MEMPHIS, Tenn. — During his six-year tenure as general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies, Zach Kleiman has usually gone out of his way to avoid the spotlight.
Despite being the architect of a team that’s won at least 48 games in three of the last four seasons, few NBA fans could identify his face in a lineup. He’s likely happy with that.
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He went against his usual tendencies earlier this season when he released a public statement that made waves throughout the league. Though his intent was to quiet the noise in Memphis, Kleiman may have unknowingly given an early glimpse into the unease behind the scenes that led to the Grizzlies’ shocking late-season collapse and yet another early exit from the playoffs.
All of this culminated in Memphis falling short again in a 117-115 loss in Game 4 against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, which made the Grizzlies the first team eliminated from the 2025 playoffs following an unceremonious first-round sweep.
Back to the beginning of the slide. On Feb. 19, Kleiman released a statement to the Daily Memphian about the growing online chatter that Grizzlies star Ja Morant could be the next big name on the move if things took a turn for the worse in Memphis. Kleiman said Morant was not available.
It was an odd move by Kleiman, considering general managers rarely make public declarations stating their best players aren’t on the trade block, especially when that player is under contract for another three seasons.
“I can’t blame other ‘executives’ for fantasizing about us trading Ja. But it’s just that — fantasy,” he said in the statement. “Continue to underestimate Ja, this team and this city, and we will let our performance on the floor speak for itself. I’m not going to give this nonsense further oxygen and look forward to getting back to basketball.”
If Kleiman preferred for his team’s “performance on the floor (to) speak for itself,” then the focus should be on how the Grizzlies disintegrated over the past few months.
Before Kleiman’s statement, Memphis was the No. 2 seed in the West and a legitimate title contender when healthy. After the statement, his team went 12-16 over the final 28 games of the regular season, dropping to the No. 8 seed before the start of the postseason. Out of nowhere, the Grizzlies transformed from a Western Conference power to a below-average team. In their first-round series, the Thunder confirmed how large the gap has grown between Memphis and the real contenders. Including the Play-In and playoffs, the Grizzlies closed the year by going 1-16 against teams that finished the regular season above .500.
“The season didn’t end the way we wanted it to,” Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane said after Saturday’s loss. “We do have a strong sense of who we are and what we want to be. We didn’t win a game in a series, so we know we’ve still got a long way to go. We’re going to approach the offseason in that manner.”
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Morant’s absence in Game 4 due to a hip injury didn’t make life any easier for the Grizzlies, but the former All-Star was on the floor when his team opened the series with an embarrassing 51-point loss in Game 1. Even if Morant were healthy, it was only a matter of time before the Thunder put Memphis away for good.
Kleiman’s statement didn’t cause the Grizzlies’ spiral. It was much deeper than that. It showed how precarious things were in Memphis, though.
It is natural to wonder what changes are coming for the Grizzlies, or any team that fails so dramatically. However, the pressure attached to this situation is intensified because this core already has such a long history together.
Kleiman and Morant have been the most important figures in Memphis for the past six seasons. Despite all the success and trash talk that has come from this franchise during that time, it’s resulted in just one playoff series victory. Kleiman must confront that reality as he tries to get the Grizzlies back on track this offseason. Based on the number of empty seats at FedEx Forum ahead of Game 4, there may not be much patience.
Most of the attention coming out of this one will be on how Morant’s health played a factor in Memphis falling short in the postseason once again.
The hip injury that forced him to sit out Game 4 was a freak accident. But he’s missed five of the Grizzlies’ 27 playoff games since he joined the team in 2019, and his inconsistent availability in the regular season has been a constant cause for concern. Over the past four seasons, he’s missed 151 games, including 2023-24 when he was limited to nine games due to a suspension and shoulder surgery. He is a hyperathletic guard who naturally hits the floor hard frequently.
As the Grizzlies attempted to tweak their offense coming into this season, Morant’s numbers dipped considerably from where they were when the team posted back-to-back 50-win seasons a few years ago. It wasn’t just the offense that limited Morant. His shot attempts around the rim dropped. He took more 3s than ever. His continuous bouts with injury or off-court drama have prevented the Grizzlies from hitting their stride the past two seasons.
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While Morant still has three years and $126.5 million left on his deal, would Kleiman reconsider what he said a few months ago and explore the possibility of moving him for the right return?
Some teams may balk at this kind of move after the backlash the Dallas Mavericks received following the Luka Dončić trade. Given the Grizzlies’ last few seasons, Kleiman must at least think about it.
Morant’s actions continued to be a problem this year as his “finger gun” celebrations became a talking point around the league and his role in the late-season firing of former Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins came into question. Ultimately, Morant’s health will remain the biggest question for the Grizzlies or any other suitors.
Jaren Jackson Jr.’s future in Memphis is more pressing of an issue than Morant’s, if not more interesting.
Coming off his best season, if Jackson makes an All-NBA team this year, he’ll be eligible for a five-year, $345 million supermax extension. That’s a hefty price for a player who has never driven an elite offense.
Still, Jackson’s value on both ends has been immense. At just 25, he could still have room to grow.
For a team in a smaller market, making that kind of investment is complicated. It’s tough to find an alternate route if things don’t work out with a contract that costs more than $60 million per year.
Adding to the complexity, if Jackson doesn’t make an All-NBA team this season, he could be less likely to sign an extension this summer. Making an All-NBA next year would give him supermax eligibility. It’s easy to see Jackson leaving if things go poorly.
Would Memphis consider moving its best two-way player to get ahead of the situation? What kind of return could it get? All of those questions have to be on the table after a season like this.
Jackson’s inconsistent performance in this series certainly has to play a part in this decision, as well.
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“I’ve got to be a whole lot better,” Jackson said. “The onus is on me to put our team in position (to succeed). To make reads, make better passes, not turn the ball over and just be overall better in the postseason.”
Without Jackson, the Grizzlies would have major questions about how they can build a top-10 defense, especially considering Morant’s limitations on that end.
It may seem bizarre to move Jackson after the season he just had, but he might be the one who gets the best return of anyone on the roster. That doesn’t make the decision any easier.
Interim head coach Tuomas Iisalo was put in an impossible position, taking over a team with nine games left in the regular season and constant drama to overcome.
It is hard to judge Iisalo on a 15-game sample, but handing over the reins to an unproven entity could be dangerous for a team at a crossroads, especially when more proven commodities such as Michael Malone, Mike Brown and James Borrego could be available.
Kleiman clearly believes in Iisalo. He wouldn’t have put Iisalo in this position if he didn’t respect him. When asked Saturday about the potential of being the permanent head coach next season, Iisalo said: “I don’t have any thoughts on that subject. We had 15 games and two practices. I tried to do my best in those. Those decisions are for somebody else in the future.”
Kleiman has to make several major decisions as he tries to right the Grizzlies, who, just a few years ago, appeared to have a long runway to contend.
Morant’s future is in question. Jackson’s future is in question. Kleiman’s future will be in question if he doesn’t make the right moves this summer.
For now, this team’s performance on the floor has spoken definitively.
(Photo: Petre Thomas / Imagn Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
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