Cooper Flagg Named NBA Rookie Of The Year
Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg has been named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year for the 2025/26 season, the league announced today (Twitter link).
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft and the youngest player in the league, Flagg led all qualified rookies with 21.0 points per game while also contributing 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals in 33.5 minutes per night across 70 contests (all starts). According to the NBA (Twitter link), Flagg and Hall-of-Famer Michael Jordan are the only rookies since 1973 to lead their respective teams in total points, rebounds, assists, and steals.
Flagg is the third player in Mavericks history to be named Rookie of the Year, joining Luka Doncic (2019) and his current head coach Jason Kidd (1995), per the team (Twitter link). Flagg, Jordan, and Doncic are the only three players in the past 45 years to average at least 20 points, six assists, and four rebounds per game as rookies.
Flagg narrowly beat out his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel, who finished second in Rookie of the Year voting after leading the NBA in total three-pointers (273). The Hornets swingman, drafted fourth overall last June, trailed Flagg in points (18.5), rebounds (5.3), and assists (3.4) per game, but scored his points more efficiently, shooting 47.5% from the floor, 42.5% on three-pointers, and 86.3% from the free throw line. Flagg’s shooting line was .468/.295/.827.
There was a sense that Knueppel’s historic shooting numbers and the Hornets’ relative team success might give him the edge. Charlotte finished 18 games ahead of Dallas in the NBA’s regular season standings, while Knueppel became the first rookie to ever lead the league in three-pointers.
However, Flagg was rewarded for his all-around contributions and the way he handled becoming the focal point of the Mavs’ offense with Anthony Davis traded and Kyrie Irving sidelined, gaining the upper hand with a strong finish to the season. From March 21 onward, Flagg averaged 25.5 PPG on 46.1% shooting and had separate games of 51 and 45 points, while Knueppel averaged 14.1 PPG on 39.1% shooting.
Flagg received 56 of 100 potential first-place votes and 412 total voting points, with Knueppel earning the other 44 first-place votes and 386 points (Twitter link). Since the current Rookie of the Year voting format was implemented in 2002/03, only the 15-point gap in ’21/22 – when Scottie Barnes edged out Evan Mobley – was smaller than this year’s 26-point margin.
Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe was nearly the unanimous third-place pick, receiving 93 third-place votes to go along with a single second-place vote. Spurs guard Dylan Harper (five third-place votes) and Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward (one third-place vote) were the only other players to appear on at least one Rookie of the Year ballot.
Southwest Notes: Rockets, Capela, Pelicans, Coward
After being eliminated in the first round of the 2025 playoffs due in large part to their offensive struggles, the Rockets went out and traded for Kevin Durant last summer. But as good as Durant has been over the course of the season, he hasn’t solved the team’s scoring issues, according to William Guillory of The Athletic.
As Guillory details, after missing Durant in the first game due to a knee injury, the Rockets were even worse offensively in his return in Game 2. Although the star forward made 7-of-12 shots from the floor and scored 23 points, he consistently faced double-teams and committed nine turnovers, matching his career playoff high.
The Rockets have controlled the possession battle against the Lakers, attempting 44 more field goals than Los Angeles through two games. But Houston has been outscored by 16 points and failed to reach the 100-point threshold in either game, with Alperen Sengun (15-of-39), Jabari Smith Jr. (12-of-30), and Reed Sheppard (6-of-24) not scoring efficiently.
“I definitely need to be aggressive when I get the ball to the middle. I’m just missing so many easy shots,” Sengun said after Tuesday’s Game 2 loss, per Guillory. “I need to get back to who I am and dominate the paint when I have the ball. (I’ve got to) help KD a little bit and make my teammates better as well. … I’m not missing from long distance. I’m missing from under the rim. I’ve got to make those.”
The Rockets converted just 7-of-29 (24.1%) three-point attempts on Tuesday, with Sheppard – their leading outside shooter during the regular season -only playing 11 minutes due to the fact that he hasn’t fully earned head coach Ime Udoka‘s trust on the defensive end of the court.
