The Memphis Grizzlies acquired four first-round draft picks from the Orlando Magic for Desmond Bane, including the No. 16 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Considering the trade, it appears as if the Grizzlies could be tearing it down. Will they trade Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. next, or will they hang onto them? No matter what they do, Memphis will be building toward the future.
The latest 2025 mock draft from ESPN has Memphis selecting Michigan State Spartans guard Jase Richardson.
Richardson is 6-foot-3, 185 pounds. He averaged 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 49.3 percent from the field during his freshman season. There is a chance that he could be a potential Morant replacement if the Grizzlies decide to trade him this offseason.
Jase Richardson could be the Grizzlies new lead guard
Jonathan Givony of ESPN said about Memphis selecting Richardson in the latest mock draft, "Richardson possesses an excellent feel for the game, hit 41 percent of his 3-pointers this season, brings strong defensive intensity and looks adept at playing off the star power of a teammate like Ja Morant, whose future in Memphis is to be determined. As Richardson's shot-creation diversity and offensive aggressiveness evolve, he could be someone who eventually inherits more significant ballhandling responsibilities, if the Grizzlies decide to pivot toward a youth movement."
Richardson only played one season of college basketball. If Memphis were to draft him and trade the two other key players on the roster, the Grizzlies would be starting all over. He would then become the face of the franchise. It would also mean that they are tanking for a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
To be clear, Richardson is not a point guard, he's primarily a backcourt scorer. But he has the kind of game that could eventually become an offensive centerpiece and building around him would allow the Grizzlies to put different complementary playmakers around him.
Morant has three years remaining on his contract. It may be a hard sell for other NBA teams to want to trade for that contract. Even though he is only 25 years old, he has been unreliable in various spots for this franchise. Drafting Richardson may not mean that they are going to automatically trade Morant to another NBA team. But it could be a step in that direction.