MEMPHIS, Tenn. — For the first time since Thursday’s trade deadline Memphis Grizzlies General Manager Zach Kleiman spoke following Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, when Memphis moved Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia and their 2025 first-round pick for two former lottery picks Marvin Bagley III and Johnny Davis.

“This is a highly competitive team that we have a lot of belief in, we have a lot of belief in the players who are here and we’re taking seriously what this group can achieve right here and right now,” said Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman.
After a first-round playoff exit two seasons ago, the Grizzlies front office was very clear that they didn’t want to double-down on youth, which is one of the reasons the team decided to trade two first-round draft picks and Tyus Jones for Marcus Smart.”

In a season and a half, Smart played in only 39 games due to various injuries. The Grizzlies were able to move Smart’s $20M off the books and the franchise placed trust in the maturation of the franchise’s big three.

” We made a move that so far to the date hadn’t worked. I’d much rather own that myself, that starts with me. With Ja, Des, and Jaren now kind of entering the heart of their careers, it’s here and there’s a lot of belief in what we have with those guys,” added Kleiman.

This is currently the healthiest the Grizzlies have been all season, Saturday’s match-up with the Oklahoma City Thunder will feature the top two teams in the Western Conference.