9. Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are about to be one of the most fun teams in the NBA.
Last year, they drafted Jaren Jackson Jr., who is starting to look like a franchise-altering center. He’s athletic, he’s an elite defender, he can knock down shots and his basketball IQ is super high.
Jackson alone would’ve made the Grizzlies a fun team for the future, but their rebuild didn’t stop there.
They lucked into the no. 2 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, which landed them Ja Morant, the 2019 NBA Draft’s best point guard.
Morant and Jackson will be a fun pick-and-pop combo for years to come, but they also added arguably the biggest steal of the 2019 NBA Draft in Brandon Clarke with the 21st overall pick. Now, they have a stellar frontcourt pairing in Clarke and Jackson to go along with a thrilling point guard in Morant.
They’ll need to add effective wings if they want to have a chance at competing any time soon, but they’re definitely on the rise as a franchise.
Small markets rejoice!