As Varun Shankar of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required) points out, the Rockets lack reliable three-point shooters who can hold their own defensively. Dorian Finney-Smith, Houston’s big 2025 free agent addition, was supposed to be that kind of player but hasn’t looked like his usual self since returning from offseason ankle surgery. Tari Eason also has a three-and-D profile, but he has been up and down all season, including in this series so far — after hitting 7-of-7 shots from the floor in Game 1, he made just 4-of-14 in Game 2.
As the Rockets head back home looking to turn their series around, here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Earlier in the season, former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton griped about the Lakers “trying to make me Clint Capela,” a reference to his role within the team’s offense. With his Rockets facing Ayton’s Lakers in the playoffs, Capela told Melissa Rohlin of The California Post that he was “surprised” when he learned of Ayton’s comments. “I don’t know why I’m in someone else’s head. I don’t talk to the guy,” Capela said. “I mean for me, in my career, I did what I did for my team, had a lot of success. So, it worked out for me.”
- The Pelicans have at least 25 vacancies across their basketball and business operations departments, according to Shamit Dua of In The N.O., who reports (via Twitter) that the medical and performance team has seven openings. As Dua explains (via Twitter), while many of those vacancies are the result of an organizational restructuring, some staff members also left the team at season’s end because they didn’t know whether or not their contracts would be renewed.
- Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) previews the Pelicans‘ offseason, evaluating how they might go about upgrading their frontcourt and weighing which of the team’s veterans are the likeliest summer trade candidates. Based on the current make-up of New Orleans’ roster, Gozlan believes the front office should consider the possibility of rebuilding around Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears and moving several vets.
- After a promising rookie year, forward Cedric Coward is expected to play for the Grizzlies‘ Summer League team ahead of his second NBA season, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, who takes a look at what other young players on Memphis’ roster are likeliest to join Coward.
Grizzlies Notes: Morant, Jerome, Offseason, Coward
Since winning 48 games in 2024/25, the Grizzlies have traded away Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. and appear to be embarking on a full-fledged rebuild after posting a 25-57 record this season. Will star point guard Ja Morant be the next veteran on the move this summer?
General manager and executive VP of basketball operations Zach Kleiman was noncommittal on Monday when asked about Morant’s future with the team. As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal observes, the fact that he didn’t refer to the two-time All-Star as a franchise cornerstone represented a notable departure from his remarks in past end-of-season pressers.
“I’ll reiterate Ja has been a pro,” Kleiman said. “Ja has been a pro behind the scenes the last few months here. We have had open dialogue, we’ve had respectful dialogue. I think everyone is on the same page as much as they can be in this situation. I’m not going to speculate on potential transactions.”
Like Morant, reserve point guard Ty Jerome was limited by injuries in 2025/26. But the 28-year-old, a free agent addition last summer, was excellent in his 15 outings, averaging 19.7 points and 5.7 assists in just 22.6 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .474/.420/.875. While Jerome would likely have real value on the trade market this summer, Kleiman suggested the veteran guard remains part of Memphis’ plans going forward, according to Cole.
“I think we were all impressed with the balance Ty was able to strike as a scorer and as a facilitator,” Kleiman said. “He’s a very good basketball player. Of course, we see what he can be as part of this group.”
Here’s more on the Grizzlies:
- Kleiman acknowledged on Monday that there’s plenty of work still to do to turn the Grizzlies’ roster into one capable of contending, but he’s optimistic about the foundation already in place and the assets the team has on hand to keep building. “I’m confident that this is going to be a group people can rally around and be excited about going forward,” he said, per Cole. “I think if you zoom all the way out and look at the group of young players we already have, coupled with having as many first-round assets as nearly anyone in the league, it’s going to speak for itself soon.”
- After another injury-plagued season in Memphis, Kleiman suggested that the team will look this offseason into whether changes can be made within the organization to improve player availability and durability, according to Cole. “Every season, we look at the entire operation and make sure we’re doing what we can to put the group in the best possible spot going into the following season,” he said. “We’ll do that this offseason just like we always do.”
- A bright spot in a forgettable season for the Grizzlies, rookie wing Cedric Coward has made a case for a place on the All-Rookie first team, Cole writes in another Commercial Appeal story. The 11th overall pick averaged 13.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game on 47.1% shooting across 62 contests. Head coach Tuomas Iisalo lauded Coward for his contributions to winning, noting that he’s “just scratched the surface of what he can be,” while veteran big man Taj Gibson said on Monday that Coward reminds him of a “young Jimmy (Butler),” per Jonah Dylan of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
- In his preview of the Grizzlies’ offseason, Bobby Marks of ESPN examines some of the decisions facing Kleiman and the front office this summer, including what to do with Morant. Marks also observes that swingman Jaylen Wells will be extension-eligible beginning in July and could sign an extension of up to four years if the team declines his 2027/28 option as part of a deal.
Southwest Notes: Marshall, Mavs, Middleton, Coward, Eason
Although the Mavericks have been eliminated from postseason contention, the final stretch of the season remains important for several players looking to secure their next contracts. As Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal details, forward Naji Marshall falls into that group — he has earned praise recently from head coach Jason Kidd as he looks to put the finishing touches on a career year before he becomes extension-eligible this offseason.
Marshall’s scoring average of 15.5 points per game would be a new career high, as would his field goal percentage of 51.6%. The 28-year-old wing has also contributed 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per night through 71 appearances and has played 2,108 total minutes, second on the roster only to Cooper Flagg (2,132).
As of July 6, Marshall will become eligible for a contract extension that could cover up to four years and could be worth up to 140% of the league’s estimated average salary. That figure won’t be officially set until the start of the new league year, but based on early projections, Marshall would be eligible for a maximum of roughly $92MM on a four-year extension.
We have more from around the Southwest:
- The Mavericks haven’t hired a search firm to assist or guide them in their search for a new permanent head of basketball operations, league sources tell Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link). The expectation is that Dallas will name Nico Harrison‘s full-time replacement sometime between the end of the regular season and June’s draft, with current co-interim GMs Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi among the candidates. According to Stein, regardless of who ultimately gets the job, there appears to be growing interest throughout the organization in retaining veteran forward Khris Middleton beyond this season.
- It has been a pretty forgettable year in Memphis, where the 25-50 Grizzlies have been decimated by injuries and traded away former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. at February’s deadline. But the development of 2025 lottery pick Cedric Coward has been a silver lining, according to Jonah Dylan of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, who notes that the rookie forward has taken on more of a primary offensive role due to the club’s health issues. “Right now, when you look at our roster, he’s a featured guy and teams may put a lot more emphasis on stopping him,” head coach Tuomas Iisalo said after Coward scored 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting in a Saturday win over Chicago. “And I think he’s done a great job letting the game come to him.”
- After struggling mightily for several weeks, Rockets forward Tari Eason scored 16 points on Friday and 15 on Sunday, marking his two highest-scoring performances since the All-Star break. As William Guillory of The Athletic writes, Eason credited his breakthrough to a Thursday meeting in which his teammates made a point to emphasize his importance to the team’s identity. “It felt like it was pretty centered around me,” Eason said of that meeting. “It wasn’t directly pointing at me negatively. It was more so positive. It was more so affirmations. It was more so everybody kind of trying to lift me up. … Everybody just being there for me and embracing me was important.” Eason will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.
Grizzlies Add Tyler Burton On 10-Day Hardship Deal
12:08pm: The signing is official, the team tweets.
11:15am: The injury-riddled Grizzlies are signing wing Tyler Burton to a 10-day hardship exception, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
Burton has averaged 19.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game in 43 appearances with the NBA G League’s Memphis Hustle, shooting 45% overall and 38.6% from three-point range. He had a 31-point game against the Iowa Wolves on Sunday.
