As Memphis searches for its next path to contention, a major topic of discussion has been envisioning which current contending team it should mirror. Watching the New York Knicks win their first championship in 53 years may tempt some fans to wonder whether the Grizzlies can follow their roster-building template. However, that path may not be possible. The Grizzlies’ championship blueprint must rely on drafting and development, not the star-driven model that helped New York win a title.
The Knicks built much of their title-winning core through aggressive trades and by leveraging their major-market advantage to attract free agents. Those advantages do not exist for the Memphis, making it essential that the Grizzlies’ championship blueprint remains rooted in drafting, development, and patience.
The Harsh Reality Behind the Grizzlies’ Championship Blueprint
The Knicks Built Their Core Through Trades and Market Advantages
Recent and historical NBA championship rosters have been led by or featured major contributions from stars drafted by that team. In the NBA’s eight-year run of having a different champion, the Knicks are the first team since the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers to win a title with most of their core not being originally drafted by them. What do they have in common? A huge market to sign and trade for current stars or proven players.
The Knicks’ roster build began with Jalen Brunson signing with them during the 2022 offseason. While many didn’t expect him to become an eventual Finals MVP, signing a talent like his isn’t an option in Memphis.
The Knicks benefit from playing in the nation’s largest media market, and players are often attracted by endorsement opportunities, national exposure, and the prestige associated with playing at Madison Square Garden. While winning remains the most important factor for most players, market size still plays a significant role when teams are competing for the same talent.
The Grizzlies rarely enter trade negotiations with the same leverage as franchises like New York, Los Angeles, or even Miami. Players with multiple preferred destinations often prioritize larger markets, forcing Memphis to overpay or miss out entirely. That reality is why the Grizzlies’ championship blueprint can’t mirror New York’s approach.
Prior Failed Pursuits Prove Memphis Must Draft Well
The clearest evidence that the Grizzlies’ championship blueprint must remain draft-focused comes from their previous attempts to acquire two wings who eventually landed with the Knicks. In February 2023, Memphis reportedly offered the Brooklyn Nets four first-round picks for Mikal Bridges. After being declined, Bridges was later traded to the Knicks for five first-round picks in July 2024.
The Grizzlies also offered the Toronto Raptors three first-round picks for OG Anunoby in February 2023 and struck out. Anunoby was traded to the Knicks in a player-centric trade that only involved a second-round pick that December. Both players represented exactly the type of versatile two-way wings every contender covets and would have fit seamlessly alongside Memphis’ core.
Ultimately, those players ended up on the same team and became integral to the Knicks’ championship run this season, while the Grizzlies were forced to continue searching for alternatives. Now, they are staring at a roster rebuild back to contender status. Memphis also drafted a young prospect with a similar build as Bridges and Anunoby in Cedric Coward.
While it is easy for Knicks guard Josh Hart to say “forget them picks” following their championship-clinching victory, a team in Memphis’ position can’t have that same mentality. Small markets acquiring wings through trades is expensive and requires sacrificing significant draft capital. It made sense for Memphis when they were pursuing Bridges and Anunoby, but the failure of those pursuits speaks loudly.
That is why the Grizzlies have increasingly invested in young talent. The organization understands that finding impactful contributors through the draft is its only sustainable way to build a contender in a smaller market. The Grizzlies’ championship blueprint depends on identifying future stars before the rest of the league fully recognizes their value.
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