Grizzlies’ Kleiman Talks Deadline Moves, Cites Change In ‘Organizational Direction’

It was less than one year ago that Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman definitely stated “we are not trading” Ja Morant and referred to speculation from rival executives about a deal involving the star point guard a “fantasy.”

The Grizzlies didn’t move Morant at Thursday’s deadline, but they reportedly attempted to do so and plan to renew those efforts this summer. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Kleiman was less inclined than he was last February to make any definitive statements about Morant’s future, but he acknowledged that the team’s direction has changed drastically within the past 12 months, per Jonah Dylan of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.

“We’ve been incredibly supportive of Ja for many years,” Kleiman said. “This is about organization direction, though. This is not about Ja in particular. I understand that Ja is Ja and there’s more attention kind of paid to that. But all of this is grounded in organizational direction and building a team that we believe can achieve the highest level of success in this league.”

As Dylan observes, Kleiman repeatedly cited a change in “organizational direction” when discussing the next steps in Memphis and the trade that sent Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah this week. The Grizzlies moved Jackson after having traded Desmond Bane to Orlando last summer, seemingly paving the way to fully break up their former “big three” by dealing Morant next.

While there has been some speculation that the relationship between the team and the star point guard is shaky and could get worse now that his days in Memphis appear numbered, Kleiman downplayed the idea that there’s friction between Morant’s camp and the Grizzlies.

“I think we’ve been incredibly supportive of Ja,” he said. “Because Ja is Ja, there’s a lot of attention paid to Ja and everything around him. I honestly think a lot of it is overblown. I’ve had open, constructive, honest conversation with Ja and his camp and I’m going to continue to.”

Here’s more on the Grizzlies:

• Kleiman made it clear during Friday’s media session that the Grizzlies are “turning the page” and building around their young players, including Zach Edey, Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wells, and Cam Spencer, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I’m not going to sit here and crown any of them and say they’re going to be the next this, they’re going to be the next that, but we have a critical mass of players that fit the identity that we’re going for,” Kleiman said. “They’re tough-minded, they’re physically tough, they’re unselfish (and) they play the right way. I think they fit the way the NBA is going if you look at teams that are achieving the highest level of success this season.”
• Kleiman also singled out 2025 first-round pick Walter Clayton, one of four players who came over from Utah in the Jackson trade, as a player the Grizzlies like and who could be part of the club’s core going forward, Cole notes. “He fits the characteristics we are looking for,” Kleiman said. “Physically tough, tough-minded, smart, (and a) winner.”
• Although the Grizzlies are going through a roster reset, they don’t envision this as the beginning of a long, “drawn-out” rebuild, as Dylan relays. “I don’t think this is some five-year, try-to-be-terrible (process),” Kleiman said. “I don’t believe in that method of team building. Between the assets that we’ve accumulated and the players that we have, we’re very optimistic about what we have.”
• There are “conversations ongoing” about how the Grizzlies will use the 15-man roster spot they opened on Friday when they waived Eric Gordon, according to Kleiman (via Cole), but he acknowledged that addressing the frontcourt will likely be a priority. With Edey and Brandon Clarke recovering from injuries, Memphis doesn’t currently have any healthy centers
• New additions Clayton, Kyle Anderson, and Taylor Hendricks aren’t listed on Memphis’ injury report for Friday’s game vs. Portland and should be available to make their debuts, according to Cole. Of course, it’ll be a Grizzlies return rather than a Grizzlies debut for Anderson, who played for the team from 2018-22.