Jaylen Wells and the Memphis Grizzlies are going to play some old friends in the 2026-27 NBA season.
The Memphis Grizzlies have undergone some major roster changes since the trade deadline last season, and the 2026-27 squad is going to get to play some familiar faces during the upcoming season.
Before the deadline last season, the Grizzlies traded star big man Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz. This offseason, Memphis also traded away former franchise cornerstone Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Both players will face the Grizzlies with their new teams in the upcoming season, and Memphis wing Jaylen Wells "can't wait."
"Man, I can't wait," Wells said of facing Jackson and Morant. "I think it's gonna be a show. They both have great personalities, so I'm sure it's gonna be a good show for the fans, especially when they come here. But yeah, they're the two people that have a lot of impact on my career, too, so it's definitely gonna be a meaningful game. Obviously, I'm probably gonna end up guarding Ja, so definitely looking forward to that."
The Grizzlies will open their season at home against Jackson and the Jazz. It will be Jackson's first game against his old team since the trade, as an injury kept him sidelined last season when Utah and Memphis met in February and April.
The opener should be a nice homecoming for Jackson, who spent nearly eight seasons with the Grizzlies. During his Memphis tenure, he earned a Defensive Player of the Year nod and two All-Star selections to go along with a handful of other accolades. He was a core piece for a long time after originally being selected at No. 4 overall in 2018.
Meanwhile, Morant's Blazers will host the Grizzlies early in the season before heading to Memphis in February. The early-season clash will come on Oct. 29 in Portland. Morant's actual homecoming to Memphis will have to wait until around the trade deadline, as the Grizzlies will host the Blazers twice on Feb. 6 and 8.
Morant spent seven seasons with the Grizzlies after being drafted at No. 2 overall in 2019. At certain points during his time in Memphis, he looked like the future, as he earned two All-Star nods, an All-NBA selection and finished as high as seventh in the MVP race.
But as his production and availability dipped in recent years, it eventually became clear that the Grizzlies were moving in a different direction. They completed the pivot this offseason by trading Morant and drafting prized rookie Cameron Boozer to potentially fill his shoes as the new face of the franchise.
Wells added during his "Locked On Grizzlies" appearance that he rarely guarded Morant during their time as teammates, so it sounds like that will be a new challenge for him when the Blazers are on the schedule.
The games between the Grizzlies and some of their former stars will be matchups to circle this coming season, and it's clear that Wells, who remains a piece of the puzzle in Memphis, is looking forward to what those battles will bring.
