Skip to main content
All Grizzlies

Grading Memphis Grizzlies GM Zach Kleiman's offseason so far

The front office has been busy this summer.
Landon Speck|
Zach Kleiman, Grizzlies general manager and executive vice president of basketball operations, answers 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, answers 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

In this story:

Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis Grizzlies general manager and executive vice president of basketball operations Zach Kleiman has had a busy offseason as Memphis is beginning a rebuild.

Kleiman said he does not expect the process to take very long following the 2026 trade deadline.

“We already have a lot to work with. I don't think this is some 5-year, try to be terrible,” Kleiman said. “I don't believe in that method of team-building. Between the assets that we have accumulated and the players that we have, we're very optimistic about what we have. This is not going to be some drawn-out five-year process.”

This evaluation will be split up into three sections: draft, trades and free agency. A grade will be given for each of the three, with an overall grade for Kleiman's performance so far to follow.

It is important to note that these grades are based on the process of the transactions and what they look like on paper. Obviously, the on-court performance in the future will mean much more.

NBA Draft

Grade: A-

This year's draft class is projected to be exceptional. Most teams likely left satisfied with what they did. Memphis added Duke's Cameron Boozer at No. 3, traded back twice from No. 16 and No. 17 to draft New Zealand Breakers wing Karim Lopez at No. 21, and took BYU's Richie Saunders with the 32nd pick.

Yes, Kleiman did not have to do much heavy lifting with the Boozer selection. The Grizzlies were fortunate to receive the third pick in the lottery, but just because the process was not intricate does not mean the pick does not warrant a high grade. Anytime a team drafts a player like Boozer, who projects to be a multi-time all-star, it boosts the overall performance of a draft.

The real work started for Kleiman at No. 16. Memphis traded that pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for No. 17 and two future second-round picks. The Grizzlies then moved No. 17 to the Detroit Pistons for No. 21 and three future second-rounders and drafted Lopez 21st overall.

Memphis used the three seconds it received from Detroit in a later deal that sent those picks back to Detroit for Isaiah Stewart. Kleiman's process in moving down, gaining assets that include an important rotation piece, and presumably still getting the guy he wanted deserves a ton of credit.

On day two, there were reports that the Grizzlies were looking to move down from No. 32, but Kleiman ended up keeping the pick to select BYU sharpshooter Richie Saunders.

The A- grade here is largely driven by the Boozer pick and Kleiman's process for collecting assets. It is fair to say that Lopez is not the most exciting prospect. He possesses good size and length at 6-9, but the tools are more untapped potential than anything.

The Saunders selection is questionable, to say the least. The 25-year-old (!), is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in February 2026. There were also other prospects on board like Duke's Isaiah Evans and Arkansas' Meleek Thomas, who were ranked higher on boards.

However, media-created draft boards should not take precedent over NBA teams' boards. Kleiman also deserves the benefit of the doubt when it comes to second-round picks. He has been very successful in drafting round two players.

Trades

Grade: B

This grade does not include the trade-back during the first round of the draft, as those moves were included in the draft analysis above. Outside of those two moves, Memphis has made two trades this offseason.

The major transaction of the offseason was the Ja Morant trade. The 2022 All-NBA guard was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. This one is difficult to evaluate due to the circumstances, and more than the other transactions this offseason, the final evaluation hinges so much on what the results are. If Morant continues to struggle with health and his jumper, then it will go down as a good move to move on. If Morant has a career renaissance in Portland, it will sting.

Considering Morant's value was where it was, and Memphis was in a position where he had to be traded, coming out of it with a starter-level player in Grant while not having to attach picks to Morant is a win.

The other trade was a six-team deal involving the Grizzlies, Pistons, Mavericks, Bucks, Clippers and Wizards. It combined multiple Memphis deals that had been previously reported, like the Stewart deal and the Santi Aldama trade.

Here is what the Grizzlies ended up sending and receiving once the entire trade was finalized:

Memphis Sends

Memphis Receives

F Santi Aldama

Isaiah Stewart

Draft rights to Tarik Biberovic

D'Angelo Russell

Three second-round picks

AJ Johnson

Top-20 protected 2030 first-round pick

Three second-round picks

Second round pick swap

This deal looks like a huge win for Memphis on paper. Aldama was a solid rotational piece, but Stewart is a much better fit as a true backup center on the new iteration of the Grizzlies. Russell and Johnson are unlikely to be on the team come opening night. Memphis essentially traded Aldama, the rights to Biberovic and three seconds for Stewart, a protected first, three seconds and a second-round swap.

This was great work by Kleiman, accumulating future assets, which is key for a rebuild.

Neither of the trades Memphis made are straightforward. One has very nuanced circumstances surrounding it, while the other is a mega six-teamer that ultimately got the Grizzlies the perfect backup five and picks.

At the end of the day, Memphis got Morant's contract off the books and further stocked its war chest of future assets, and in terms of the present, made the frontcourt better. At the same time, the Morant trade could hurt if he returns to form and none of the assets the Grizzlies received in any deal are super valuable. It is certainly more quantity than quality.

Free Agency

Grade: A-

Memphis was not expected to be particularly active in free agency this summer, but in regular Grizzlies fashion, Kleiman made a surprise move.

Memphis signed Golden State Warriors restricted free agent center Quentin Post to a three-year, $30 million offer sheet. On the surface, that is an iffy contract to give to a player of Post's caliber, who will join the Grizzlies as a third center.

However, only the first season of the deal is guaranteed. $1.3 million of the salary is also tied to an incentive of being named to an All-Defensive team, which is highly unlikely to happen. Memphis is essentially paying Post $8.7 million on a one-year deal.

An extra plus for the Kleiman's process is that if the Warriors were to match the offer, the full $10 million salary would have gone on their cap sheet.

This is a low-risk signing that addresses a huge need at the center spot. Post also provides a different element than Zach Edey and Stewart, possessing real three-point shooting skills. He shot 40.6% from three on 4.3 attempts per game in 2024-25.

Overall

Grade: A

Kleiman's goal this offseason is to clean up Memphis' cap sheet, accumulate assets, and add young players through the draft. So far, he has done an excellent job of doing so. Of course, the results of all these moves are yet to be seen, and that is what ultimately matters most.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Landon Speck
LANDON SPECK

Home/News