Grizzlies trade chips, other than Ja Morant, who could be moved this offseason

It was impossible to keep count and track of who played, and who didn't, during the Memphis Grizzlies' disappointing, at times disastrous and hopefully transformational 2025-26 season.

And most of the ones who did at the end -- well, there's not much reason to worry about most of them, since there were 31 in total, and some were used simply to ensure as many losses and lottery balls as possible.

Even so, there are 15 players who could be under contract, depending on the exercising of player options, for the 2026-27 season, and prior to anyone being traded.

So it's worth a look at who might be moved, other than Ja Morant, as the Grizzlies continue to rebuild around their stash of first-round and second-round picks (they are projected to have three of the top 32 in the upcoming class) and refresh the culture after the era of Morant and the since-departed Jaren Jackson Jr.

1. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

It was recently reported that the veteran guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will pick up his player option for the final season of his contract, which shouldn't be a surprise. He's won two titles, but he's also almost 32, and he shot just 31.6% from three-point range this season. So $21.6 million is well above what he would command. The Grizzlies, who essentially received a first-round pick to take on Caldwell-Pope's salary last summer, need to hope that some other team needs an expiring contract for what should be a decent NBA free agent crop of 2027, since Caldwell-Pope would seem to be a progress stopper for the Grizzlies' current guards.

2. Santi Aldama

This is a similar situation to Caldwell-Pope, albeit a much younger and more recently productive player who is actually somewhat of an asset. The Grizzlies gave Santi Aldama a good-sized deal that decreases by year, and will pay him $17 million next season, reasonable for a frontcourt player who shot 48 percent overall and averaged 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists. But unless they project him as the long-term starter next to a recovering Zach Edey, it's possible the Grizzlies could try to sweeten a deal with Aldama, especially because the following season is a team option, meaning another team could turn it into an expiring contract or a trade chip if it prefers. Certainly, the Grizzlies could get more for him than, say, Brandon Clarke, who will be on an expiring contract at $12.5 million but now has legal issues to go with an inability to stay healthy.

3. Ty Jerome

Once he finally got on the floor, Ty Jerome did a lot of what he did in Cleveland prior to the Memphis Grizzlies signing him -- he scored at a very high rate. He averaged a ridiculous 31.3 points per 36 minutes in his 15 games, often while essentially out there by himself, and his efficiency was really solid considering all the attention he received. With that said, he may have more value to a contender, as a sixth man, than to Memphis. He's turning 29, and his contract -- even with a $9.5 million player option for 2027-28 -- would fit nicely in any team's cap structure, while Memphis fills scoring roles with younger players with higher long-term upside. You can get the jersey, Memphis fans, but don't be prepared for him to wear it for long.

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