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5 Questions for the Grizzlies Entering Training Camp

With training camp Tuesday and preseason right around the corner, Memphis has things to answer
Sam Trigg|
Zach Kleiman, Grizzlies general manager and executive vice president of basketball operations, listens to a question from the media during the introductory press conference for the team’s 2026 draft picks at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., on June 25, 2026.
Zach Kleiman, Grizzlies general manager and executive vice president of basketball operations, listens to a question from the media during the introductory press conference for the team’s 2026 draft picks at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., on June 25, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies enter training camp with a roster that looks nothing like the one that finished 25-57 last season.

While some roles already look settled, there are still plenty of questions, as several newcomers will spend camp competing for starting spots and rotation minutes, while others are simply fighting to make the roster.

How Big Is Cam Boozer's Role?

Boozer is projected to start at power forward alongside Zach Edey, giving Memphis a frontcourt pairing built on skill rather than pure athleticism.

Iisalo has pointed to Boozer's post scoring, shooting range and passing as matchup problems for opposing defenses.

At Duke, he shot 55 percent from the field, 39 percent from three and 78 percent from the line while averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists, and it is likely that efficiency translates into a double-double with a few assists a night as a rookie.

A winner at every level, the biggest question about Boozer is how much offense runs through him from the start.

Camp will show how much the coaching staff is willing to lean on the highly touted rookie to create offense out of the post and the pick-and-roll right away.

Can Cedric Coward Be the Leader?

Coward, whom Memphis traded up from 16th to take 11th overall in 2025, is seen as one of three long-term core players for the Grizzlies, and with Morant gone, the locker room needs a new voice.

At his exit interview in April, Coward downplayed the idea of a leadership title, saying it is about actions rather than just talk.

As a rookie last season, he played 62 games and averaged 13.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists on 47.1 percent shooting, earning a spot in the Rising Stars game and NBA All-Rookie First Team honors.

The question for camp is whether Coward can be the leader many expect him to be, after showing off some improvement in summer league.

He does not have to become Memphis's leading scorer to lead the team, but can he show during training camp that he will be “the guy” for the Grizzlies, this year and beyond?

Can Zach Edey Stay Healthy?

Edey, the ninth pick in 2024 after becoming back-to-back national player of the year at Purdue, saw his second season end after just 11 games.

He was averaging a career-best 13.6 points and 11.1 rebounds when he suffered a stress reaction in his surgically repaired left ankle after a Dec. 7 win over Portland, an injury eventually ruled season-ending.

His impact showed in the numbers.

When Edey was on the floor, Memphis outscored opponents by 18.3 points, and was outscored by 8.1 when he was not, a swing that ranked as the best in the league at the time.

Screenshot of John Schuhmann Bluesky post about Zach Edey.
Screenshot of John Schuhmann Bluesky post about Zach Edey. | John Schuhmann Bluesky

Edey is expected to be fully healthy now, and he is stepping into a much deeper frontcourt than last season, with Isaiah Stewart, Quinten Post, Jerami Grant, Taylor Hendricks, Kris Murray and Boozer all competing for minutes at the four and five.

How the staff manages Edey's workload in camp should say something about how ready he actually is, and how much the Grizzlies can expect from him early in the season.

What Is Jerami Grant's Role?

Grant arrived in Memphis this summer in the Morant trade with Portland that also brought fellow newcomer Kris Murray.

He is coming off a season averaging 18.6 points on 45.3 percent shooting for the Trail Blazers, and he is now the most experienced player on a developing roster.

Whether that experience means a starting job, a bench role, or trade value once the young core takes over remains to be seen, but Memphis will need him healthy regardless of the decision.

Grant has dealt with recurring soft-tissue injuries in recent seasons, including missing the final 18 games of the 2023-24 season with a right hamstring strain, and missing multiple games last season with a right calf strain and left Achilles tendonitis.

If his body holds up through a full training camp, Grant will likely be a starter opening night whose name is dangled in trade talks come the deadline.

When Does Zach Kleiman Make His Next Move?

One of the biggest questions on Grizzlies fans' minds is who will actually be on this roster when the regular season tips off.

Memphis has already made its first move, waiving D’Angelo Russell on Sept. 25 and turning around to sign Brendan Hausen to an Exhibit 10 deal to secure his G League rights.

Taylor Hendricks, Kris Murray, Walter Clayton Jr., G.G. Jackson II, Jordan Hawkins and Micah Peavy are all projected to be competing for a place, with the rest working their way out through cuts, a trade, or both.

But a contract layer sits underneath the decision as well.

Hendricks and Murray are both extension-eligible before reaching restricted free agency next summer, with Hendricks coming off a season averaging 10.6 points and 4.7 rebounds in just 26 games after the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade, while Murray still has to secure a roster spot.

Jahmai Mashack and Javon Small are also on expiring two-way contracts, with a third two-way spot still unfilled, and Jackson II, the 45th overall pick in 2023, is in a contract year of his own.

Training camp is where the front office starts finding out which of these players it actually needs.

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Sam Trigg
SAM TRIGG

Sam Trigg is a Memphis native and sports journalist who recently graduated from the University of Memphis with a degree in journalism and communications. In addition to covering University of Memphis athletics for On3, he worked for the Memphis Hound Dogs during the team’s inaugural season while also covering the team for The Daily Helmsman.

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