The 2019–20 Memphis Grizzlies season was the 25th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and 19th in Memphis.
| 2019–20 Memphis Grizzlies season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Taylor Jenkins |
| General manager | Jason Wexler |
| Owners | Robert Pera |
| Arena | FedExForum |
| Results | |
| Record | 34–39 (.466) |
| Place | Division: 3rd (Southwest) Conference: 9th (Western) |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | Fox Sports Tennessee Fox Sports Southeast |
| Radio | WMFS-FM |
After the end of the 2018–19 season, and prior to the beginning of the 2019–20 season, Robert Pera announced a restructuring of the Grizzlies' basketball operations department: "In order to put our team on the path to sustainable success, it was necessary to change our approach to basketball operations".[1]
On April 11, 2019, the Grizzlies fired head coach J. B. Bickerstaff after missing the playoffs.[2] Additionally, general manager Chris Wallace was reallocated to a role exclusively in player scouting. Jason Wexler was announced as team president and Zachary Kleiman was promoted to general manager, as the executive vice president of basketball operations.[3][1]
On May 14, during the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery, the Grizzlies not only kept their first round selection this year, but rose up to the #2 pick in the process. The Grizzlies later found their new head coach on June 11 with Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Taylor Jenkins.[4] On June 19, 2019, it was announced that longtime point guard Mike Conley would be traded to the Utah Jazz after spending his first 12 years in the league with the Grizzlies.[5] It was for the first time since the 2006–07 season that Conley was not with the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies selected Ja Morant as the second pick in the 2019 NBA draft, who became their point guard of the future. Morant was named the NBA Rookie of the Year following an impressive first season in Memphis.
The season was suspended by the league officials following the games of March 11[6] after it was reported that Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.[7] On June 4, the Grizzlies were one of the 22 teams invited to the NBA Bubble. On August 15, they fell to the Portland Trail Blazers in the league's first ever play-in game to end the season.
Draft
edit| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College/Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Ja Morant | PG |  United States | Murray State |
The Memphis Grizzlies held a first round pick for the 2019 NBA Draft that coming into it had possible lottery implications.[8] Before the night of the NBA draft lottery, the Grizzlies risked losing the selection if it fell outside of the top 8 due to a prior trade with the Boston Celtics.[9] However, their sole first round pick rose up six spots in the draft to go from the already safe #8 selection to the second overall pick of the draft.[10] On the night before the 2019 NBA draft began, the Grizzlies agreed to trade mainstay Mike Conley to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Grayson Allen, Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver, a future first round pick, and the Jazz's first round pick that year at #23, although the trade would not be completed until July 6 due to salary cap reasons.[11]
With the second pick of the draft, the Grizzlies selected point guard Ja Morant from Murray State University. The Grizzlies also received Canadian power forward Brandon Clarke after he was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder out of Gonzaga with the 21st pick and immediately traded to the Grizzlies for the 23rd pick (via the Utah Jazz), and the Grizzlies' 2024 second round pick.[12][13]
Roster
edit| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Roster |
Standings
editDivision
edit| Southwest Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y – Houston Rockets | 44 | 28 | .611 | – | 24–12 | 20–16 | 8–5 | 72 |
| x – Dallas Mavericks | 43 | 32 | .573 | 2.5 | 20–18 | 23–14 | 10–4 | 75 |
| pi – Memphis Grizzlies | 34 | 39 | .466 | 10.5 | 20–17 | 14–22 | 4–9 | 73 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 32 | 39 | .451 | 11.5 | 19–15 | 13–24 | 7–6 | 71 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | 30 | 42 | .417 | 14.0 | 15–21 | 15–21 | 4–9 | 72 |
