Projected Grizzlies starting lineup and rotation after NBA Draft

The Memphis Grizzlies added five players to the roster during Tuesday and Wednesday's NBA Draft.

Memphis drafted Duke forward Cameron Boozer No. 3 overall ,, New Zealand Breakers wing Karim Lopez No. 21 overall, BYU guard Richie Saunders No. 32 overall, traded three second-rounders for Pistons big Isaiah Stewart and signed Michigan State big Carson Cooper to a two-way deal.

And of course, we are still waiting to see what happens with point guard Ja Morant -- especially after the Charlotte Hornets have traded LaMelo Ball to Minnesota and few teams may be looking for highly-paid players at his position.

Michigan State big man Carson Cooper will sign a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies, sources confirm to @ClutchPoints.
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) June 25, 2026

After the first major roster moves of the offseason, here is a look at the Grizzlies' projected starting lineup and rotation.

Starters

PG: Ty Jerome, 6-5

SG: Cedric Coward, 6-5

SF: Jaylen Wells, 6-8

PF: Cameron Boozer, 6-9

C: Zach Edey, 7-4

Bench Rotation

C/PF Isaiah Stewart, 6-8

PF Santi Aldama, 7-0

SF GG Jackson, 6-9 (Club Option)

PG Scotty Pippen Jr., 6-2

SG/PG Cam Spencer, 6-3

PF/SF Karim Lopez, 6-9

Reserves

PF Olivier Maxence-Prosper, 6-7 (Club Option)

PF Taylor Hendricks, 6-9

PG Javon Small (Two-Way), 6-1

G Walter Clayton Jr., 6-4

PF Taj Gibson, 6-9

SG/SF Jahmai Mashack, 6-4 (Two Way)

C Carson Cooper, 6-11 (Two-Way)

Morant and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are both currently on the roster, but I left them off this projection, as I do not expect either to be on the team come opening night. Memphis has obviously been trying to trade Morant since before last season's trade deadline. Caldwell-Pope opted in to his $21 million player option, but I expect the Grizzlies to get off that salary via trade or buyout.

The starting lineup at the 2-5 is likely solidified. There will be plenty of discussion about the SF spot between Wells and Jackson, but it would be surprising if Wells is not the starting SF on opening night.

At point guard, with the Morant situation still in flux, Jerome gets the nod after starting all 15 games he played last season. It is worth noting that Scotty Pippen Jr. only played 10 games last year and started six of them. If Pippen is back to 100 percent health and can play like he did in 2025, he could be the starting point guard.

Mar 3, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. (1) drives past Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Jerome, in a vacuum, is certainly the better player, but he has always been a good fit coming off the bench as a microwave scorer. He primarily came off the bench in every other season of his career before 2025-26, and finished third in sixth man of the year voting in 2024-25 with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Stewart, Aldama, Jackson, and whoever does not start between Pippen and Jerome are safe bets to be in the rotation every night to start the season. How far Tuomas Iisalo will extend that rotation will be something to watch. Past the top nine, there are several young players that the Grizzlies could benefit from seeing more of. It could be a revolving door for the last spot or two, depending on how deep Iisalo goes.

Lopez, Hendricks, and Prosper are all somewhat redundant, so expect to see competition between those three for playing time. I went with Lopez for now, considering how high the team seems to be on him.

Has Zach Kleiman tipped his hand?

A picture of ZK sitting baseline at a New Zealand Breakers game watching 19-year old Karim Lopez.

Who is Karim Lopez and should the Grizzlies really look to add him in the first round?@buckets_BCM and Wayne'O discuss.#nbadraft #karimlopez pic.twitter.com/8NNGnRYLcI
— Bluff City Media Grizzlies (@bcmGrizzlies) March 5, 2026

Small overperformed as a rookie, and Clayton, despite a rough first season, is not that far removed from an all-time NCAA Tournament run at Florida. Needless to say, the Grizzlies have plenty of options to fill out the backend of the rotation.

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