Memphis

Grizzlies

There have been rumors about the Grizzlies moving away from Memphis. The whispers have been growing stronger of late, and for his part, team owner Robert Pera has reportedly already inquired about the possibility of moving the franchise away from the city.

While there is always a legitimate chance that the Grizzlies decide to move elsewhere -- be it for financial reasons or otherwise -- it is worth noting that according to a report by Geoff Calkins of The Daily Memphian, a clause in the team's current deal with the FedDex Forum could play a key role in the team ultimately remaining in Memphis. According to the report, there is an early termination clause in the lease which would require both the city and the country to pay millions of dollars should the team move away from Memphis. Ideally, this should serve as enough motivation for the organization to stay in the city for the foreseeable future.

Then again, don't expect the rumors to end anytime soon.

The Grizzlies barely missed out on the playoffs in 2020-21. After a noteworthy run prior to the coronavirus-caused hiatus, Memphis struggled in the bubble. They ultimately fell to the Portland Trail Blazers in a play-in round to determine the eighth seed in the West, as Damian Lillard and Co. booked their spot in the postseason.

The Grizzlies entered the 2020-21 season with renewed hope and equipped with the confidence to say that they can indeed compete against the best in the West. They finished the first half of the season with a 17-16 record and appear to be on track for the play-in round again as the season comes to a close.

This is pretty much how the Grizzlies are expected to fare the rest of the way. They will be battling with the likes of the San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors, and New Orleans Pelicans for the final few spots in the West. It's not going to be an easy road ahead by any means -- the play of Ja Morant will be key to the Grizzlies' success -- but a playoff berth in 2021 is an attainable goal for Memphis.

Ja Morant took the basketball world by storm in his rookie season, establishing himself as one of the brightest young stars in the NBA today. Memphis has a stud in Morant, and he has proven that he can be a cornerstone star the team can build around.

Right now, the Grizzlies have a handful of young and highly-promising players on their roster that could serve as key building blocks in their core, including Jaren Jackson Jr., De'Anthony Melton, Brandon Clarke, and even rookie Desmond Bane.

Jonas Valanciunas has emerged as a formidable force down low, but at 28, he does not seem to fall into the Ja Morant timeline. The same was said for Gorgui Dieng, who was waived before signing with the San Antonio Spurs. Memphis could also take the same approach for players such as Kyle Anderson and Dillon Brooks.

The Grizzlies do not have too many assets at their disposal in terms of future draft picks (as it is they might not even have a first-rounder for the 2021 NBA Draft). It is no secret that Memphis is not a prime destination for free agents either. As such, building around Morant will likely involve more trades. It wouldn't be surprising if the Grizzlies become one of the most active teams in the 2021 offseason.

After spending the first five years of his career with the Miami Heat, Justise Winslow made his way to Memphis in February 2020 as part of a three-team deal that also involved the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Winslow has not had the opportunity to make his mark with his new team, as it was only in February of this year that he was able to make his Grizzlies debut. The 24-year-old was out of action for a significant period due to injury, and now that he has been given a fresh start, Winslow will look to revive his career in Memphis.

Winslow currently has two more years in his contract, but the Grizzlies hold a team option on his deal for 2021-22. He is set to pocket $13 million next season, which is a lot of money for a player who's averaging less than 10 points per game on 37/38-percent shooting.

Winslow, the 10th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, has already shown in the past that he is capable of being a key player for an NBA team. Winslow will need to play some of his best basketball to prove that he is worth $13 million next season. Otherwise, Memphis could very well look to spend that money elsewhere and let him walk as a free agent come summer time.

According to Forbes, the Grizzlies franchise is currently worth $1.3 billion.

The team is owned by Robert Pera, who purchased the team back in 2012. Back then, Pera paid just $377 million for the rights to own the franchise.

Last season, the Grizzlies declared revenues of $210 million and an operating income of $22 million.

The Grizzlies franchise is currently owned by Robert J. Pera, a 42-year-old American businessman who is estimated to have a net worth of $14.7 billion. Pera purchased the team back in 2012 for an estimated amount of $377M. Since then, his investment has grown significantly, with the Grizzlies now reportedly worth $1.3 billion.

Pera made his fortune in the tech industry. He is the founder and CEO of Ubiquiti Networks, a public communications technology company based out of San Jose, California. At the age of 36, Pera was named by Forbes as one of the youngest billionaires in the world.

The Memphis Grizzlies’ head coach is Taylor Jenkins.

Jenkins is currently in his second year as the head coach of the Grizzlies. He was hired by the team prior to the start of the 2019-20 season as a rookie head coach. Last year, Memphis went 34-39 under Jenkins, almost leading the Grizzlies to their first playoff appearance in three years. Unfortunately, Memphis lost to Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers in the play-in game for the final postseason spot out West.

Prior to serving as the Grizzlies' head coach, Jenkins had stints as an assistant with the Atlanta Hawks (five seasons) and the Milwaukee Bucks (one season). At 36, he is one of the youngest coaches in the NBA.

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins has a handful of assistants on his coaching staff, including Blake Ahearn, Brad Jones, Darko Rajakovic, David McClure, James Penn, Sonia Raman, and Vitaly Potapenko.

Jones, McClure, Penn, and Potapenko, a former NBA player for 10 years, were all part of Jenkins' team from last season. On the other hand, Ahearn, Rajakovic, and Raman (one of the few female assistant coaches in the league) joined the team at the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

Established as a franchise in 1995, the Grizzlies are a relatively young organization. Nevertheless, they've had a number of head coaches through the years that have all made their mark in franchise history.

