When Desmond Bane was traded on Father's Day, speculation ran wild with accusations that the Grizzlies were headed toward a total rebuild. Unfortunately, no such scenario will be playing out in the Western Conference this offseason as Memphis' front office has quickly made it clear that they have no intentions of bottoming out.
The Grizzlies still want to build around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr, per @ShamsCharania
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24 ) pic.twitter.com/Rt2gg0ZSjO
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 16, 2025
Desmond Bane was traded to the Orlando Magic for four first-round picks, a first-round pick swap, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Cole Anthony. It's the kind of move you would normally make if you were beginning a quest to stack picks for a rebuild, but apparently, that's not the plan here.
Looking at the current state of the Western Conference, the challenges are stacking up for the San Antonio Spurs. This is the year of the resurgence for the Silver and Black. All reports indicate that they're ready to make the playoffs again. Parity is at an all-time high in the league right now, though, so the climb back to the top is going to be steep.
The Western Conference is entering its most difficult era ever
Not too long ago, I looked at the Western Conference, realizing how tough it was and still didn't give it the credit that it deserves for what's being built on the other teams. That's my fault. I should have known that the West would be the first of the two conferences to build up their teams to compete under the new CBA rules that have begun restricting the construction of super teams in the NBA.
But most of the teams San Antonio will have to contend with are taking steps to improve their rosters. The eighth seed won 48 games this year. That was a Grizzlies team that suffered a bunch of injuries, including one that cost them Morant for the end of their season. He's expected to return at full strength.
It was already going to be tough, but add Utah to the mix. They'll get Lauri Markkanen back healthy; they also have two draft picks in the first round, assets, and cap room. Sacramento has made some bad personnel decisions, but that's a team with Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan. They have talent. If they can flip the right player or even just figure it out, they could be a surprise team.
Of course, there will be franchises that struggle for one reason or another, but these things can change quickly. The timing is bad for Phoenix, and their roster doesn't fit together, and the Pelicans have been a dumpster fire for a long time.
However, New Orleans had a horrific injury fortune last season. A more favorable year in that department could reveal a more competitive team than we realize if they have a successful offseason.
The same goes for Phoenix. If they get a solid return for KD and flip the right assets, they could be good enough to cause headaches for every opponent they step on the court with. It's not like they don't have Devin Booker on that team.
The Dallas Mavericks are without Kyrie Irving to begin the year, but he'll be back. Anthony Davis will be motivated to prove himself to Mavs fans, and they're adding Cooper Flagg.
The Western Conference is shaping up to be a hell of a gauntlet. Hopefully, the guys have the stamina to wage a long war, because once they step onto the battlefield, there won't be a clear path to the throne. Obstacles will be plentiful, and adversity will become commonplace. But legends are forged in those fires, and the Spurs have the right guy for the job.