The team suffering the worst during the offseason, with all three key big men sidelined

Before today, no team could claim the worst offseason, but now the Grizzlies hold that unfortunate title.

The Grizzlies officially released an injury update today: Clarke is scheduled for surgery on his knee synovitis and will have a follow-up in six weeks; Edi injured his left ankle and will be sidelined for 6-9 weeks; JJJ underwent toe surgery in the offseason and will be out for 4-6 weeks.

With less than a month before the season starts, having all three main big men on the injury list means the Grizzlies will face a shortage of frontcourt players early in the season.

Looking at the Grizzlies’ roster, the likely starting center at the beginning of the new season might be Randall, who couldn’t even get playing time with the Rockets last season. When Randall joined the Grizzlies in the offseason, I wondered why they needed him with so many big men already on the team.

It turns out Randall will play a crucial role. If the Grizzlies tried signing a center now from free agency, they probably wouldn’t find anyone better than Randall. He had a decent run with the Rockets, showing solid rim protection and mobility.

Among the Grizzlies’ three main big men, Clarke is known for his injury history, never playing more than 65 games in a single season. Jackson signed a five-year, $240 million contract with the Grizzlies on July 1st, but the next day he had surgery on his right big toe after injuring it playing pickup basketball. Fortunately, most of his recovery time falls during the offseason.

Zach Edi, also known as Zhou Zhihao, has a more concerning ankle sprain because this isn’t his first injury in that area. Frequent foot injuries are a serious warning for a big man. During his rookie season, Edi averaged 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game with a 58% shooting rate, earning a spot on the All-Rookie First Team.

Previously, Zhou Zhihao’s biggest weakness was thought to be slow foot movement on defense. However, after entering the league, his lateral speed has been better than expected, but now his foot injury risk appears to be the biggest concern.

The Grizzlies didn’t make significant upgrades during the offseason; in fact, salary constraints forced some compromises. Their biggest move was trading their perimeter star Bane to the Magic in exchange for Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks, and a first-round pick swap option. The swap option is for the 2026 Suns or Wizards pick, which is quite valuable.

This trade cannot be seen as a loss for the Grizzlies. Under a mutually beneficial agreement, the Grizzlies definitely gained. Bane still has four years and $170 million left on his contract, and to avoid future salary cap issues and luxury tax, especially with JJJ’s upcoming extension, the Grizzlies traded Bane.

The Grizzlies waived Cole Anthony using deferred payments; he gave up $2 million in the buyout and eventually signed with the Bucks, who have better championship prospects. After several moves, the Grizzlies freed up space to re-sign JJJ and kept their total salary under the luxury tax threshold, completing their biggest offseason goal.

Additionally, the Grizzlies’ most notable offseason addition was signing Jerome to a three-year, $28 million deal (with a player option in the third year). Last season, Jerome came off the bench for the Cavaliers, averaging 12.5 points, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, shooting 43.9% from three-point range. Although he struggled in the playoffs, he was a strong contender for Sixth Man of the Year during the regular season.

From Tyus Jones to Jerome, the Grizzlies have secured a reliable ball-handler off the bench. Jerome can also serve as a backup for Morant, whose availability has been inconsistent over recent years for various reasons.

Morant and JJJ will form the core framework for the Grizzlies for many years to come. In ESPN’s top 100 players ranking this year, Jackson (ranked 31) has already surpassed Morant (ranked 33), but Morant remains the team’s primary star.

As a small-market team known in the league, the Grizzlies’ goal isn’t necessarily to win a championship but to maintain competitiveness (making the playoffs annually) while keeping star players to sell tickets. From this perspective, their offseason moves were quite successful. However, having all three key big men injured just before the season starts is beyond the management’s control.