Memphis Grizzlies 2024 Free Agents

With 13 players already on guaranteed contracts, the Memphis Grizzlies don't have many players entering free agency this offseason.

Before going in-depth on the Memphis Grizzlies’ upcoming free agents, let’s first look at their cap sheet.

The Grizzlies are a team that won’t have many players entering free agency, with 13 players on guaranteed contracts when you include the 9th pick in the draft. The Grizzlies are projected to have access to the $5.1 million tax mid-level exception this summer. Lamar Stevens and Jordan Goodwin are the two players who will for sure enter free agency July 1.

The Grizzlies have until June 29 to decide if they’re going to exercise Luke Kennard’s $14.7 million team option, or, if they don’t, he’d become an unrestricted free agent as well.

As we’ll explore below, Yuta Watanabe may also join free agency this summer.

If the Grizzlies exercise the team option for Kennard, they’d have 14 players on guaranteed deals. If Watanabe exercises his player option, Memphis would have a full roster of 15 players on guaranteed deals.

Now let’s look at the Grizzlies’ free agents.

Yuta Watanabe 6’9” - Player Option

34 games played with Phoenix and Memphis (41% of season), 13.7 minutes

Position - Wing/Forward. Watanabe logged most of his minutes at the 3 with both Phoenix and Memphis. The difference with both teams was that with Phoenix he played 32% of his minutes at the 4 and with Memphis, he played 55% of his minutes at the 2, per CleaningTheGlass.com.

Free agent status - Watanabe has until June 29 to exercise his player option for $2.6 million (veteran minimum). If he declines the option, then he would be an unrestricted free agent July 1.

NBA Experience - At 29, Watanabe has 6 years of NBA experience.

During the 2022-2023 season with Brooklyn, Watanabe was known for his outside shooting ability, making 44% of his 3s that season. When Phoenix signed him last season with only a veteran minimum contract available, they were hoping he would have similar success from outside. That wasn’t the case in his 29 games with Phoenix, which led to him eventually being traded (as part of a 3-team deal to land Royce O’Neale in Phoenix) to Memphis, where he only played in five games with the Grizz and struggled from distance.

Lamar Stevens 6’7” - Unrestricted Free Agent

38 games played with Boston and Memphis (46% of season), 14.7 minutes

Position - Wing/Forward. Stevens played the 4 and 5 with Boston, but then in Memphis, he mainly played the 3 and 2, per CleaningTheGlass.com.

Free agent status - Stevens will be an unrestricted free agent this summer with a $2 million cap hold on the Grizzlies’ cap sheet with non-bird rights.

NBA Experience - At 26, Stevens has 4 years of NBA experience.

Stevens was traded from Cleveland to San Antonio last summer, and then the Spurs waived him in mid-July. He earned a training camp invite from the Boston Celtics that turned into a roster spot on the team. During the season though, he was eventually traded to Memphis so Boston could add Xavier Tillman to their team.

The Two-Way Free Agent - Jordan Goodwin

Memphis has until June 29 to tender Goodwin a $1.8 million qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent, to return on a two-way contract.

Last season in 17 games with the Grizzlies, Goodwin averaged 10 points, 8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.6 turnovers, and 1.5 steals in 29.2 minutes per game.

Should the Spurs try to sign any of the Grizzlies’ free agents?