The 2019–20 Memphis Grizzlies season was the 25th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and 19th in Memphis.
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".
On April 11, 2019, the Grizzlies fired head coach J. B. Bickerstaff after missing the playoffs. 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.
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. 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. It was for the first time since the 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 after it was reported that Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. 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
RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityCollege/Club 1 2 Ja Morant PG Murray State The Memphis Grizzlies held a first-round pick for the 2019 NBA Draft that coming into it had possible lottery implications. 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.Boston Celtics Complete Three-Team Trade 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.Don’t Be a Fool: Tanking Is Not Dead 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.
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.
Roster
Standings
Division
Conference
Game log
Preseason
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 1 | October 6 | Haifa | | Jaren Jackson Jr. (19) | Bruno Caboclo (9) | Jones, Morant (7) | FedExForum10,515 | 1–0 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2 | October 8 | New Zealand | | Allen, Jackson Jr. (18) | Brandon Clarke (12) | Ja Morant (10) | FedExForum10,259 | 2–0 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 3 | October 14 | Charlotte | | Brandon Clarke (16) | Brandon Clarke (12) | Ja Morant (6) | FedExForum11,292 | 2–1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 4 | October 16 | @ Oklahoma City | | Dillon Brooks (30) | Jackson Jr., Konchar (10) | Kyle Anderson (5) | Chesapeake Energy Arena1,000 | 3–1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 5 | October 18 | @ San Antonio | | Ja Morant (16) | Caboclo, Crowder (11) | Ja Morant (6) | AT&T Center12,664 | 3–2
Regular season
|- style="background:#fcc;" | 1 | October 23 | @ Miami | | Jaren Jackson Jr. (17) | Brandon Clarke (7) | Tyus Jones (7) | American Airlines Arena19,600 | 0–1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 2 | October 25 | Chicago | | Jaren Jackson Jr. (23) | Jonas Valančiūnas (13) | Anderson, Morant (5) | FedExForum17,794 | 0–2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 3 | October 27 | Brooklyn | | Ja Morant (30) | Jonas Valančiūnas (11) | Ja Morant (9) | FedExForum15,517 | 1–2 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 4 | October 29 | @ L. A. Lakers | | Ja Morant (16) | Jonas Valančiūnas (11) | Dillon Brooks (4) | Staples Center18,997 | 1–3
|- style="background:#fcc;" | 5 | November 2 | Phoenix | | Ja Morant (24) | Brandon Clarke (11) | Ja Morant (7) | FedExForum14,144 | 1–4 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 6 | November 4 | Houston | | Ja Morant (23) | Jonas Valančiūnas (10) | Ja Morant (6) | FedExForum14,197 | 1–5 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 7 | November 6 | Minnesota | | Dillon Brooks (31) | Jonas Valančiūnas (14) | Tyus Jones (5) | FedExForum13,503 | 2–5 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 8 | November 8 | @ Orlando | | Jonas Valančiūnas (15) | Jonas Valančiūnas (9) | Ja Morant (7) | Amway Center17,021 | 2–6 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 9 | November 9 | Dallas | | Jaren Jackson Jr. (23) | Hill, Anderson, Brooks (5) | Tyus Jones (8) | FedExForum15,753 | 2–7 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 10 | November 11 | @ San Antonio | | Jaren Jackson Jr. (24) | Jonas Valančiūnas (12) | Tyus Jones (6) | AT&T Center18,627 | 3–7 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 11 | November 13 | @ Charlotte | | Ja Morant (23) | Jonas Valančiūnas (13) | Ja Morant (11) | Spectrum Center13,155 | 4–7 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 12 | November 15 | Utah | | Ja Morant (25) | Jae Crowder (10) | Ja Morant (8) | FedExForum16,422 | 5–7 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 13 | November 17 | Denver | | Jaren Jackson Jr. (22) | Jonas Valančiūnas (10) | Tyus Jones (7) | FedExForum14,227 | 5–8 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 14 | November 19 | Golden State | | Ja Morant (20) | Jae Crowder (11) | Ja Morant (6) | FedExForum14,511 | 5–9 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 15 | November 23 | L. A. Lakers | | Ja Morant (26) | Brandon Clarke (11) | Jones, Morant (6) | FedExForum17,794 | 5–10 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 16 | November 25 | @ Indiana | | Jaren Jackson Jr. (28) | Jonas Valančiūnas (11) | Ja Morant (10) | Bankers Life Fieldhouse15,141 | 5–11 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 17 | November 27 | L. A. Clippers | | Jonas Valančiūnas (30) | Jonas Valančiūnas (16) | Ja Morant (11) | FedExForum16,721 | 5–12 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 18 | November 29 | Utah | | Jonas Valančiūnas (22) | Jonas Valančiūnas (17) | Jackson Jr., Morant (4) | FedExForum16,605 | 5–13
