It wasn't even the end of the NBA Finals yet when the Memphis Grizzlies pulled off a blockbuster trade, sending Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, three first-round picks and a pick swap — signaling a change of roster-building ethos for the Grizzlies front office.
This did not mean that they were punting on the 2025-26 season, and their subsequent moves have made that even more clear. The Grizzlies signed Jaren Jackson Jr. to a five-year, $240 million contract extension, brought back Santi Aldama on a three-year, $52.5 million deal, and then signed Ty Jerome to a three-year, $28 million contract in free agency — moves that indicate they're continuing to gun for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Losing Bane will be a major blow for the Grizzlies, as Bane has been one of the best volume marksmen in the association over the past few seasons and has expanded his game to the point where he's become a more than capable playmaker and ballhandler as well, averaging over five assists per contest this past season.
Memphis, however, appears to have decided to just go all-in on the duo of Ja Morant and Jackson while looking to put together the deepest possible roster around them — emulating the roster-building model that brought the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers so much success last season.
But there appears to be a logjam for the Grizzlies on the guard spots, and that is something they're going to have to address prior to the start of the 2025-26 campaign.
Cole Anthony may not be part of the Grizzlies for long
Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) dribbles in the second half at Frost Bank Center.
Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
The Grizzlies simply just have too many players battling for so few spots in the backcourt rotation that one player has to be the odd man out. And it's looking like that guy will be Anthony, one of the pieces acquired in the Bane trade.
This is not a knock at all on Anthony; he is a feisty guard who fights on defense, and he brings so much swagger and confidence every time he's on the court. He's not an elite defender, but he will fight with everything he's got — which would give the Grizzlies backcourt a different dimension should they decide to keep him.
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However, the Grizzlies went out of their way to pursue Jerome, and they still have Scotty Pippen Jr. on the roster — one of the best backups in the entire league. Pippen always seems to come up huge whenever Morant is out, and he played huge minutes for the Grizzlies in the playoffs — an indication that head coach Tuomas Iisalo is a fan of what he brings to the table.
Pippen and Jerome figure to get the bulk of backup minutes at either guard position, while Caldwell-Pope will be the undisputed starter for the Grizzlies at the two, with KCP having built a reputation for himself as one of the best 3-and-D guards in the association.
This would leave Anthony on the outside looking in, as there is no way he can suit up at the three. Even the Grizzlies' small forward picture is crowded, what with Jaylen Wells, GG Jackson, and Vince Williams Jr. all having prototypical wing size, which would discourage Memphis from ever utilizing three-guard lineups.
Anthony, however, could end up being a viable piece to have should the Grizzlies face injury problems to their guard rotation. He is only 25 years old and could be valuable to keep, if only as a salary-matching piece in the future with his $13.1 million a year contract (with a team option for next season worth the same amount).
With that, perhaps the Grizzlies could look into trading John Konchar instead. With the selection of Cedric Coward in the 2025 NBA Draft, Konchar could find himself out of the rotation entirely. An injury or two may not even be enough to open a rotation spot for him; this is just the reality of how deep Memphis' roster is at the moment.
Nevertheless, it is fair to wonder just how much interest there is in Konchar on the trade market. He can be a good rebounder for a guard, but he's not a high-volume three-point shooter, nor is he a playmaker or ballhandler. He can be a stout defender, but at 6'5″, he can be overmatched against bigger wings.
Whatever the case may be, the Grizzlies are ripe to make either a consolidation trade, or another deal similar to the Jay Huff one they made with the Indiana Pacers, when they let go of a potential rotation piece to acquire some draft assets in return. But it looks as though Anthony himself is angling for a potential trade, which should help grease the wheels for the Grizzlies.