One month remains before the Memphis Grizzlies begin their quest in the 2026-27 NBA season.
They have entered recent years with championship aspirations, but expectations must be adjusted this time around. A new group of players will lead the team after many of its previous mainstays were traded away.
Individual awards have been kind to Memphis in recent years. Former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. is gone, traded to Utah. Former All-NBA guard and Most Improved Player Ja Morant was traded in June to Portland.
Still, there is a decent chance the Grizzlies could have some hardware to celebrate at the end of the season.
Here are three ways Memphis could earn regular-season honors in 2026-27.
Cam Boozer, Rookie of the Year
This is the most likely scenario of the three.
Cam Boozer is currently the betting favorite to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award, and there are plenty of reasons to believe he could live up to those expectations.
Boozer is entering a situation in Memphis where he is projected to start on a team that needs a major offensive boost. His ability to score, rebound, shoot and facilitate should give him plenty of opportunities to produce strong numbers.
If Boozer takes home the award, he will join Morant and Pau Gasol as Grizzlies players who have been named Rookie of the Year.
For Memphis, it also would provide an early indication that the franchise’s latest rebuild has a legitimate centerpiece.
Zach Edey, Most Improved Player
Zach Edey is a dark-horse candidate who could emerge as a legitimate contender for the Most Improved Player award.
He is entering his third season, having shown significant improvement toward the end of his rookie campaign and early in his second season. Injuries, however, limited him to 11 games in his second year.
When healthy, Edey showed he can be an impactful two-way presence. He averaged 13.6 points and 11.1 rebounds last season, and he should have an opportunity for an even larger role moving forward.
Dylan Harper (Spurs) and Brandon Miller (Hornets) are among the early favorites for the award. Both players are on teams with playoff aspirations, which could give them an advantage in the race.
But if the Grizzlies’ 7-foot-4 center stays healthy and builds on what he showed before his injuries, Edey should at least put himself firmly in the conversation.
A bigger role, increased production and a healthy season could make him one of the more intriguing Most Improved Player candidates in the league.
Tuomas Iisalo, Coach of the Year
This is the long shot.
Tuomas Iisalo is entering his second full season as the Grizzlies’ head coach and third season with the organization overall. During that time, he has often had to coach through circumstances that made it difficult to establish a consistent identity.
It has been tough to get a full gauge of him without having most of his roster available for extended stretches.
That could change this season.
The current roster’s makeup reflects many of the principles Iisalo has emphasized since taking over in Memphis. If everything goes according to plan, he should have a group capable of playing closer to the style he wants.
Winning the award is typically reserved for coaches who lead teams near the top of their conferences. Never say never, but that is unlikely to be the path for Memphis.
Instead, Iisalo could enter the conversation if the Grizzlies establish a notable identity and make an unexpected push toward the playoffs.
He frequently talks about the importance of rebounding, screening, multi-positional guards and defensive pressure. On paper, Memphis has the personnel to emphasize all of those areas.
If those principles translate to the court and the Grizzlies dramatically outperform expectations, Iisalo could find himself receiving consideration for Coach of the Year.
Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Here are three Grizzlies who could be candidates for NBA awards this season