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 19 | December 1 | @ Minnesota | | Dillon Brooks (26) | Bruno Caboclo (13) | De'Anthony Melton (8) | Target Center12,276 | 6–13 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 20 | December 2 | Indiana | | Jaren Jackson Jr. (31) | De'Anthony Melton (9) | Tyus Jones (6) | FedExForum11,919 | 6–14 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 21 | December 4 | @ Chicago | | Jonas Valančiūnas (32) | Jonas Valančiūnas (13) | De'Anthony Melton (7) | United Center15,017 | 6–15 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 22 | December 7 | @ Utah | | Jaren Jackson Jr. (26) | Jonas Valančiūnas (6) | Tyus Jones (7) | Vivint Smart Home Arena18,306 | 6–16 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 23 | December 9 | @ Golden State | | Ja Morant (26) | Jonas Valančiūnas (10) | Jones, Morant (7) | Chase Center18,064 | 7–16 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 24 | December 11 | @ Phoenix | | Dillon Brooks (27) | Jonas Valančiūnas (9) | Ja Morant (6) | Talking Stick Resort Arena12,254 | 8–16 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 25 | December 13 | Milwaukee | | Jaren Jackson Jr. (43) | Jae Crowder (11) | Tyus Jones (7) | FedExForum16,109 | 8–17 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 26 | December 14 | Washington | | Dillon Brooks (27) | Jonas Valančiūnas (12) | Tyus Jones (9) | FedExForum15,631 | 9–17 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 27 | December 16 | Miami | | Jonas Valančiūnas (21) | Jonas Valančiūnas (10) | Ja Morant (10) | FedExForum14,021 | 10–17 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 28 | December 18 | @ Oklahoma City | | Brandon Clarke (27) | Jonas Valančiūnas (9) | Ja Morant (7) | Chesapeake Energy Arena18,203 | 10–18 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 29 | December 20 | @ Cleveland | | Jaren Jackson Jr. (24) | Jonas Valančiūnas (14) | Ja Morant (11) | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse19,432 | 10–19 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 30 | December 21 | Sacramento | | Jaren Jackson Jr. (18) | Jae Crowder (10) | Jae Crowder (5) | FedExForum15,603 | 11–19 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 31 | December 23 | San Antonio | | Jaren Jackson Jr. (22) | Jaren Jackson Jr. (12) | Crowder, Morant (4) | FedExForum16,776 | 11–20 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 32 | December 26 | @ Oklahoma City | | Jonas Valančiūnas (21) | Jae Crowder (10) | Kyle Anderson (7) | Chesapeake Energy Arena18,203 | 12–20 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 33 | December 28 | @ Denver | | Jaren Jackson Jr. (20) | Jonas Valančiūnas (10) | Ja Morant (8) | Pepsi Center19,697 | 12–21 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 34 | December 29 | Charlotte | | Dillon Brooks (20) | Jaren Jackson Jr. (12) | Ja Morant (7) | FedExForum16,842 | 13–21
|- style="background:#fcc;" | 35 | January 2 | @ Sacramento | | Ja Morant (23) | Jonas Valančiūnas (12) | Ja Morant (7) | Golden 1 Center17,351 | 13–22 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 36 | January 4 | @ L. A. Clippers | | Jae Crowder (27) | Jonas Valančiūnas (12) | Ja Morant (9) | Staples Center19,068 | 14–22 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 37 | January 5 | @ Phoenix | | Jonas Valančiūnas (30) | Valančiūnas, Jackson Jr. (8) | Ja Morant (7) | Talking Stick Resort Arena14,181 | 15–22 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 38 | January 7 | Minnesota | | Dillon Brooks (28) | Jae Crowder (8) | Ja Morant (7) | FedExForum14,117 | 16–22 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 39 | January 10 | San Antonio | | Jaren Jackson Jr. (24) | Clarke, Valančiūnas (9) | Ja Morant (14) | FedExForum16,448 | 17–22 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 40 | January 12 | Golden State | | Jonas Valančiūnas (31) | Jonas Valančiūnas (19) | Ja Morant (10) | FedExForum16,408 | 18–22 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 41 | January 14 | Houston | | Ja Morant (26) | Brandon Clarke (7) | Ja Morant (8) | FedExForum16,181 | 19–22 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 42 | January 17 | Cleveland | | Dillon Brooks (26) | Jonas Valančiūnas (18) | Ja Morant (8) | FedExForum17,102 | 20–22 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 43 | January 20 | New Orleans | | Dillon Brooks (31) | Jonas Valančiūnas (11) | Ja Morant (9) | FedExForum17,794 | 20–23 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 44 | January 22 | @ Boston | | Jonas Valančiūnas (16) | Jonas Valančiūnas (13) | Ja Morant (5) | TD Garden19,156 | 20–24 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 45 | January 24 | @ Detroit | | Jaren Jackson Jr. (29) | Brandon Clarke (11) | Ja Morant (12) | Little Caesars Arena14,583 | 21–24 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 46 | January 26 | Phoenix | | Ja Morant (23) | Kyle Anderson (12) | Ja Morant (8) | FedExForum17,214 | 22–24 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 47 | January 28 | Denver | | Dillon Brooks (24) | Jonas Valančiūnas (12) | Jones, Morant (7) | FedExForum14,365 | 23–24 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 48 | January 29 | @ New York | | Dillon Brooks (27) | Jonas Valančiūnas (13) | Ja Morant (10) | Madison Square Garden18,768 | 24–24 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 49 | January 31 | @ New Orleans | | Jonas Valančiūnas (18) | Jonas Valančiūnas (8) | Anderson, Jones, Morant (3) | Smoothie King Center18,362 | 24–25
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 50 | February 3 | Detroit | | Jonas Valančiūnas (26) | Jonas Valančiūnas (17) | Ja Morant (7) | FedExForum14,597 | 25–25 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 51 | February 5 | @ Dallas | | Ja Morant (21) | Jonas Valančiūnas (10) | Kyle Anderson (6) | American Airlines Center20,069 | 26–25 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 52