Grizzlies: Creating Set-minutes for All Players in the Grizzlies' 2025-26 Rotation

With the 2025 Memphis Grizzlies season fastly approaching, their roster seems to be set. This is the first full season for head coach Tuomas Iisalo and big changes are expected to occur. Former head coach Taylor Jenkins was commonly criticized for not giving his stars enough minutes every game and Iisalo will make sure he does not face the same scrutiny. In this article I will detail a player by player minutes per game breakdown for the 2025-26 season barring no injuries.

Ja Morant:  33 MPG

33 MPG would be a 3 minute increase from Ja’s 2025 which seems large, but totally reasonable. As previously stated, Taylor Jenkins criminally under-utilized his best players, with Ja being the most notable. Ja is this team plain and simple and we win and lose through him. If he’s healthy, there is no one else I want to see lead this team. 

Jaren Jackson Jr.: 30 MPG

30 MPG for Jaren Jackson Jr. would be just .2 higher than his 2025 campaign as I believe Taylor Jenkins actually handled him correctly. JJJ is our defensive anchor and tone setter. If he comes to play, consider yourself in trouble. His offensive bag has gotten exponentially better in the last two years which can be attributed to the team having to lean on him. In the disastrous 2024 season JJJ was tasked with 35 MPG per game and that proved taxing to the defensive beast. I believe 30 MPG serves him perfectly and gives backup power forwards, Santi Aldama, GG Jackson, and sometimes Cedric Coward enough time to pick up the slack.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: 25 MPG

KCP is the veteran presence the Grizzlies needed last year which is why I, among many other fans, were thrilled to see him come to Memphis as part of the Desmond Bane deal. His pedigree of being a starter on two different championship winning teams in recent years was enough for him to get the third most minutes on the team in my eyes. He will be an unselfish shooting guard that will play excellently with either Ja or Ty Jerome. KCP has been tasked with about 30 MPG in his last 5 seasons, so 25 won’t be a problem. He has been a 40% 3 point shooter his whole career until last year where he shrunk down to 34%. This fact alone is why I moved his minutes down just a tad, but I am very confident his numbers will be back to 37% or more. 

Jaylen Wells: 24 MPG

Jaylen Wells showed himself to be one of the Grizzlies’ brightest spots in 2025. He was a second round pick who very quickly was tasked with a starting spot and never looked back. Wells did not miss a game all year until game 75 where he sustained a scary wrist injury. Wells was a defensive specialist in 2025 who would not let guards pass him, screen or not. He was a consistent 3 point shooter as well and contributed a nice 10 PPG. Wells saw 25.9 MPG last year and I only have that going down because hopefully we won’t have to lean on excess minutes for the young player due to teammates injuries. I foresee another great year for Wells as he continues to prove he will be a part of this team for years to come.

Zach Edey: 22 MPG

Next we have big Zach Edey who will be the Grizzlies’ starting center once again. Zach Edey was the Grizzlies lottery pick in the 2024 NBA draft and was immediately given a starting role. He had a rookie season very much up to what Grizzlies fans expected making the All Rookie first team along with teammate Jaylen Wells. He was given 21.5 MPG per game last year which is a number largely shrunken by games he was coming back from injury and needed limited minutes; so although 22 is technically an increase, I see it as the same number. The reason I don’t have Edey getting normal starting center minutes is he simply has injury problems and overusing the big man could land an already big-deprived team in hot water.

Santi Aldama: 18 MPG

Next up we have the Trolley Problem, Santi Aldama, who is the Grizzlies sixth man who received big time money in the offseason. Clearly this staff love Aldama as he is now making 17 million dollars a year for the next three years. Aldama saw 22 MPG last year, but he started 16 games due to injuries. This heavily inflates his numbers more than many fans would expect. So although it appears I’m limiting him, I am really not. I believe Santi’s usage last year was good, but just a tad bit excessive. I think the 18 MPG will do him great justice and lessen his bad qualities. I see him playing power forward primarily and small forward when paired with JJJ.

Ty Jerome – 16 MPG

Next we have the Grizzlies’ biggest free agent signing and last year’s Cavs sixth man, Ty Jerome. If Ty’s good enough to be the Eastern Conference’s best regular season team’s sixth man, I am glad to see him as our seventh. Ty Jerome saw 19 MPG last year with 12.5 PPG and 43.9% 3 point shooting. Those two stats will be crucial in improving the team’s woes from last year from the field. Jerome will be this team’s backup point guard to Ja and will be a defensive menace who will bring the aggression. The reason I have a slight regression in minutes for the guard is simply because I think Pippen needs minutes and Pippen is his counterpart. 

Brandon Clarke – 14 MPG

Brandon Clarke returns as the energetic, athletic forward with a unique ability to fill scoring and defensive gaps in a pinch. Clarke looked dynamic in his 2024–25 appearances before being sidelined with injury, his per-minute production on the pick-and-roll and lob game was elite. Entrusting him with 14 minutes gives Memphis a high-efficiency spark plug off the bench. In those minutes, his offensive rebounding and cut-to-the-rim presence are game changers. His minutes aren’t up because the frontcourt is deeper now, but his role is still vital, especially late in close games.

Cedric Coward – 9 MPG

Cedric Coward is a deep-rotation big who’ll see time in specific lineups, particularly ones that need size and rim protection against bigger opponents. He’s also looked sharp as a second-unit space-eater who can handle some interior minutes with minimal missteps. Coward’s ramp-up to nine minutes reflects coaching trust in his situational awareness and his ability to close out games when JJJ or Edey sit. He’s not an offensive focal point, but he’s dependable in minutes that demand contesting the paint or pounding the glass.

Scottie Pippen Jr.  – 6 MPG

Scottie Pippen Jr., who averaged about 21 MPG last season, will see his role shrink in the new guard hierarchy. With Ja commanding the lead and Ty Jerome signed for spare ball-handling duties, Pippen’s usage slides to six minutes. He remains a valued floor general in blowouts or when reserves need short relief, offering defense, hustle, and occasional spark plays. His understanding of team offense and occasional transition burst still make him a rotation depth piece, just not a central one.

GG Jackson – 3 MPG

GG Jackson remains a developmental prospect with massive upside but limited polish at this stage. Earning just three minutes per game, he’ll be used mostly in mop-up situations or low-stress lineups where his athleticism can shine without high stakes. His minutes may also rise situationally if matchups favor his physical tools. But at this point, Jackson’s role is future-facing: flashes of creativity, spot scoring, and limited defensive runs while he continues his progression behind the scenes.

Vince Williams Jr. – 3 MPG

Though he logged more meaningful minutes last year, the addition of KCP and new wing depth reduces Vince Williams Jr.’s court time to three MPG. His skillset: energy defense, hustle in transition, and spacing when need still earns him bench consideration. But with Wells, KCP, and Pippen Jr. ahead, his minutes are expected to be minimal unless an injury or blowout situation arises.

Cam Spencer - 3 MPG

Cam Spencer, another guard-level reserve, rounds out the roster with three projected minutes per game. Primarily signed for backcourt depth and veteran shooting off the bench, Spencer will see the floor in garbage time or as a situational shooter when defensive pressure is already off. Though he impressed in Summer League, the tight guard rotation limits his role. His minutes reflect that he’s more of a trusted insurance policy than a regular rotation piece.