Burton, 26, went undrafted out of Villanova in 2024. He spent some time with the Grizzlies during training camp last fall on an Exhibit 10 contract before he was waived.
Burton was signed to a camp deal in early September. He also spent last season with the Hustle, appearing in eight games and averaging 2.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 12 minutes per night. He had a lengthy college career, as he played three seasons at Richmond and two at Villanova.
The Grizzlies are in need of bodies, as their injury report (Twitter link) suggests. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (finger) and Zach Edey (ankle) are out for the season after undergoing surgeries.
Ja Morant (elbow), Brandon Clarke (calf), Santi Aldama (knee) and Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe) are also listed as out for tonight’s game against Dallas. Ty Jerome (calf), Walter Clayton (ankle), Cedric Coward (knee) and Taj Gibson (reconditioning) are considered doubtful, while Cam Spencer (back) is listed as questionable.
A hardship exception allows a team to temporarily exceed the usual 15-man standard roster limit. The exception is granted when a club has at least four players who have missed three or more games and are expected to miss at least two more weeks due to an injury or illness.
Southwest Notes: Bagley, Flagg, Coward, Plumlee
With the announcement that Kyrie Irving would not play this year, the rest of the Mavericks’ season is expected to function as something of a fact-finding mission, Mike Curtis writes for the Dallas Morning News.
Dallas has five players set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, and one newcomer who has shown enough to warrant long-term consideration is Marvin Bagley III, who was a part of the Anthony Davis trade between the Mavs and Wizards.
“He’s a really good player,” coach Jason Kidd said of the former No. 2 overall pick. “He’s a grown-up and understands the NBA game a little bit. Sometimes it takes time. We all want it to happen overnight. I think the coaching staff, the media, everyone that’s been on this road trip or with him, has made him comfortable and you can see the way he’s playing.”
Since arriving in Dallas, Bagley has averaged 13.5 points and 8.8 rebounds in six games as a reserve and has three double-doubles in that span. Curtis points to the 26-year-old’s energy on the glass as a major factor in his success. Bagley is averaging 3.7 offensive rebounds per game with the Mavs and is a different archetype of big man than their top two centers, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford.
Curtis writes that Bagley has yet to find a franchise that will commit to him, but a deal to keep him in Dallas as a reserve center could be mutually beneficial.
We have more from around the Southwest Division:
- Cooper Flagg remains out for the Mavericks‘ game against the Kings on Thursday, Curtis notes (via Twitter). This will mark the fifth absence in a row for Flagg, who is dealing with a midfoot sprain, after he had previously missed just four games all season. Even if Flagg were to miss extended time, he’s not in danger of missing out on any end-of-year awards, as the 65-game rule does not apply to Rookie of the Year or All-Rookie.
- Having traded Jaren Jackson Jr. for picks and unproven players and with Ja Morant‘s future with the team still up in the air, the Grizzlies may be in need of a new face of the franchise, prompting Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal to wonder if Cedric Coward can step into that role. As Cole writes, Coward is notably self-assured for a rookie. “He’s a very mature kid for his age,” coach Tuomas Iisalo said. “I think that’s a very valuable commodity to have.” Coward has been injured since early February, but has still been very engaged with the team, both during games and practices, teammate Jaylen Wells noted. For his part, Coward is trying to keep a level head with the prospect of such expectations being placed on his relatively inexperienced shoulders. “You just try to make the best of whatever situation it is,” he said. “Whether it’s franchise cornerstone, whether it’s a building block — no matter what it is, the title doesn’t mean anything to me.“
- Mason Plumlee knows he won’t be playing major minutes with the Spurs, but he’s excited to take advantage of whatever opportunities present themselves, Tom Orsborn writes for the San Antonio Express-News. “I think I’ve seen guys check in for five minutes and turn a game around,” he said. “That’s the way I look at it.” The soon-to-be 36-year-old is inactive due to “return to competition reconditioning” as he makes his way back from groin surgery, but he says he feels great and is ready to get started with an organization he’s long admired. “When I came into the league (as a late-first round pick in 2013), the Spurs had all the guys that were winning championships, and I just remember them being so sharp in everything they did on the court, and you hear about how well it’s run behind the scenes and everybody gets hired (to become head coaches) out of here,” he said. “So you kind of know coming in that there’s something that works, there’s something unique.”
