Once the Grizzlies traded Jaren Jackson Jr., the direction changed. That wasn’t a tweak — it was a reset.

If this franchise is truly turning the page, hovering around the middle of the West makes little sense. The NBA’s most dangerous place is mediocrity: not good enough to contend, not bad enough to secure elite lottery odds.

This draft class is widely viewed as loaded at the top. If Memphis is transitioning timelines, draft positioning has to matter. The flattened lottery system discourages blatant tanking, but odds still improve with every step down the standings.

So what are the Grizzlies winning for right now?

Culture can be built with young players. Development can happen through expanded roles. But squeezing out marginal wins that push you down the lottery board doesn’t accelerate a rebuild — it delays it.

Tanking isn’t about quitting. It’s about committing.

If Memphis has truly reset its timeline, then clarity demands alignment. And alignment, in this moment, likely points toward maximizing lottery odds — not chasing short-term respectability.