The Memphis Grizzlies are sitting on a roster that is simply too full for opening night, and the math is already forcing some hard choices.
Right now, Memphis has 20 players on standard contracts, with Quentin Post still not officially announced, plus three two-way players. That puts the Grizzlies at 23 total, while the league requires teams to get down to 18 by opening night: 15 standard deals and three two-way contracts.
So five standard contracts have to go.
The frontcourt does not appear to be where the squeeze is coming from. The bigger logjam is on the perimeter, where the guard and wing spots are crowded enough that a few names stand out as the most likely casualties. Based on the current setup, none of the bigs seem to be in danger.
The clearest candidates to be moved on from are Johnathan Motley and Dennis Schroder. Motley came over from the Dallas Mavericks in the six-team deal that sent Santi Aldama to Dallas and brought Isaiah Stewart to Memphis.
Drafted 23rd overall in 2023 by the Milwaukee Bucks, he entered the league as a long-term project, but the results have not come together. Memphis would be his fourth team heading into his fourth season, and even with his age - he is only 21 - the Grizzlies’ guard depth makes it hard to justify keeping him.
Schroder arrived Tuesday from the Wizards in that same six-team trade. At 30 years old and with a $5.9 million salary this season, he looks like the kind of movable piece Memphis could flip without much hesitation. His age and style do not line up cleanly with what the Grizzlies are building.
On the wing, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kris Murray also look vulnerable. Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime previously reported that the Grizzlies and Caldwell-Pope were working toward a parting resolution.
That tracks. Caldwell-Pope is 33 and is set to make $21.6 million, and at this stage of his career he would either be one of the team’s highest-paid players while not playing much, or he would be taking minutes away from younger players who need them.
Murray, who came from Portland in the Ja Morant deal, brings a 6-8 frame and some defensive upside, but his three-point shooting has been a major issue. Memphis may simply prefer its other wing options over him.
If those four are the obvious names to watch, that still leaves one more standard contract to clear. One likely path is a guard trade, with Ty Jerome, Cam Spencer and Scotty Pippen Jr. standing out as the most marketable pieces.
Spencer seems the least likely to be the odd man out unless Memphis gets a return it cannot refuse. Jerome and Pippen have both shown they can help over the last two seasons, though each missed significant time in 2025-26. Their contracts make them especially interesting as trade chips: Jerome is due $9.2 million in 2026-27, while Pippen is locked in at $2.4 million and $2.7 million over the next two years.
Walter Clayton Jr. is another possible move. His rookie season was rough, but the Grizzlies may still believe there is something there. If Clayton were dealt, Javon Small could be bumped up to a standard contract.
Memphis could also bundle players together in a two-for-one type of trade, though there are no current rumors pointing to a specific deal.
However it gets done, the Grizzlies still have work to do before October. The roster is crowded now, and the cutdown is going to require at least one more move before opening night.
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