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Finger Surgery) Out For Season
Veteran wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will miss the remainder of the 2025/26 season after undergoing surgery on Thursday to address a misalignment of his right pinky finger, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter).
The news doesn’t come as a surprise, as Memphis revealed on Wednesday that Caldwell-Pope would have the procedure. The shooting guard is expected to make a full recovery before next season begins, per the team.
Caldwell-Pope, who was acquired from Orlando last summer in the Desmond Bane trade, made 51 appearances in ’25/26 for the Grizzlies, averaging 8.4 points, 2.7 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 21.3 minutes per game. His shooting line was .410/.316/.913.
The 33-year-old was a quality three-and-D contributor for several years, winning a pair of championships (with the Lakers in 2020 and the Nuggets in 2023) as a key role player. However, his production has fallen off the past seasons, particularly from behind the arc — he shot 38.9% from three-point range in the seven seasons leading up to 2024/25, but has converted just 33.3% of his outside looks since.
Caldwell-Pope has been remarkably durable throughout his career, never missing more than eight games in a season until now. He holds a $21.6MM player option for ’26/27 that he’s essentially a lock to exercise.
The Grizzlies, who have been hit hard by injuries all season long, will likely only have nine players active for Friday’s game at Utah (Twitter link).
Caldwell-Pope, Ja Morant (left elbow UCL sprain), Santi Aldama (right knee injury management), Brandon Clarke (right calf strain), Zach Edey (left ankle stress reaction), Cedric Coward (hyperextended right knee), Ty Jerome (right calf injury management) and Scotty Pippen Jr. (left great toe injury management) are all out, while rookie guard Walter Clayton is doubtful to suit up due to a right calf contusion.
As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes (subscriber link), head coach Tuomas Iisaslo provided injury updates on Coward and Aldama on Wednesday. Neither player was able to practice yesterday, and while Coward is said to be making progress, the prognosis for Aldama — who missed eight of the team’s last nine games leading up to the All-Star break — is murky.
“We want to get it to a baseline,” Iisalo said of Aldama’s right knee issue. “We spent those few games trying to go a little bit back and forth and it flared up every time.”
Southwest Notes: Flagg, Irving, Durant, Coward
Cooper Flagg appeared at Saturday’s game between Duke and Clemson with a boot on his left foot, but league sources tell Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) that the Mavericks believe they’re lucky that his midfoot sprain is not a more severe injury .
There’s still no specific timeline for how long Flagg will be out as a result of the injury, according to Stein, who says the more pressing concern for the team is how to keep the star rookie’s energy and enthusiasm up through what is likely the longest losing streak of his basketball life.
The Mavericks lost their last nine games prior to the All-Star break, which Stein notes is the team’s longest losing streak since the 1997/98 season. At No. 12 in the Western Conference, Dallas is currently two games up on the Jazz and 1.5 games behind the Grizzlies, who have embarked on their own rebuild after trading Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah.
With Jackson out for the rest of the season following knee surgery and Utah owing its pick to the Thunder if it falls outside of the top eight, it will be worth keeping an eye on just how quickly Dallas brings the productive Flagg.
We have more from around the Southwest Division:
- Kyrie Irving announced on Saturday that he will soon be giving an update on whether or not he plans to return for the Mavericks this season. While it would be beneficial for Dallas’ draft outlook for Irving to sit the rest of the season, Stein’s sources tell him that the decision will ultimately be a collaborative one between Irving and the team, as he writes in his latest Substack article. The decision will depend in part on whether the star point guard feels like his body needs more time to recover or whether he wants to try to work some rust off in-season.
