching can tell you rebounding has never been the cleanest part of his profile. Murphy grabbing 6.1 a night helps, and it lets Jackson lean harder into what he actually does best, roaming, helping, and erasing mistakes. He’s literally a former Defensive Player of the Year, so giving him more help on the glass and less pressure to be a bruiser is smart team-building.
If the Pelicans are serious about a reset, this is the type of deal that speeds it up without feeling like a salary dump. And for the Grizzlies, Murphy is the clean “secondary scorer” answer that can make Morant look like Morant again, except this time with more shooting, more size, and way less drama.
Final Thoughts
This whole exercise comes down to one uncomfortable truth: the Grizzlies can’t keep pretending internal growth alone will fix this. The Desmond Bane exit changed the math, Ja Morant hasn’t looked like peak Ja yet, and Jaren Jackson Jr. is elite defensively but still doesn’t profile as the clear No. 2 scorer on a championship team. That’s not an insult, it’s just roster reality.
If the Grizzlies want to revive “Grit and Grind” in a modern way, they need a third star who actually shifts playoff coverages. Pascal Siakam is the most aggressive swing, the kind that instantly raises the floor and forces defenses to make real choices. Lauri Markkanen is the ceiling play, not gritty by reputation but devastating for spacing and a perfect offensive counterweight to Jaren’s defensive dominance. Trey Murphy III is the balance option, younger, cheaper long-term, and almost custom-built to let Ja breathe again as a secondary scorer who doesn’t need the ball to hurt you.
None of these trades are cheap. That’s the point. The Grizzlies aren’t shopping from a position of comfort, they’re shopping from a position of urgency. If they stand still, they risk wasting prime years waiting for something that may never fully arrive. If they pay up, they at least take control of the window again.
Modern Grit and Grind isn’t about grinding the score to 88-84 anymore. It’s about toughness plus shot-making. And if the Grizzlies are serious about being a playoff problem again, one of these swings is the type of bet they have to be willing to make.