Conference
edit| Western Conference | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
| 1 | c – Los Angeles Lakers * | 52 | 19 | .732 | – | 71 |
| 2 | x – Los Angeles Clippers | 49 | 23 | .681 | 3.5 | 72 |
| 3 | y – Denver Nuggets * | 46 | 27 | .630 | 7.0 | 73 |
| 4 | y – Houston Rockets * | 44 | 28 | .611 | 8.5 | 72 |
| 5 | x – Oklahoma City Thunder | 44 | 28 | .611 | 8.5 | 72 |
| 6 | x – Utah Jazz | 44 | 28 | .611 | 8.5 | 72 |
| 7 | x – Dallas Mavericks | 43 | 32 | .573 | 11.0 | 75 |
| 8 | x – Portland Trail Blazers | 35 | 39 | .473 | 18.5 | 74 |
| 9 | pi – Memphis Grizzlies | 34 | 39 | .466 | 19.0 | 73 |
| 10 | Phoenix Suns | 34 | 39 | .466 | 19.0 | 73 |
| 11 | San Antonio Spurs | 32 | 39 | .451 | 20.0 | 71 |
| 12 | Sacramento Kings | 31 | 41 | .431 | 21.5 | 72 |
| 13 | New Orleans Pelicans | 30 | 42 | .417 | 22.5 | 72 |
| 14 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 19 | 45 | .297 | 29.5 | 64 |
| 15 | Golden State Warriors | 15 | 50 | .231 | 34.0 | 65 |
Game log
editPreseason
edit| 2019 preseason game log Total: 3–2 (Home: 2–1; Road: 1–1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preseason: 3–2 (home: 2–1; road: 1–1)
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| 2019–20 season schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regular season
editPlay-in
edit| 2020 play-in game log | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Play-in Game: 0–1 (home: 0–0; road: 0–1)
| ||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 playoff schedule | ||||||||||||||||||
Transactions
editTrades
edit| July 6 | To Memphis Grizzlies
| To Utah Jazz | [14][15] |
| To Memphis Grizzlies | To Washington Wizards | [16] | |
To Memphis Grizzlies
| To Oklahoma City Thunder
| [17] | |
| July 7 | To Memphis Grizzlies
| To Phoenix Suns | [18] |
To Memphis Grizzlies
| To Golden State Warriors | [19] | |
| To Memphis Grizzlies | To Atlanta Hawks | [20] | |
| July 8 | To Memphis Grizzlies
| To Dallas Mavericks | [21] |
| February 6 | Three-team trade | [22] | |
To Miami Heat
| To Memphis Grizzlies
| ||
To Minnesota Timberwolves
| |||
Free agency
editRe-signed
edit| Player | Signed |
|---|---|
| Jonas Valančiūnas[23] | July 11 |
| Dusty Hannahs[24] | October 14 |
Additions
edit| Player | Signed | Former team |
|---|---|---|
| John Konchar[25] | July 8 | Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons |
| Tyus Jones[26] | July 11 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Marko Gudurić[27] | July 31 |  Fenerbahçe Beko |
| Matt Mooney[28] | September 4 | Texas Tech Red Raiders |
| Ahmad Caver[29] | October 15 | Old Dominion Monarchs |
| Jarrod Uthoff[30] | October 16 |  Zenit Saint Petersburg |
| Shaq Buchanan[31] | October 17 | Murray State Racers |
| Bennie Boatwright[32] | October 18 | USC Trojans |
Subtractions
edit| Player | Reason left | New team |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan Bell[33] | Waived | Capital City Go-Go |
| Avery Bradley[34] | Waived | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Bennie Boatwright[35] | Waived | Memphis Hustle |
| Shaq Buchanan[32] | Waived | Memphis Hustle |
| Ahmad Caver[30] | Waived | Memphis Hustle |
| Tyler Dorsey[36] | UFA |  Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv |
| Dusty Hannahs[29] | Waived | Memphis Hustle |
| Dwight Howard[37] | Waived | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Justin Holiday[38] | UFA | Indiana Pacers |
| Matt Mooney[24] | Waived | Memphis Hustle |
| Joakim Noah | UFA | Los Angeles Clippers |
| Miles Plumlee[35] | Waived |  Zhejiang Lions |
| Ivan Rabb[35] | Waived | New York Knicks |
| Jarrod Uthoff[31] | Waived | Memphis Hustle |
| Tyler Zeller[39] | UFA | Denver Nuggets |
References
edit- ^ a b "Memphis Grizzlies announce restructuring of basketball operations department". NBA.com. April 11, 2019. Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
- ^ "Grizzlies fire coach Bickerstaff, reassign GM Wallace". NBA.com. April 11, 2019. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
- ^ "Grizzlies Q&A: Wexler and Kleiman discuss the team's evolving leadership". The Daily Memphian. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
- ^ "Memphis Grizzlies name Taylor Jenkins head coach". NBA.com. June 11, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
- ^ "Sources -- Conley sent to Jazz for 3 players, picks". June 19, 2019.
