The future looks incredibly bright for the Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies showed us plenty in the NBA Playoffs to let us know they are for real.

Despite falling to the top-seeded Utah Jazz in a gentleman’s sweep, the Memphis Grizzlies have an incredibly bright future ahead of them.

Though they play in one of the smallest markets in the league, the Grizzlies have one of the most marketable young stars in the game today in point guard Ja Morant. He is every bit the ball of energy Russell Westbrook was coming out of UCLA. Dare I say it, he reminds me of what Penny Hardaway was with the Orlando Magic back in the day … coming out of Memphis. He is that good.

But it is not just Morant’s rise to prominence in year two out of Murray State that has this upstart team ready to make the next step in 2021-22. Just look at all of their young core they still have under contract. They beat the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco in the play-in tournament to knock them out of the playoffs before giving the Jazz all they could handle in their five games.

If you are not on the Grizzlies’ bandwagon yet, this is why you need to get on it before it is too late.

The 2021-22 Memphis Grizzlies could be the shockingly good team out West

When you look at what Memphis has going for it next year, all of their most important players are under contract. Morant will only be entering his third season out of Murray State. Dillon Brooks does not hit unrestricted free agency until 2023. De’Anthony Melton is under contract through 2024. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke are still under contract through next season as well.

And then you factor in veterans like Jonas Valanciunas, Kyle Anderson and Tyus Jones, and they will all be there. Memphis will have to make a decision on Justise Winslow’s $13 million team option for next year, as well as if they have long-term plans for Grayson Allen beyond this season. Even if Memphis is not a big player in free agency, they are in great shape to run it all back again.

As far as how good Taylor Jenkins’ team can do next season, I mean, the only other team in the Southwest Division to qualify for the 2021 NBA Playoffs was the Dallas Mavericks. They were only two games better in their best-of-seven first-round series, as they fell to the LA Clippers in Game 7 at Staples Center. Memphis can win its the division, which likely means a top-five seed.

What this really comes down to is how good can Morant be. He will always be tied to Zion Williamson, the guy who the division rival New Orleans Pelicans took ahead of him in the 2019 NBA Draft. While it is still insanely early, you could argue that Morant has had the slightly better career. If this becomes their class’ version of Luka Doncic vs. Trae Young, then we are all winners.

It is truly amazing how fast the Grizzlies were able to rebuild, as they are ready for the next step.