Quinten Post’s move to Memphis looks like the kind of deal that can turn fast.
He signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Grizzlies after leaving the Golden State Warriors this offseason, but the money doesn’t tell the whole story. Only the first season is guaranteed, which is why his name is already floating in trade chatter ahead of February’s mid-season deadline.
That’s the part of this deal that makes Post more than just a new addition. It also makes him a possible expiring piece if Memphis decides to use his salary as matching money in a trade.
Third Apron’s Yossi Gozlan laid out that possibility plainly, saying, “They overpaid for Post but on a very short-term deal, and if things don't work out they've got a trade chip in him. They could try to use his non-guaranteed salary the same way they used Taj Gibson's,”
On paper, Post arrives with a chance to carve out a role, but the depth chart won’t make that easy. The seven-footer is expected to sit behind Zach Edey and Isaiah Stewart among the Grizzlies’ young big-man options, and that could keep his minutes tight. If that happens, the questions about his future could come far sooner than anyone would usually expect for a player who just landed a free-agent deal.
Memphis could always let the season play out and then waive him without taking on a cap hit. Still, the cleaner move might be to use him in a trade before the deadline if the Grizzlies can turn his salary into a player they believe fits the long-term picture better.
Post, meanwhile, clearly made the kind of choice many players would make in his spot. He took the bigger offer in restricted free agency after the Warriors declined to match, with Golden State dealing with its proximity to the second apron while pursuing superstar forward LeBron James. The deal gave Post his first real payday after being drafted 52nd overall in 2024.
Even with that raise, there’s no guarantee Memphis is more than a stopover. If he doesn’t get enough opportunity to prove himself, he could be back in free agency again next year, with the second season of his contract still very much up in the air.
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There is a real opening there, and not just in the frontcourt. Golden State also has a starting job to sort out at shooting guard, where Brandin Podziemski and De'Anthony Melton are in the mix. For now, the camp spotlight is on how the Warriors balance those battles while trying to find the right fit around Green before the season gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]