The Memphis Grizzlies are a completely different team entering the 2026-27 NBA season, a fact highlighted by a single number: 31. ESPN analyst Zach Kram points out that all 31 players who suited up for the franchise during its 2021-22 and 2022-23 contender runs are now gone. This total roster turnover signals a fresh start for a team that ended last season with a 132-101 loss to the Houston Rockets on April 13, 2026, part of a five-game losing streak.
It represents a clean break from a successful but ultimately unfulfilling era. Memphis earned the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. They were a genuine championship threat but couldn't overcome injuries and fell short of the Finals. The core trio of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. is now entirely gone, traded away over the last 15 months. Morant's move to the Portland Trail Blazers was the final piece, with the guard reportedly reacting, "Damn, they sent me to Portland."
Head coach Tuomas Iisalo enters his second full season at the helm of this rebuild. He now has a young roster without the immediate pressure of playoff expectations from a veteran star. Iisalo can install his systems freely. The projected starting lineup features names like Ty Jerome, rookie Jaylen Wells, Cedric Coward, Cameron Boozer, and Zach Edey. Boozer, the face of the franchise, showed his potential in Summer League but needs a frontcourt partner to space the paint.
A major question is the health of center Zach Edey. He played just 77 of a possible 164 games last season. His presence is needed for this young group to develop and compete.
The rebuild gets an immediate symbolic test. The Grizzlies open the regular season against the Utah Jazz.'s first game back in Memphis since his trade. It will be a clear visual of the old era versus the new. With no players remaining from their recent peak, the Grizzlies are building from the ground up. They have future draft capital and a young core, but patience will be required. The number 31 isn't just a stat. It's the entire story of a franchise hitting the reset button.
