Here we are at this point in the NBA offseason abyss, where fans and followers grasp on to just about anything. 

If you had the most viral Grizzlies moment since summer league happening at the Starbucks line inside Memphis International Airport, congratulations you are a winner!

Grizzlies Mailbag: Are the Grizzlies set up to take a step back?

A warning, the video has language that is NSFW: 

Grove just spoke for all Memphians ?????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/NiYxTriWzY

— MY RAMS SUPER BOWL CHAMPS ?? (@bighomiekey901) July 25, 2022

Dillon Brooks was a good sport about that, of course. He very easily could have waved off Grove Hero, a Memphis-based comedian with more than 174,000 followers on Instagram. 

But instead the world gets a laugh out of it, and so did Brooks, who must be saving his animosity for the basketball court. As the Grizzlies entered the offseason, there was speculation about whether Brooks would or should get traded. 

For now, he remains an important part of the team. Brooks, like several other players, was present for all but one Memphis summer league game in Las Vegas.

Rumblings on the trade horizon 

The biggest trades out there at the moment involve the two biggest superstars on the market – Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell.

The Grizzlies don’t appear to be a destination for either of those two players based on the information that we know right now.

New York looks like the likely destination for Mitchell, who has ties to the state. Kevin Durant, on the other hand, has had several teams throw their hat in the mix. 

Recently, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Boston Celtics became a contender for Durant by offering up All-Star Jaylen Brown. Shortly after the news broke, Brown tweeted “smh.” Does any of that matter to the Grizzlies? Probably not.

Brown was a popular name around the trade deadline – especially among Grizzlies fans – when there was speculation that perhaps Boston could split up their two wings and try for a title another way. Then the Celtics made it all the way to the Finals, which appeared to increase the possibility that Brown and Jayson Tatum would stay together. 

Herrington: You want Grizzlies trade ideas? Here are 18 of them.

The Grizzlies don’t have a player the caliber of Kevin Durant to offer to Boston in some sort of trade for Brown. If it didn’t happen before, it’s probably even less likely to happen now. 

But the Celtics’ willingness to package Brown in a trade suggests that just maybe they would be willing to trade him after all, even if it’s not for a former MVP on a four-year deal. 

What is next for Ja Morant?

Morant has officially entered global superstar territory, where just about anything he does is bound to go viral. 

He tipped a waitress $500, and the social media world went crazy. Morant is all over commercials, and boasts brand deals with all sorts of companies from Hyperice, to Hulu, to BodyArmor, to PSD underwear. 

So what now? How about a signature shoe?

Morant is entering the window where the biggest NBA All-Stars land their first major shoe deal. 

Derrick Rose had his first All-Star season in 2010, and received his first signature shoe with Adidas that same year. Damian Lillard, also with Adidas, became in All-Star in 2014 and had his signature shoe a year later. 

But Nike, who Morant is currently signed with, already has a lot of signature shoe deals. 

Calkins: Why Ja Morant matters to Memphis even more than you think

Kevin Durant’s signature shoe debuted in 2008 just after he won Rookie of the Year. LeBron James’ signature shoes started releasing shortly after his rookie season. Kyrie Irving received his first signature show after his third season in 2014. Paul George – the outlier – played six seasons before his signature shoe released in 2017. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the most recent NBA star with a shoe from Nike, which first released in 2019. 

That makes five different current players with a signature shoe deal under Nike, which is tied for the most along with Adidas (Lillard, Rose, Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and Trae Young). 

Is the timing right for Morant, who is clearly one of the most visible stars in the NBA market today? The virality of his highlights and his social media presence only continue to make the Grizzlies star more marketable. Perhaps as the market fizzles out for some of these other styles and players, the right doors will open for Morant. 

And while we’re at it: Can the Memphis Zoo get Ja a new son?

Ja Raffe has been shipped to Utah for little in return. How about naming something else after the Grizzlies star as a correction?