- ^ "NBA to suspend season following Wednesday's games". NBA.com. March 11, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ Reynolds, Tim (March 11, 2020). "NBA suspends season until further notice, over coronavirus". NBA.com. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ "Full 2019 NBA Draft Order". tankathon.com. Archived from the original on May 15, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
- ^ Boston Celtics Complete Three-Team Trade
- ^ Don’t Be a Fool: Tanking Is Not Dead
- ^ "Sources -- Conley sent to Jazz for 3 players, picks". June 19, 2019.
- ^ "Thunder select Brandon Clarke at No. 21, trade to Grizzlies for No. 23". OKC Thunder Wire. June 21, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
- ^ Woodburn, Peter (June 20, 2019). "2019 NBA Draft: OKC takes Brandon Clarke with No. 21 pick, trades to Memphis". The Slipper Still Fits. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
- ^ "Grizzlies trade Mike Conley to Jazz". NBA.com. July 6, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
- ^ "Utah Jazz Acquire Guard Mike Conley Jr". NBA.com. July 6, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
- ^ "Wizards acquire C. J. Miles from Memphis". NBA.com. July 6, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
- ^ "Thunder Acquires Draft Rights to Darius Bazley". NBA.com. July 6, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
- ^ "Suns Complete Trade with Memphis". NBA.com. July 7, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
- ^ "Grizzlies acquire Andre Iguodala and future first round draft pick from Warriors". NBA.com. July 7, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
- ^ "Atlanta Hawks Acquire Chandler Parsons From Memphis Grizzlies". NBA.com. July 7, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
- ^ Sefko, Eddie (July 8, 2019). "Mavericks make it official, acquiring veteran guard Delon Wright". Mavs.com. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
- ^ "Memphis Grizzlies acquire Justise Winslow, Gorgui Dieng and Dion Waiters in three-team trade with Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves". NBA.com. February 6, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- ^ "Grizzlies re-sign Jonas Valanciunas to multi-year contract". NBA.com. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
- ^ a b "Memphis Grizzlies sign Dusty Hannahs". NBA.com. October 14, 2019.
- ^ "Memphis Grizzlies sign John Konchar to two-way contract". NBA.com. July 8, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
- ^ "Memphis Grizzlies sign Tyus Jones to multi-year contract". NBA.com. July 11, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
- ^ "Memphis Grizzlies sign Marko Gudurić to multi-year contract". NBA.com. July 31, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
- ^ "Memphis Grizzlies sign Matt Mooney". NBA.com. September 4, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
- ^ a b "Memphis Grizzlies sign Ahmad Caver". NBA.com. October 15, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- ^ a b "Memphis Grizzlies sign Jarrod Uthoff". NBA.com. October 16, 2019. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
- ^ a b "Memphis Grizzlies sign Shaq Buchanan". NBA.com. October 17, 2019. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ a b "Memphis Grizzlies sign Bennie Boatwright". NBA.com. October 18, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ "GO-GO ADD JORDAN BELL". gleague.NBA.com. March 11, 2020. Archived from the original on March 12, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
- ^ "Lakers Sign Avery Bradley". NBA.com. July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Memphis Grizzlies waive three players". NBA.com. October 19, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
- ^ "מכבי החתימה את טיילר דורסי". Maccabi.co.il (in Hebrew). August 17, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
- ^ "Lakers Sign Dwight Howard". NBA.com. August 26, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
- ^ "Pacers Sign Justin Holiday; Sign Naz Mitrou-Long to a Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. July 31, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
- ^ Labidou, Alex (September 28, 2019). "Denver Nuggets announce 2019 training camp roster". NBA.com. Retrieved October 13, 2019.