Four years ago, the Memphis Grizzlies delivered one of the most successful seasons in franchise history. The 2021-22 team won a franchise-tying 56 games, earned the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, and announced itself as the league’s next rising power. After beating the Timberwolves in the first round, Memphis fell to the battle-tested Golden State Warriors, who went on to win the NBA title. That season raised expectations across the organization. What followed ultimately pushed the Grizzlies to initiate a rebuild this year.
The franchise’s cornerstones failed to meet the moment for a variety of reasons. Memphis traded Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic last season to begin a retool. Ahead of the trade deadline, the front office moved Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz. The team actively shopped Ja Morant before deciding to keep him for now. The Grizzlies’ Next Gen era didn’t collapse overnight. Injuries, timing, and hard decisions gradually drove the fall off.
How the Fall Off of the Grizzlies’ Next Gen Era Happened
Injuries and Instability Led to a Shrinking Margin for Error
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that no teams made a serious offer for Morant. While Morant’s off-court issues contributed to the team’s decline, injuries played a far bigger role. After returning from a 25-game suspension to start the 2023-24 season, Morant has missed 134 of a possible 213 games.
Ja Morant remained with the Memphis Grizzlies past today's NBA trade deadline. Multiple teams were intrigued by Morant's talent but none were willing to make a serious offer, sources said.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 5, 2026
Injuries have defined the Grizzlies’ recent seasons. During the 2023–24 campaign, Memphis led the NBA with 577 games missed due to injury across 20 players. The team also shattered league records by using 33 players and 51 different starting lineups. The Grizzlies ranked as the ninth-most injured team in 2024-25 and currently sit as the third-most injured team this season.
No team survives that level of instability. The results reflected it. Memphis finished 27-55 in 2023–24, suffered a first-round sweep last season, and currently holds a 20-29 record. As injuries piled up, the foundation of the Next Gen era cracked. The fall off began during the team’s final 50-win season in 2023.
Following the Timeline of Events
On X (formerly Twitter), user @jmay11 shared an image that Grizzlies fans haven’t forgotten. The post referenced January 20, 2023, when Memphis visited the Los Angeles Lakers. That night, NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe engaged in a heated exchange with members of the Grizzlies, including Ja Morant’s father, Tee Morant.
I’ll die on this hill – this was the moment the Grizzlies trajectory changed. We’ve been in free fall since that night. pic.twitter.com/FwqJXJnTfk
— Jonathan Louis May (@jmay11) February 4, 2026
Memphis led at halftime but lost 122-121, snapping an 11-game winning streak and triggering a five-game skid.
The fallout escalated quickly. In the very next game, starting center Steven Adams suffered a season-ending knee injury. On March 3, 2023, top reserve Brandon Clarke tore his Achilles tendon, ending his season as well. Memphis felt both absences during its first-round playoff loss to the same Lakers team that spring.
The chaos never stopped. One injury-riddled season bled into the next, eventually landing the Grizzlies where they are today. The unraveling didn’t come from one mistake or one moment. It came from constant disruption as injuries erased continuity. The fall off of the Next Gen era isn’t the end of belief in Memphis’ future. It’s the moment the franchise accepted that the future needs to look different.
© Brad Mills-Imagn Images