Memphis Zoo trades Ja to Utah

Some suggestions: alJagator the alligator, CheetJa the Cheetah, IguanJa the Iguana, Jamingo the Flamingo or – a personal favorite – PanJa the Panda. 

Just a few things to think about...

Summer league leftovers

Summer league finished up more than a week ago, but not everything could be squeezed into the features that came from Las Vegas so here are a couple more items on the Memphis rookies and younger players. 

David Roddy said the Memphis atmosphere is ‘college-like’

The Grizzlies bragged on their winning culture most of last season, but they will have to get their five rookies adjusted if they want a similar experience next fall. 

That started in summer league, where several Grizzlies starters made stops to watch the games and get to know their new teammates. In those settings, they talked about the importance of liking each other and maintaining honesty. 

Herrington: What summer play says about Ziaire Williams, Kenneth Lofton Jr. and other Grizzlies

“For me, I feel like I’ve learned a lot since my draft workout,” Memphis rookie Vince Williams Jr. said. “It’s been all genuine since then, and then once we got there it was the same thing, honestly. The people around me, if you’re down, they will pick you up.”

“Yeah, it feels very college-like,” Roddy said. “We’re having a lot of fun while getting the work done. That part is great. The coaching staff has been great from the top down. You can tell its a very cohesive unit, which makes it a great organization to come into.”

Kenneth Lofton Jr. is the most outgoing rookie

Roddy might be the best talker with a microphone in his face, but he’s passing the title of the most outgoing rookie to teammate Kenneth Lofton Jr. It’s fitting, because Lofton is already a fan favorite. 

Kenneth Lofton Jr. is just ‘Junior’ and he’s a joy to watch

In fact, Roddy and Williams both said they are among the most laid back rookies who participated in summer league. 

“Kenny is at the top because he loves to talk,” Williams said. “Jake (LaRavia), he’s just always chillin. He’s very mellow. He’s smooth. (Roddy) and me, we’re also chillin.”

Kennedy Chandler likes the Tyus Jones signing

When the Grizzlies drafted Kennedy Chandler in June, it looked like the rookie could be in line to be the next backup point guard. 

But after the market fizzled out for Tyus Jones, Memphis was able to bring their steady hand back on a two-year deal. But what did Kennedy Chandler think of that?

Tyus Jones returns to Grizzlies on reported two-year, $30 million deal

“It’s perfect,” Chandler said. “I get to learn from both of them. You don’t see many guys that learn from two of the best point guards in the league on the same team. You never know, maybe coach Jenkins will put all three of us in the game at the same time. You never know, you just never know. It’s not a problem for me, with my minutes or that at all. It’s about learning from the,. and when I get in the game, I have to take advantage of those minutes that I do play and bring great energy.”

The rookie group text is ringing off the hook

So far, the conversations between the Memphis rookies have been dominated by basketball talk. That’s unsurprising, since they will need to get to know each other before the start of training camp. 

Grizzlies introduce four rookies, who say they will fit in fine

But mix in the rookie group text with the rest of the players and the coaches, and suddenly their phones have been ringing endlessly. 

“It’s basketball mostly, but then every once in awhile something else gets worked in,” Williams said. We have like eight group texts. It’s already have way too many.”

Spacing is key

Ask a Grizzlies rookie what they learned from summer league and they will all give the same answer. 

The professional level has way more space to play. The extended 3-point line clears the lane and creates more opportunity on offense and more individuality on defense. 

“I would say I’ve learned that there’s a lot of open shots in the NBA,” Lofton said when asked what feels different at the NBA level. “Drive and kick, simple reads and simple plays. It will be easy to play out there. Easy to play defense and offense.”

Summer league observations: Rookies show promise, but Grizzlies come up short against Boston

And it doesn’t just feel like it. 

“No, there is (more spacing),” Williams said. “It’s a lot more. Really, that’s the best answer I can give. The spacing is crazy.”

“Yeah, it’s the spacing,” Roddy said to back up his teammate. “Also, the better you are with cohesion on defense, the easier your job is. I would say that as well as the spacing. The margins for error are much smaller at this level.”