Grizzlies GM Says Players Weren't Consulted on Taylor Jenkins Firing amid NBA Rumors

Memphis Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman told reporters on Saturday that he did not consult players before deciding to fire head coach Taylor Jenkins with nine games remaining in the regular season.

Memphis announced Friday that Jenkins had been fired.

"I’m genuinely appreciative of Taylor’s contributions to this team and this city over the past six seasons," Kleiman said. "This was a difficult decision, given the consistent and tangible development of our players and overall success under Taylor’s leadership. I wish Taylor the very best going forward."

Memphis is currently 44-29, good enough for a fourth-place tie in the Western Conference with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Jenkins firing was surprising, both considering the team's success this year and the fact that only nine games remain before the playoffs. Memphis is almost certainly headed to the postseason, so shaking things up right beforehand is a shock.

However, Kleiman believes the time was right to make a change.

The Grizzlies front office had notably fired five of Jenkins' assistants after the 2023-24 season, a 27-55 campaign marred by a host of injuries.

Sam Amick of The Athletic provided more information.

"While Jenkins consulted with the front-office on the hires for six replacements to his staff, those final interactions between Jenkins and the assistants he was forced to fire, league sources say, would set an uneasy tone for the season to come," Amick wrote. "As some close to the Grizzlies saw the situation, it was only a matter of time before Jenkins would be gone, too."

Amick also pointed to the team's record against winning squads as well as Jenkins' playoff record with the team since he took over as head coach in 2019.

"This talent-laden team, dubbed the Western Conference’s next great young squad not long ago, fell off in recent years," Amick wrote. "A subpar playoff record (9-14) and record against .500-plus teams this season (11-20) clearly hurt Jenkins’ cause, with league sources indicating the Grizzlies’ most recent struggles were the main reason he was fired."

Memphis has gone 9-13 in its last 22 games, and there is the possibility that the team could slide out of the top six and find itself fighting for a playoff berth via the play-in tournament. The Grizzlies have gone 2-5 in their last seven games, and those defeats were by an average of 15.2 points. Memphis hasn't defeated a team with a winning record since Feb. 2.

Jenkins' career record with Memphis stands at 250-214, with three playoff appearances in six teams. Assistant Tuomas Iisalo has taken over as interim head coach.