RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The much-anticipated 2026-27 Memphis Grizzlies schedule is here.
They will begin preseason action Oct. 5 against the Atlanta Hawks and open the regular season Oct. 21 against the Utah Jazz . The regular season will end April 11 on the road against the Dallas Mavericks .
A new-look Grizzlies roster is in place as the team transitions to a new era. Gone are the players who shaped past rivalries with the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo is tasked with leading a team that features no players with more than three seasons of experience in Memphis.
Here are five takeaways from the schedule, including when Portland Trail Blazers guard Ja Morant returns to FedExForum.
No national love
The Grizzlies are back on MLK Day after a year off, but there isn’t much more national TV love for Memphis, which has only two nationally televised games, tied for the fewest in the NBA.
Memphis started last season with 10 nationally televised games. The totals in the previous three seasons were nine, 14 and 18 in 2023, following a 56-win season.
The lack of national attention was expected with the Grizzlies undergoing a rebuild. The question now is how this group will respond.
Maybe the young Grizzlies won’t care. Or maybe the slight will be used as fuel.
FULL SCHEDULE: Memphis Grizzlies schedule: Every 2026-2027 NBA game, date, time
Cam Boozer’s statement
This season’s NBA Rookie of the Year race is projected to be one of the best in recent memory from a talent perspective. Grizzlies forward Cam Boozer is the favorite on most betting sites, but it’s no runaway. Three players closely trail him.
Games against AJ Dybantsa (Wizards), Darryn Peterson (Jazz) and Caleb Wilson (Bulls) will provide Boozer with opportunities to make a statement. He will play two of his first four games of the season against Peterson. That could give him a chance to set the tone early.
The bigger statement, however, could come in the final stretch. In the Grizzlies’ final 16 games, Boozer will face Wilson twice, plus Dybantsa in the third-to-last game of the season.
He will have chances to start strong and potentially shut the door late against his top competitors.
The returns
Heavy roster turnover means several former Grizzlies players who made an impact the past few seasons will be making their returns to FedExForum.
Jazz forward Jaren Jackson Jr. should play in the season opener against Memphis after missing his first scheduled return following the Feb. 3 trade because of injury.
Desmond Bane also will finally walk through FedExForum during a preseason matchup Oct. 7 after playing the Grizzlies in Europe last season. His regular-season return will come Feb. 10.
Morant is arguably the most anticipated return, and that one won’t come until Feb. 6. However, he will face the Grizzlies in Portland on Oct. 29.
Santi Aldama will return with the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 10.
Former Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins has been gone since March 2025, but he’s now the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. He’ll make his first return to Memphis on Dec. 12.
Each of the aforementioned names likely will receive a tribute video and be celebrated during their return. Jackson technically already had his, but the season-opening matchup will still be highly anticipated.
Best stretch
Memphis is entering this season as an unknown. Roster turnover and injuries make it difficult to determine which stretches could be the most beneficial for the Grizzlies, but one stands out above the rest.
They start the season with a home game, four road games and then four more at FedExForum. Those first eight games could serve as an early confidence boost — all are against teams that either didn't make the playoffs or didn't advance beyond the first round, except for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Utah, Indiana, Golden State and New Orleans are all banking on being healthier and more competitive this season, but the same could be said for Memphis.
A young group could use a strong start, and this schedule should give Memphis a chance to get one.
Toughest stretch
January has been a rough month for the Grizzlies in recent years. This season’s schedule could make for another difficult one.
A whopping 11 of 14 January games will come against teams that made the playoffs last season. No other month has more than eight games against such teams.
January has served as a precursor to what eventually came in each of the previous two seasons. In 2025, Memphis fell from its No. 2 seed after holding steady for most of the season, and its struggles against top teams became more apparent. Jenkins was fired two months later.
The writing was on the wall in January 2026. That was when reports surfaced that Memphis was listening to trade offers for Morant as the team began to spiral.
January again could be the make-or-break stretch. Whether the Grizzlies are competing for a playoff spot or positioning themselves for a high draft pick could become much clearer by the end of the month.
Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at [email protected]. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Ja Morant's return, no national TV love among Grizzlies schedule takeaways
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