Grizzlies officially eliminated from postseason, what's next

The Memphis Grizzlies have officially been eliminated from postseason contention for the 2025–26 season.

A 123–98 loss to the San Antonio Spurs (55-18) on March 25 at FedExForum ensured Memphis can no longer qualify for a play-in spot. The Grizzlies (24-48) are now locked into the NBA draft lottery, where they’ll hope to land a cornerstone piece.

They had entered the season with moderate expectations after trading Desmond Bane last summer — a move that signaled a shift toward building around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. The deal brought in additional draft capital, including rookie Cedric Coward, while keeping the team’s competitive window open.

But that plan quickly unraveled.

Morant, Ty Jerome and Scotty Pippen Jr. all dealt with preseason injuries. While Morant returned in time for opening night, Jerome and Pippen didn’t debut until late January and early February, respectively.

The frontcourt faced similar setbacks. Forward Brandon Clarke felt healthy weeks before training camp, but a setback delayed his season debut until Dec. 17. Projected starting center Zach Edey debuted in mid-November, played just 11 games, and was later shut down for the season.

At that point, Grizzlies first-year coach Tuomas Iisalo had to adjust on the fly.

“It feels like it’s been several seasons within one season, the way it’s transpired,” Iisalo said on March 25. “In the beginning, we were trying to bring everybody up to speed. That was obviously challenging with a lot of guys injured. I thought we found a rhythm when Zach came back for those 11 games, and even a little beyond that.

“After that, we were in a lot of close games but couldn’t turn them in our favor. After the trade deadline, the team has looked a lot different, and the emphasis has been on developing the young guys.”

Shifting the Grizzlies’ plan

By January, the Grizzlies were scuffling. While the team waited for injured players to return, losses piled up.

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Reports surfaced on Jan. 9 that Memphis was entertaining trade offers for Morant for the first time in his seven seasons. The Grizzlies didn’t trade Morant by the Feb. 5 deadline, but they did make another franchise-altering move. Jackson was involved in an eight-player trade that sent him to the Utah Jazz.

Memphis acquired young players and draft capital in the trade, which was a strong signal toward a rebuild. This move was essentially confirmed on Feb. 6, when general manager Zach Kleiman indicated the team was pivoting toward a younger build.

Developing the Grizzlies’ pieces

Edey, Clarke, Morant, Pippen, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Santi Aldama all have been ruled out for the season because of injuries. This has opened the door for younger players to get opportunities.

Iisalo pointed out how the development of young players is a key factor for the remainder of the season. GG Jackson, Cam Spencer, Jaylen Wells and Javon Small are among those who have gotten more playing time. Coward also has continued to see a significant role while Memphis manages a knee injury he suffered in February.

Jackson, who had a team-high 20 points plus seven rebounds against the Spurs, is viewing the increased time as an opportunity to show he’s not a liability on defense.

“Now is the time where the eyes are on all the young guys,” Jackson said. “They’re not just looking at Jaren or Ja to come through and just bring us home for a win.”

Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies eliminated from playoff contention after loss to Spurs

Grizzlies officially eliminated from postseason, what’s next

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