The best possible outcome for the Memphis Grizzlies on draft night

Dream, you Memphis dreamers -- good days may be coming.

Mar 21, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant stands on the court following the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images | Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images

Before you know it, the 2026 NBA Draft will be here. The time for prognostication and predicting will be over. The Washington Wizards will be on the clock, followed by the Utah Jazz, and then of course the Memphis Grizzlies.

Surely Grizzlies General Manager Zach Kleiman and his front office have plans A through Z and everything inbetween thought through. But there is a clear path to a draft in which Memphis addresses several of their key concerns entering next season and beyond.

Here is what a perfect NBA Draft night would look like for the Memphis Grizzlies.

First, draft Cam Boozer #3 overall.

Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer is awarded the Oscar Robertson Player of the Year Award by Barry Bedlan of the Associated Press. The award is given by the AP and the US Basketball Writers Association during the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

No trade ups needed. Between the star power potential of AJ Dybansta that is tantalizing to a lethargic Wizards fan base just waiting to wake up and the positional fit/talent combination of Darryn Peterson in Utah, it is highly unlikely Boozer heads to Washington or to the Jazz.

So there in our ideal scenario, the true #1 prospect in this draft class in the eyes of this writer comes home to the Memphis Grizzlies. He immediately makes the Memphis offense better. His elite vision and creative versatility allows for the Grizzlies to not have to worry as much about the point guard position (more on that in a little bit) in this draft. And his dominant rebounding alongside the likes of Zach Edey make Memphis an elite team on the boards almost overnight.

Better on the glass, fewer turnovers. Sounds like a recipe for a quick turnaround in Memphis. And while Boozer may not be the athlete overall on the court that Caleb Wilson is, all Boozer has done throughout his career is win. Everwhere he has gone.

The talented, young, professional, winner. It's not complicated. Take him and smile.

Trade #1 - Memphis sells Sacramento on Ja Morant

You may or may not know this, but the Kings are in desperate need of a jolt of energy. Sacramento lost in the NBA Draft lottery, and staring at pick #7 in this draft they surely are hoping that the possible superstar lead guard Darius Acuff Jr. falls to them.

But remember, this is the perfect GRIZZLIES draft. And in this scenario Acuff goes #6 to the Brooklyn Nets, which was preceded by Keaton Wagler to the Clippers at #5. That means Brayden Burries - another winner throughout his basketball life, including at Arizona - is still on the board. He's not a sexy choice.

The Kings are desperate. Enter Memphis.

The Grizzlies offer Ja Morant, plus the #16 and #32 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, PLUS next season's Los Angeles Lakers 1st rounder (protected Top-4) to Sacramento for Zach Lavine (who picks up is player option) and #7. And the Kings accept the offer.

Sounds pricey, right? But Memphis is essentially paying to get Ja Morant off their books in 2027-2028 (Lavine's a free agent after the player option) with that 1st round pick. And in the process they're acquiring a starting shooting guard for this season, plus his eventual replacement at the 2 in Burries.

If LaVine has a good season? That's icing on the proverbial cake. But this is more about increasing the eventual expring money on Memphis' ledger for next offseason while securing Burries, a guard that can switch defensively and has versatile offensive skills on that end of the floor.

Trade #2 - Helping the Thunder help themselves

May 28, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) shoots the ball over San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) in the second half during game six of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder are cash strapped - at least luxury tax wise. They have some difficult decisions to make as they weigh their options watching the contract extensions of Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren kick in.

Funny enough, the Memphis Grizzlies has quite a large traded player exception ($28.9 million) on their books thanks to the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade with the Utah Jazz. The Grizzlies have the means - and the Thunder are desperate. They used #12 overall to draft Isaiah Hartenstein's replacement, Aday Mara of Michigan.

Now they say goodbye, picking up his team option for this season and trading him to Memphis so they don't lose him for nothing. It won't be free, though.

Hartenstein and #17 in the 2026 NBA Draft come to Memphis in exchange for Walter Clayton Jr. and a 2029 2nd round pick. Hartenstein's deal almost perfectly fits inside the traded player exception. OKC can keep much of the rest of their core in tact, hoping that Mara can fill the void. And the Grizzlies just got a heck of a backup center behind Zach Edey for a year...and you guessed it, another expiring contract, keeping their 2027 cap sheet clean.

Oh yes, the #17 pick. That honor will go to Yaxel Lendeborg, arguably the 2nd best college basketball player in the country this past season. You may be asking yourself how the hell Lendeborg falls this far. Back in 2019, another older prospect tumbled down draft boards. He was the late Brandon Clarke, who was the 2nd most efficient player in America behind Zion Williamson that season. The rest on that front is history.

In this perfect scenario, Lendeborg arrives and provides Memphis more winning mentality. More high level skill. And while no one can replace Brandon Clarke the person, Lendeborg fills that roster spot and makes the Grizzlies have arguably the deepest front court in the NBA.

Edey. Boozer. Hartenstein. Lendeborg. Santi Aldama. You'll be hard pressed to find that type of quality front court depth anywhere else in the NBA. And at no point in any game would Memphis need to worry about having enough size and/or versatility to match whatever the league can throw at the Grizzlies.

So in review...

The Grizzlies depth chart now looks like this coming out of the perfect draft night -

Point Guard - Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., Cam Spencer

Shooting Guard - Jaylen Wells, Zach LaVine, Brayden Burries

Small Forward - Cedric Coward, GG Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Power Forward - Cameron Boozer, Santi Aldama, Yaxel Lendeborg

Center - Zach Edey, Isaiah Hartenstein, Taylor Hendricks

Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

The glaring issue beyond the draft is the hole at the point guard position long-term. Ty Jerome is capable in the here and now, but the combination of Jerome and Pippen Jr. (assuming health) willl do for now. And the Grizzlies have so many expiring deals, and so much draft capital moving forward (Memphis keeps all their own future 1sts in these exchanges), that there are many ways that concern can be addressed.

This is a team capable of being in the play-in conversation out west immediately. And the Grizzlies are even more malleable moving forward as over $96 million comes off of their salary books as the deals of Hartenstein/LaVine/Caldwell-Pope end next season.

Want to accelerate a rebuild and retain flexibility? While some things need to break Memphis' way in this perfect scenario, this is how you do it.