With the stunning trade of franchise cornerstone Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz, Ja Morant's Memphis Grizzlies have officially pivoted to a rebuild before the NBA Trade Deadline. EVP/GM Zach Kleiman has amassed one of the NBA's largest collections of future draft assets in the process, including the Desmond Bane deal. A dozen future NBA Draft picks now belong to the Beale Street basketball operation. However, not all picks are viewed equally.
Based on league value assessments and internal strategy, the new treasure trove breaks down into three distinct tiers.
Untouchable NBA Draft Class
Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings (4) drives the lane against Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Christian Anderson (4) in the second half at United Supermarkets Arena.
Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images
These are the picks front offices covet as potential blue-chip lottery outcomes. They anchor rebuilds and headline star trades. The Grizzlies view them as controllable foundational pieces, the quickest, cheapest way to acquire All-Star caliber talent. On the market, they're highly coveted for their unprotected nature and the rebuilding timelines of the involved teams.
2026 Memphis Grizzlies
With Jackson Jr. gone and the Grizzlies now squarely in the great tank race of 2026, this is the most direct path to a top prospect immediately. Currently holding the 9th-worst record, Memphis has a great chance at a top-10 selection in a highly regarded draft class.
2027 Memphis Grizzlies
The team will not be ready to compete, roster will be constructed to finish in the NBA Draft lottery once again. Internally, this aligns with Kleiman's patient rebuild strategy, valuing it slightly below the 2026 pick but still as a core rebuilding tool. Market-wise, it's seen as another strong lottery bet.
2030 Memphis Grizzlies
Either Zach Kleiman has a championship roster, and this pick is in the late 20s, or a new front office has taken over. The other 29 NBA teams want this pick as a short, a hedge, betting against the Grizzlies pulling off a pivot from the Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. era.
2030 Orlando Magic (unprotected)
From a pure market standpoint, this is arguably the most attractive external pick in the war chest. Orlando’s long-term organizational stability is viewed skeptically by rival executives. The Magic's current Paolo Banchero project is volatile, with a non-trivial probability of another teardown cycle by 2030. Unprotected, distant picks from unstable franchises are how teams steal top-five outcomes years in advance. This is the kind of asset that can headline a future star package.
Grizzlies having second thoughts
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (left) and forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. (right) looks on during the second quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at FedExForum.
Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
This middle tier includes picks with good upside but more variability. The Grizzlies see them as trade chips for acquiring young talent or veterans, while the market prices them as reliable but not elite assets.
2026 Phoenix Suns (unprotected)
An immediate asset with tangible value, Phoenix's unprotected 2026 pick should land somewhere in the 20-25 range if the Suns maintain their competitive trajectory. While not a home-run selection, it represents a quality addition in the upcoming draft and could be packaged with Memphis's own top-10 pick for a team looking to move up for a specific prospect. The certainty of getting a first-round pick in 2026 makes this a reliable if unspectacular asset.
2031 Memphis Grizzlies
Six years is an eternity in NBA planning, but this pick still holds substantial value. If the franchise has succeeded, this becomes a late first-rounder that is still valuable but not transformative. If they've failed, it could be another lottery pick in a continuing cycle of mediocrity. The distance makes projection nearly impossible, but the pick remains a quality asset that most contending teams would happily include in a trade package.
2028 Memphis Grizzlies
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By 2028, the Grizzlies expect to be good. The organization believes their current core, alongside whoever they draft in 2026 and 2027, has tremendous potential if development goes according to plan. Memphis is likely to acquire a couple of fringe All-Star caliber talents to chase the postseason, making this pick a likely 18-25 selection at best. The rest of the NBA sees the vision but may want to short the market. The divergence between internal optimism and external skepticism creates interesting trade dynamics.
2032 Memphis Grizzlies
Seven years into the future, this pick is more concept than concrete asset. Still, it provides Memphis with flexibility and additional ammunition in trade negotiations. By 2032, the league's landscape will be unrecognizable. The uncertainty actually enhances its value in certain trade scenarios, particularly as a sweetener in a larger deal.
Scrap value in swaps
The lowest tier features picks with protections, swaps, or optimistic projections, making them trickier to value. Internally, these are viewed as supplementary assets for packaging in deals, and the market will want a discount due to their contingencies.
2031 Phoenix Suns (unprotected)
Matt Ishbia's post-superteam future remains opaque now that Kevin Durant left town. The Suns are doing finenow sure. Aging curves, cap inflexibility, and ownership appetite for resets all factor into how the league prices this pick. Phoenix could be bad by then, but it’s not close enough to be treated like near-term lottery equity. Ownership might pony up for another run at a title, too, having learned from a few mistakes the first go-around.
2027 Los Angeles Lakers (top-4 protected)
Protections matter. Top-4 protection materially reduces the chance this becomes a franchise-altering asset. The market also assumes the Lakers won’t voluntarily waste a year of Luka Dončić’s prime, which compresses downside risk. Useful in packages, but rarely a centerpiece.
2029 Memphis Grizzlies (1-14)
Pick swaps are notoriously hard to price. This one is contingent on Memphis underperforming relative to the counterparty in the lottery range. With two unreliable franchises involved, the variance is high, but the expected value is modest. Front offices discount swaps heavily unless the trajectories are clearly divergent.
2029 Orlando Magic (15-30)
This is the least valuable asset in the portfolio. A swap limited to the back half of the first round between two volatile franchises rarely moves negotiations. It’s a marginal upside kicker rather than a meaningful building block.
Zach Kleiman's decisions in the Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desond Bane trades were less about a single return and more about purchasing optionality. The risk, of course, is that none of these picks becomes a true blue-chip outcome. If the Grizzlies fail to land at least one genuine top-five caliber prospect out of this portfolio, the deals will go down as a quantity-over-quality moves in a league where quality still dictates ceilings.