Grizzlies After Ja Morant: Cam Boozer and a Full Rebuild

The Memphis Grizzlies have traded Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. inside 14 months, and the version of the franchise that won 48 games two seasons ago no longer exists. Morant went to Portland last month for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. Bane went to Orlando last summer, Jackson to Utah at the February deadline. What is left is a rebuild fronted by a rookie, Cam Boozer, and a deep stockpile of future draft picks.

This is not a retool. It is a teardown, and the betting markets will price Memphis accordingly heading into 2026-27.

The Teardown, in Order

Memphis dismantled its core in three moves across a little more than a year:

1. Desmond Bane to Orlando in June 2025 for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony and four first-round picks (2025, 2026, 2028 and 2030). 2. Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah at the February 2026 deadline in an eight-player deal that netted Memphis three more first-round picks. 3. Ja Morant to Portland last month for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, with roughly $1 million in cash considerations attributed to reporting from Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.

That is seven first-round picks acquired from the Bane and Jackson deals alone, on top of a roster that has already shifted toward youth. The Grizzlies went 25-57 in 2025-26, and the direction from here is clear.

Cam Boozer Headlines the Youth Core

Memphis used the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Cam Boozer, the Duke freshman who was the consensus National Player of the Year. Boozer averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists on 39.1 percent from three, a 20-10-4 freshman line the college game had not produced in decades. The son of 13-year NBA veteran Carlos Boozer arrives with a polished scoring and playmaking base rather than a project's raw tools.

He slots into a young frontcourt next to Zach Edey at center, alongside wings Cedric Coward and Jaylen Wells. That is a developmental core, not a contender, and the incoming Grant and Murray are veteran filler on expiring or short money rather than building blocks.

The Numbers That Mattered

1. Three former All-Star or franchise-cornerstone players, Morant, Bane and Jackson, moved inside 14 months. 2. Seven first-round picks came back from the Bane and Jackson trades combined, fueling a long-horizon rebuild. 3. Memphis went 25-57 last season and got younger, not older, this offseason.

Our Ja Morant trade breakdown covered what Portland actually bought. This is the other side of that deal, the Memphis side, where the return was less about the players coming back and more about clearing the runway.

Betting and DFS Impact

No sportsbook has posted a 2026-27 Grizzlies win total worth citing yet, and any number that surfaces this early in the offseason will be soft until the roster settles from 20 names down to 15. That said, the direction of travel is not subtle. A team that traded its three best players and handed the keys to a rookie is not built to win now, and the market will set the win total low with the under as the obvious lean once the number lands.

The more actionable angle is the futures and awards board. Memphis becomes a live tank candidate for the 2027 lottery, which matters for anyone playing draft-position or worst-record markets down the line. On the individual side, Boozer will draw Rookie of the Year interest, and a high-usage rookie on a bad team is exactly the profile that piles up counting stats. If his number opens long, there is a case, though rookies on rebuilding rosters are volatile bets and the price has to be right.

For DFS, the takeaway is opportunity. A gutted depth chart means minutes and usage for young players who did not have them a year ago. Boozer, Coward, Wells and Edey should all see expanded roles, which is where value hides on a team that will lose a lot of games.

What to Watch Next

The first checkpoint is roster construction. Memphis has to trim to 15 and decide which of its veterans it keeps, flips or waives, and whether any of that pick capital gets packaged to move up in a future draft. Watch the 2026-27 win total the moment it posts, watch how the Grizzlies stagger Boozer and Edey's minutes in Summer League and preseason, and watch whether Memphis leans into the tank or tries to stay respectable. Everything about this offseason points toward the long game.

Chad AI tracks every win total, award market and rookie prop on the NBA board inside the app. Follow the reads on our NBA daily picks page, the AI sports picks hub and the Chad picks hub. ESPN has the full Cam Boozer draft profile from draft night.

FAQ

Who did the Grizzlies trade away? Memphis traded Desmond Bane to Orlando in June 2025, Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah at the February 2026 deadline, and Ja Morant to Portland last month, dismantling its core in 14 months.

Who did Memphis draft in 2026? The Grizzlies selected Duke forward Cam Boozer with the No. 3 overall pick. Boozer was the consensus National Player of the Year, averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

What is the Grizzlies' outlook for 2026-27? Memphis is rebuilding around a young core of Cam Boozer, Zach Edey, Cedric Coward and Jaylen Wells after going 25-57 last season, and it holds a large stockpile of future first-round picks.

Is there a Grizzlies win total for 2026-27 yet? No sportsbook has posted a Grizzlies 2026-27 win total worth citing this early in the offseason. When one lands, the under is the likely lean given the roster overhaul.

How many draft picks did the Grizzlies get for Bane and Jackson? Memphis acquired four first-round picks from Orlando in the Bane trade and three more from Utah in the Jackson deal, seven first-rounders combined.

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