- In the midst of his 18th season in the league, Kevin Durant is more concerned with making sure he remembers all the moves in his arsenal than adding new ones to it, Varun Shankar writes for the Houston Chronicle. “There’s so much I’m thinking about. I don’t want to forget some stuff in my package and it goes away,” Durant said. “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” Shankar details the Rockets‘ star’s meticulous pregame workouts, including the balance drills designed to engage his legs. When it comes to a bad workout, assistant coach Royal Ivey puts it bluntly. “I haven’t seen one,” he said.
- Cedric Coward has gone from mystery box draft prospect to breakout player for the Grizzlies, starting 35 of the 48 games he’s played this season with averages of 13.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest. He recently sat down with Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports to talk about his rookie year and what improvements come next. When asked about lessons taken away from being guarded by some of the league’s premier defenders, Coward spoke to a late-game situation against the Thunder and Alex Caruso. “Just keep it simple. The biggest moment I learned that was when we played Oklahoma City at home,” Coward said. “Last possession, Caruso put me in a box. And I was too complicated in what I was trying to do, so for me, I wish I could get that moment back, I know I’ll have that moment again — it might not be against Caruso, but I know the moment will come again.”
Southwest Notes: Mavs, Bryant, Coward, Wemby, Rockets
Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont is in the process of vetting candidates for the team’s head of basketball operations role, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The list of contenders for the job includes multiple veteran executives with “proven track records” of running a team’s front office, according to MacMahon — including some who currently hold that position in rival teams’ front offices.
League sources who have spoken to Christian Clark of The Athletic have “consistently” conveyed that the Mavericks don’t plan to make an out-of-left-field hire after the way things played out with longtime Nike executive Nico Harrison. High-level front office experience is a top priority for the Mavs this time around, Clark explains.
“After Nico, there’s not much room for creativity,” one source with knowledge of the situation told The Athletic.
Clark, who also hears that Dallas is expected to interview executives currently working for other teams, adds that a promotion to a top front office position for head coach Jason Kidd is unlikely. While Kidd has reportedly had a say in personnel decisions and wouldn’t be the first head coach to transition to a GM role, it doesn’t sound as if that’s a path the club is seriously considering.
- Spurs rookie forward Carter Bryant has been named an injury replacement for Friday’s Rising Stars event, per the NBA (Twitter link). Bryant will be taking the spot of Grizzlies rookie forward Cedric Coward, who has been ruled out due to right knee soreness.
- Victor Wembanyama scored 40 points in 26 minutes in the Spurs‘ victory over the Lakers on Tuesday, and despite the team’s sizable lead in the fourth quarter, he wanted more, Tim MacMahon writes for ESPN. “I was also pushing to go back, but I mean, they did the right thing by keeping me on the bench,” Wembanyama said. “We got to think long term. But yeah, these kind of games, you got to have the greed.” McMahon adds that coming into the game, the Spurs’ star was committed to ensuring the team did not let its guard down simply because it was facing the Lakers, whose squad was decimated by injuries. Wembanyama ended up playing over 33 minutes the next night in San Antonio’s 126-113 victory over the Warriors.
- The Rockets have the profile of a very good team, but they don’t feel like an inner-circle title contender, Varun Shankar writes for the Houston Chronicle. However, for a team missing its starting point guard (Fred VanVleet) since opening night, as well as one of its identity setters (Steven Adams) since mid-January, it’s not unexpected that the Rockets have struggled to play to the level they were predicted to be at before the season. “It’s all about perspective,” Kevin Durant said. “… My presence is allowing people on the outside to put heavy expectations on us and put the microscope on us and not realize that we’re still growing individually as players. Continuity matters. We had injuries too. But when I’m around, the expectations go up. Nobody cares about context.” Even if a championship isn’t in the cards this season, Shankar writes, the rest of the season still matters from a developmental perspective, especially with so many players contributing at a young age. Winning a playoff series or two would show the team is taking its next steps and positioning itself to be ready next year when it’s fully healthy again.
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.