The Grizzlies’ latest roster shakeup left them with a familiar basketball question and an unfamiliar answer. Jerami Grant is in Memphis after the team sent Ja Morant to the Trail Blazers, and the veteran forward now lands on a roster that already has plenty of bodies at his natural spots.
Grant, 32, is expected to begin the season as either the oldest or second-oldest player on the team. That alone says plenty about where he fits in the Grizzlies’ timeline.
It also raises the practical issue of minutes. Cameron Boozer, the No. 3 overall pick, is likely to take the bulk of the power forward workload, while Karim Lopez and GG Jackson could also need time at the four.
One option is to slide Grant to small forward, but Sean Highkin believes he is still best deployed as a power forward at this stage of his career. That matters because Grant has developed into a reliable three-point shooter, a skill that could help Memphis stretch the floor around Boozer and Zach Edey’s rim presence.
Elsewhere in the West, Victor Wembanyama is back in action and already has a late-game win over Nikola Jokic’s Serbian Team in a FIBA exhibition on his résumé. Afterward, Wembanyama said, “It’s strange to suit up in France again, but honestly, there’s nothing easier than coming back and playing big games like this,” according to Johnny Askounis of EuroHoops.
He also said France is still building chemistry and that the exhibition should help the group move forward together. On a personal level, he saw value in the matchup too.
“You always learn when you play against Jokic,” Wembanyama said. “From those interior duels, you pick up counters, smarter footwork.”
Denver, meanwhile, turned quickly after trading Peyton Watson to the Cavaliers, agreeing to terms with DeMar DeRozan to add bench scoring and playmaking. Mark Kiszla of the Denver Gazette framed the move less as a direct answer for Watson’s departure and more as a replacement for last year’s sixth man, Tim Hardaway Jr.
Kiszla also wondered whether the 37-year-old can truly shift Denver’s championship outlook. In his view, the signing helps, but only slightly - enough to move the offseason grade from an F to a double D.
In Oklahoma City, the Thunder are chasing a different kind of upgrade after falling short of the Finals last season and losing to the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman noted that the path back to the championship round starts with individual growth across the roster.
For Alex Caruso, that means continuing to show defensive versatility and taking on some of the larger matchups that Luguentz Dort once handled before being traded. For Chet Holmgren, the ask is bigger: he needs to be more assertive offensively in the playoffs after struggling to find rhythm and make an impact for a short-handed Thunder team.
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Micah Nori Faces One Huge Task As Blazers Camp Opens
Micah Nori is settling in as the Trail Blazers new head coach as training camp opens, bringing with him the experience he built as an assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Portland is asking him to put his stamp on the program quickly, with camp offering the first real chance to install his ideas and establish how this team wants to play after a coaching change.
The timing matters because the Blazers are looking at a roster with a very different ceiling than it had a season ago, thanks to the return of Damian Lillard and the additions of Ja Morant and Deni Avdija. How Nori pieces together that mix will go a long way toward shaping Portlands place in the Western Conference, and camp is where the first clues will start to emerge. [Read more 🡒]
Shaedon Sharpe Faces A Blazers Role That Could Change Everything
Portlands backcourt picture is getting crowded in a hurry, and Shaedon Sharpe is right in the middle of it. With Ja Morant and Damian Lillard expected to open next season as the starting guards, the Trail Blazers are preparing to bring Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson and Sharpe off the bench, a setup that changes the shape of a rotation that already had to absorb Lillards return from injury and Morants arrival via trade.
For Sharpe, the assignment is less about status than impact. He just spent last season showing what he can do as a starter, but the next step may be defining himself in a reserve role that still carries real weight for Portland. The Blazers are still sorting out how the pieces fit, and Sharpes usage could shift again depending on how the group settles in and what the roster looks like down the line. [Read more 🡒]