Mike Fratello, who served as Memphis' head coach for a combined two seasons, led the Grizzlies to two playoff appearances. Fratello joined the team after lengthy stints with the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. While he spent just three years with the Grizzlies before retiring, Fratello undeniably made an impact on the franchise during the early 2000s.

Dave Joerger was at the helm for the Grizzlies for three seasons between 2013 and 2016. This was after he paid his dues, serving as an assistant coach for six years before getting the promotion. During his time as head coach, he amassed a record of 147 wins against 99 losses, good for a .598 winning record. During his time with the team, Joerger was awarded as the Western Conference Coach of the Month on three separate occasions.

Hubie Brown is another coaching great for Memphis. Brown coached the squad for two-plus years, with his most memorable season coming in the 2003-04 campaign. After leading the team to a 50-win season, the Grizzlies cracked the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Unfortunately, it resulted in a first-round exit for Brown and his team. Nevertheless, Brown bagged Coach of the Year honors that season, making him the only Grizzlies head coach to win the award.

Finally, we have Lionel Hollins, who was the Grizzlies head coach between 2008 and 2013. Prior to being named as the squad's head coach, he served as an assistant for six years. Hollins was the man in charge during the Grizzlies' franchise-record 56-win season during the 2012-13 campaign. In the playoffs, Memphis went all the way to the Western Conference Finals, which remains the farthest this team has gone in the postseason. Hollins is the Grizzlies' all-time record holder for most wins with 214 regular-season victories.

Following what was a forgettable debut season for the then-Vancouver Grizzlies during the 1995-96 campaign, this team held the right for the third overall pick in the '96 Draft. The Grizzlies used it on 6-foot-9 forward Shareef Abdur-Raheem and it turned out to be a tremendous decision for the franchise. Abdur-Raheem was arguably the Grizzlies' first real star player. In his prime, he averaged 23.0 points per game for Vancouver, as he proved to be a very effective scorer for his team. In spite of the fact that he played just five seasons with the Grizzlies, he still sits at the sixth spot on the franchise's all-time scoring list.

Before he teamed up with Kobe Bryant to win two titles with the Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol served as the Grizzlies cornerstone superstar. After being selected third overall by Memphis in 2001, the Spaniard spent the first six and a half seasons of his career with the Grizzlies. This was where he would make a name for himself in the NBA as he was named as an All-Star in 2006 for the first time in his career. Gasol ranks fourth all-time in points scored for the Grizzlies, third in rebounds, and second in blocks.

During his prime, Zach Randolph was a walking double-double. He terrorized the league for eight seasons with the Grizzlies between 2009 and 2017, which was arguably the most successful period in his career. During his time in Memphis, Z-Bo was named to the All-Star squad twice. He holds career averages of 16.8 points and 10.2 rebounds in eight seasons with the Grizzlies, Randolph is currently the franchise record holder for most offensive rebounds. He ranks second in total rebounds and third in points.

Another Grizzlies legend on our list is Pau's younger brother, Marc Gasol. The 6-foot-11 big man was a key cog for Memphis during the 2010s as he established himself as one of the top centers in the entire NBA. A three-time All-Star, Gasol was named as the league's Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. He parted ways with the Grizzlies in 2019 to join the Toronto Raptors, with whom he won an NBA championship that same season. Gasol holds several Grizzlies franchise records, including minutes played, field goals made, free-throws made, rebounds, and blocked shots.

Playing in his 14th season in the NBA, it was only during the 2020-21 campaign that Mike Conley finally got a much-deserved nod for the All-Star team. Unfortunately, he had already moved on from the Grizzlies at that point, plying his trade with the Utah Jazz.

Nevertheless, many consider Conley to be the greatest player in Grizzlies franchise history -- and for good reason. With 788 games played in 12 memorable seasons in Memphis, the 6-foot-1 point guard is the all-time leader in games played for the Grizzlies franchise. He is currently also the franchise leader in three-pointers, assists, steals, and points.

While the Grizzlies have yet to officially retire any jersey numbers, there's no denying that there have been a handful of legends that have made their mark throughout this team's history.

The duo of Marc Gasol and Mike Conley are arguably the two most influential players that have ever donned the Grizzlies uniform. Gasol served as Memphis cornerstone star during the 2010's. He was awarded as the Defensive Player of the Year in 2013 and was named to the All-Star squad thrice.

For his part, Conley may not have had as decorated of a career as Gasol with the Grizzlies, but the 6-foot-1 point guard formed an excellent big-small partnership with Gasol for many, many years in Memphis. Conley currently holds franchise records for games played, three-pointers, assists, steals, and points.

Another key cog for the Grizzlies during the 2010s was Zach Randolph. Alongside Gasol, this fearsome duo formed one of the most formidable frontcourt pairings in the entire league. A two-time All-Star, Z-Bo is second all-time in rebounds for the Grizzlies (Marc Gasol is first).

Finally, we have Tony Allen, who was another key player for Memphis during the Gasol-Conley-Randolph era. Unlike his star teammates, Allen did not fill up the stat sheet on a nightly basis. However, Allen was the personification of Memphis' "grit and grind" mentality. It was already previously announced that the team intends to retire Allen's No. 9 jersey in the future.