How the Memphis Grizzlies will thin out crowded roster

Rosters are required to be trimmed to 18 by opening night, with 15 players on standard deals and three two-way contracts. Needless to say, the Grizzlies still have plenty of work to do.

Here is a look at where the roster reportedly stands right now:

How the Grizzlies could trim the roster

The Grizzlies have to cut five standard contracts loose before opening night. The guard and wing groups are crowded right now, and there are some easy answers as to who the odd men out are within those position groups. None of the bigs are in any danger of losing a spot.

It would be a surprise if Johnson or Russell were on the final roster. Johnson was acquired from the Dallas Mavericks as part of a six-team deal that sent Santi Aldama to Dallas and brought Isaiah Stewart to Memphis.

Johnson was drafted 23rd overall in 2023 by the Milwaukee Bucks and was seen as a major project. He has not worked out thus far, as the Grizzlies are his fourth team going into his fourth season. Even if there is an argument to be made for untapped potential still being there (Johnson is only 21), the Grizzlies' depth at the guard spot is still too much to justify keeping Johnson.

Russell was acquired Tuesday from the Wizards in the same six-teamer that Johnson, Aldama and Stewart were involved in. Russell is 30 and is only making $5.9 million this season, so he is an easy asset for Memphis to offload. His age and playstyle simply do not fit what the Grizzlies are trying to build right now.

The other two obvious options to move on from are in the large group of wings on the team: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kris Murray.

It was previously reported by NBA on Prime's Chris Haynes that the Grizzlies and Caldwell-Pope were working on a parting resolution. That makes sense considering Caldwell-Pope is 33, making $21.6 million, and is not very good at this point in his career. If he were on the team, he would either be the second-highest paid player on the team and not be playing, or he would be blocking younger options from an opportunity to develop.

Murray was acquired from Portland in the Ja Morant deal. While his 6-8 frame and defensive potential is intriguing, he has struggled mightily shooting the three-ball in his career. Memphis will likely stick with the other options it has on the wing over Murray.

This leaves 16 standard contract players, so there is still one more move to be made. To me, the most likely move would be a trade of one of the guards. Ty Jerome, Cam Spencer and Scotty Pippen Jr. probably hold the most trade value of the group. It is highly unlikely that Spencer would be the odd one out, unless an offer absolutely blows away the Grizzlies.

Jerome and Pippen are both veterans who have demonstrated proof of concept over the past two seasons, but each missed significant time in 2025-26. What is most intriguing about them as trade chips are their affordable contracts. Jerome is set to make just $9.2 million in 2026-27 and Pippen is locked in for only $2.4 million and $2.7 million the next two years.

Giving up on a young player?

Another scenario is trading Walter Clayton Jr. He had a rough rookie season, there is no denying that, but it is not crazy to think there is still something in the tank. If Clayton were to be on the move, Javon Small could be upgraded to a standard deal.

Memphis could also consolidate multiple players into a trade for a lesser number of players, likely in the form of two players for one. As of right now, there are no current rumors on what that could look like.

The Grizzlies have plenty of decisions to make in its roster cutdown, but there is still plenty of time to figure things out before opening night in October.