Led by one of the top defenses in the league, the Memphis Grizzlies followed up their trip to the Western Conference Finals with another solid season. The playoff magic fell short though as the Griz nearly pulled off the opening round upset of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs but fell short in a seven game series. Their off-season focus centers around leading scorer Zach Randolph who could become a free agent but will more than likely re-sign with the team.
Memphis Grizzlies (50-32 last year)
2014-15 Projected Depth Chart:
C: Marc Gasol/Kosta Koufos
PF: #Zach Randolph/*Ed Davis/Jon Leuer
SF: Tayshaun Prince/Quincy Pondexter
SG: Courtney Lee/Tony Allen/Jamaal Franklin
PG: Mike Conley/Nick Calathes
NBA Free Agents:
#PF-Zach Randolph (PO)
*PF-Ed Davis (RFA)
SF-Mike Miller (UFA)
PF-James Johnson (UFA)
PG-Beno Udrih (UFA)
2014-15 Team Salary: approximately $50.7 million
Team Needs:
1. Randolph’s Return:
Zach Randolph has a player option on the final year of his contract worth $16.5 million. All indications point towards Memphis and Randolph agreeing to a long-term extension to remain with the Grizzlies. Randolph has been a key contributor for this franchise for a number of years so bringing him back is a priority.
2. Small Forward:
Mike Miller’s a free agent. Tayshaun Prince is well past his prime and Quincy Pondexter is coming off a season-ending injury. Memphis needs to address their need for a small forward, preferably someone who can create off the dribble and provide some needed athleticism. Assuming Randolph re-signs, the Griz must use their mid-level exception or first round pick to fill this void.
3. Backup Point Guard:
Beno Udrih was signed late in the season and played a key role off the bench for the Griz down the stretch. Memphis should try to re-sign him for a reasonable rate but if Udrih heads elsewhere, the team needs to find a reliable backup to Mike Conley.
4. Frontcourt Depth:
Memphis was left scrambling a bit when Marc Gasol went down with an injury this past season since they didn’t have a whole lot of talent behind he and Randolph in the frontcourt. With James Johnson a free agent and Ed Davis a restricted free agent, the Grizzlies should look to find some improved depth inside.
OTHER NBA OFF-SEASON TEAM NEEDS PAGES:
ATLANTA HAWKS
David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank. He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities. David has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from Cleveland to New Orleans to Milwaukee to Honolulu. He also had the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft and the most accurate 2012 NBA Mock Draft on the internet (Yup, repeat champ… #humblebrag), and finished with the second most accurate 2013 NBA Mock Draft (nearly a three-peat.) You can follow him on Twitter at David_Kmiecik.