Ja Morant was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers for Jermani Grant and Kris Murray, ending a memorable run in Memphis. This move officially closes the Grizz NextGen Era and opens a new chapter to be authored by Cameron Boozer, Cedric Coward, and Zach Edey. With the Morant deal, bringing in two players, decisions must be made to trim an already crowded roster. Memphis has to get from 20 names to 15 by the start of next season, with room to add three two-way players. The Grizzlies have question marks at the guard and wing positions and will use the offseason to put those questions to rest. With the free agency officially underway, these are the players likely to be on the chopping block this summer. 1. Santi AldamaSanti Aldama is the player most affected so far by Memphis’ offseason additions. Boozer is penciled in as the starting power forward, and Grant can play the small or power forward addition as well. The trade for big man Isaiah Stewart bolsters Memphis’ front court, which leaves little need and room for Aldama. Aldama flourished under Head Coach Tuomas Iisalo’s pace-and-space, free-flowing offense, averaging a career-high 14.0 points per game. However, his deficiencies in rebounding and defense don’t fit the vision of General Manager Zach Klieman’s gritty, physical, and athletic new direction. Aldama is on a team-friendly deal as he’s entering the second year of a 3-year, $52.5 million contract. His value is at an all-time high and could be useful for a team that needs floor spacing and scoring off the bench. Aldama is the only player remaining from the 2022-23 Grizzlies roster. Trading him away closes the door on all remnants of the previous generation and fully transitions the franchise to the new direction and generation. 2. Kentavious Caldwell-PopeKentavious Caldwell-Pope was a part of the Desmond Bane deal that turned into Cedric Coward and draft capital that Memphis will benefit from over the next few seasons. All of those assets have turned positive for Memphis, however KCP did underperform in his first season in Memphis. He was brought to Memphis to be a solid “3 and D” starter while bringing veteran leadership. Unfortunately, his starting job was taken quickly by Cedric Coward, and he had one of the worst years of his career. He averaged his lowest point per game since his rookie year, with 8.4 per game, and shot a near career-low 31.6 from three. He also lost a step defensively, posting his worst career defensive rating (115.3) and lowest career defensive win shares total (0.5).Caldwell-Pope recently opted into his $21.6 million player option. At 35 years old, that’s a bad contract for Memphis. It would be great to keep him on the roster to help mentor the younger guys, but at that price, Memphis will look for an upgrade to fill the “3-D” role. 3. Scotty Pippen Jr. Scotty Pippen Jr. is another man who could be the odd man out going into next season. Memphis has a boatload of guards on the roster, and Pippen Jr. has the most value out of all of them. He has solidified his place in the league as a gritty defensive guard who can be a spark plug off the bench. Teams looking for steady point guard production on a cheap contract will be in the market for Pippen. He’s slated to make $2.4 million next year, with his contract extending until 2028. Even though he played only 10 games last season, he posted solid production. Pippen averaged 11.4 points, 4.7 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game while shooting 44.8% from the field. At 25 years old, Pippen is entering his prime and could be looking to be on a contending team. Memphis also has a guard in Jevon Small who fits their rebuild timeline, has a skill set similar to Pippen's, and costs less. With Memphis in a state of flux, Pippen’s value could lead to an upgrade in a position of need.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow