Bulls in Great Position to Capitalize on the Grizzlies' Roster Crunch

The Chicago Bulls may have a chance to fill their final roster spot with a young shooter, depending on what the Memphis Grizzlies decide to do.

Feb 27, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Walter Clayton Jr. (4) warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Memphis Grizzlies at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Another day, another opportunity for the Chicago Bulls to fill their final roster spot.

As recently discussed, it's not going to be shocking if new front office leader Bryson Graham chooses to keep a seat vacant. With the organization entering rebuild mode, there is legitimate upside to maintaining roster flexibility throughout the regular season. For instance, the moment that a team needs help pulling off a deal or shuffling money around, they will immediately look the Bulls' way.

At the same time, the Bulls have reportedly expressed interest in a few players as the offseason has gone on. Bennedict Mathurin was said to be on their radar for weeks, while Jonathan Kuminga was also name-dropped. Of course, it's hard to know how strong those ties were, but it still speaks to the fact that this new regime is keeping its options open.

So ... could this mean that a pre-regular-season roster purge piques Graham's interest? The Memphis Grizzlies are expected to undergo just that, and they will have to offload several players who could fit into a rebuilding atmosphere.

“They got to cut four of Jordan Hawkins, D’Angelo Russell, Micah Peavy, Walter Clayton Jr., or Kris Murray," Jake Fischer noted on a recent Bleacher Report livestream. "I believe at this point in time Jordan Hawkins has a chance to stick around. If the Grizzlies do cut Jordan Hawkins, I’m told there are several teams willing to take a chance on the former lottery pick.”

Would the Bulls Consider One of These Grizzlies Players?

Apr 7, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Hawkins (24) dribbles the ball court against the Utah Jazz during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jordan Hawkins has been discussed multiple times in the Chicago Bulls universe this summer. The sharpshooting guard was drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans when Bryson Graham was a high-ranking member of their front office. In other words, he must have liked Hawkins at some point in the past, so who's to say he still doesn't see the upside?

If Graham did feel strongly about Hawkins, however, it feels as if he would have been the team to strike a deal with the Pelicans. Chicago obviously has the roster spot, as well as the room exception to absorb his full salary. They instead allowed the Grizzlies to strike a deal with New Orleans, grabbing Micah Peavy and a future second-round pick in the process.

Speaking of which, if it is Peavy that's waived, he could very well fit this front office's profile. The No. 40 overall pick in 2025, he offers a massive six-foot-seven build at the guard position. In theory, this makes him a highly switchable defender who has a sturdy frame to attack downhill. His shooting also improved dramatically during his final year of NCAA hoops, making him a far more intriguing swingman.

Peavy is already 25 years old and still has to prove that he can score at the next level consistently. But once again, the Bulls are in a prime position to take a chance on someone like him. The all-around skill set was notable in the draft, and he undoubtedly fills a position of need.

The same goes for Walter Clayton Jr.! A talented scorer who helped the Florida Gators bring home a championship, Clayton Jr. was selected No. 18 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. He started his career with the Utah Jazz before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of the Jaren Jackson Jr. transaction. It made for quite the crazy rookie year, in which he appeared in 69 games and averaged 7.8 points, 4.0 assists, and 2.0 rebounds a night.

Clayton's scoring efficiency left a lot to be desired, as he shot a mere 38.4 percent from the field and 30.7 percent from downtown. The three-point shooting, in particular, was discouraging after how dependable he was throughout his college days.

Nevertheless, shooting doesn't feel like a skill set that simply evaporates. And it's not as if Clayton was thrown into the best environments to begin his NBA career. There are plenty of reasons he ended up going in the mid-first-round two drafts ago, and one has to imagine he would draw real interest if waived over the next handful of days. What say you, Bryson?

As for D'Angelo Russell and Kris Murray, neither feels like as strong a fit for this current Bulls squad. The former is a veteran with some ball-dominant tendencies, while the latter is a forward who would likely be boxed out of playing time at the wing. The backcourt, however, has some real room to work with. Hawkins and Clayton Jr. could especially make sense with this team's overall lack of shooting.

We'll see what the Grizzlies decide to do. They still have some time before a decision has to be made, as teams are allowed to carry as many as 21 players during training camp and preseason (Memphis is at 19). Don't be surprised if the Bulls keep a close eye on what they do, though. It's not every day that a team is forced to offload that many young players, and Chicago may be able to capitalize.

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