With Ja Morant gone to the Portland Trail Blazers in the deal that brought Jerami Grant and Kris Murray back to Memphis, the Grizzlies’ old “GrzNxtGen” core is down to one name: Santi Aldama.
That alone makes him the most obvious trade chip left on the roster.
Aldama, the No. 30 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, has real value for Memphis if he stays put. At 6-foot-11, he’s the kind of combo forward teams chase: versatile, skilled, and able to score at all three levels at an above average or better clip.
He can help a team trying to win now - and Memphis, even without tanking, does not look like a contender anymore. His contract, which sits at roughly $17 million this season and next season with a team option, is the sort of number that can pull in interest from a contender once the bigger trade moves start to ripple through the league.
One path sends Aldama out as part of a larger consolidation move.
New Orleans Pelicans receive: Santi Aldama, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, two 2032 2nd round picks
Memphis Grizzlies receive: Dejounte Murray, 2029 1st round pick from New Orleans (top-14 protected, becomes two 2030 2nd round picks if not conveyed)
For Memphis, the appeal is clear: turn a player who helps right now into a protected first-rounder and some added flexibility. Aldama might be the best player in the deal, and he would give New Orleans a much-needed frontcourt scoring option off the bench. The Pelicans also get out from under Murray’s money, including a $30 million player option for next season.
From the Grizzlies’ side, the logic mirrors the Ja Morant trade, only with far less certainty that Murray would actually be on the floor much. Murray has had trouble staying healthy, and when he has suited up for New Orleans, the production hasn’t been there.
Still, with Jeremiah Fears emerging, the Pelicans could be pushed to consider the move. Murray would also give Memphis point guard depth now that Morant is in Portland, and if he opts in to the final year of his contract the way Jerami Grant did, the Grizzlies at least get a usable piece.
If Murray barely plays, Memphis still walks away with another future first and doesn’t block its own path. If he does contribute, he brings defensive disruption through steals and helps immediately. Either way, the Grizzlies save about $6 million.
But Aldama doesn’t have to be moved only for draft capital and salary relief. There’s also a version of this where Memphis uses him to bring in longer-term talent.
Oklahoma City Thunder receive: Santi Aldama, Cam Spencer, 2029 1st round pick swap rights, 2032 2nd round pick
Memphis Grizzlies receive: Cason Wallace, Lugentz Dort
That deal would save Oklahoma City almost $6 million and move the Thunder closer to the second apron while keeping them competitive. Aldama’s scoring would help, and Cam Spencer’s bargain contract adds another layer of value.
Spencer is under team control for the next three combined seasons at roughly $7.5 million total, and his offense and defensive effort make him a tempting piece. The article makes the case that he could be one of the best value players in the league, which is exactly the kind of thing that would catch the Thunder’s attention.
Memphis, meanwhile, would be chasing a different kind of payoff. Dort brings the kind of perimeter defense that fits anywhere, but Wallace is the prize.
If Oklahoma City can’t work out an extension, the Grizzlies would surely love the chance to make him part of the long-term plan. In that setup, Memphis would also have about $38 million coming off the books for the 2027-2028 season between Dort and Caldwell-Pope.
That kind of room could make a 4-year, $80-$85 million deal possible without interfering with business involving Cedric Coward or Cameron Boozer. And even if Memphis gives up Aldama and Spencer, the idea is that Karim Lopez and Richie Saunders could eventually step in as replacements in this new Grizzlies era.
So Aldama may still be part of Memphis’ future. But with free agency and the rest of the NBA offseason about to take off, he also looks like the last major old-guard piece who could be moved.
In Other News...
Karim Lopez Faces His First Real Chance To Win Over Grizzlies Fans
Karim Lopezs arrival gives the Grizzlies another young piece to sort through after taking him 21st overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, and he comes with a profile Memphis tends to appreciate. The 19-year-old spent two seasons with the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL, where his physicality and passing flashed enough to make him a notable prospect, and now he gets his first real stage with NBA Summer League in front of him.
For Memphis, the appeal is obvious: Lopez already looks like the kind of wing-sized player who can do more than one thing, even if the shot and the on-ball creation still leave room for questions. Summer League gives him a clean chance to make a first impression, and if he translates the same toughness and playmaking he showed overseas, he could quickly become one of the more interesting names in the Grizzlies offseason mix. [Read more 🡒]