Grade Zachary Kleiman
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On the Contract Value Index, Zachary Kleiman's front office has been significantly overpaying relative to production (F Contract Value Index). That ranks 27th of 30 on Sentiment among graded GMs. Reaction to the front office’s moves has been negative (D- Sentiment), drawn from current news and social signal.
20
Transactions
20
Graded
2
Fan Votes
7 years
Tenure
#27
Sentiment Rank
of 30 GMs
#1
Most Active
20 moves
The Memphis Grizzlies have been paying a premium this season, with several contracts that outpace the expected production level. Across 20 contracts, 8 grade out as good value and 7 look like overpays based on comparable deals around the league. The best bang-for-the-buck deal was Lawson Lovering (A) at $0.1M/yr. The priciest commitment relative to production was Olivier-Maxence Prosper (D+) at $0.6M/yr — the forward market may have been richer than the on-court return suggests. Cap flexibility could become a concern if these contracts don't produce at the expected level.
Memphis Grizzlies' 2025-26 moves under Zachary Kleiman have drawn significant criticism from fans and media alike. Of 20 graded moves, 3 landed well with the fanbase, 11 drew mixed reactions, and 6 were viewed negatively. The standout move was bringing in Rayan Rupert (A-), which generated the most positive buzz. The most questioned decision was the Georges Niang cut (D), which drew the sharpest criticism. The fanbase remains split — some moves look promising while others need time to prove their worth.
Memphis Grizzlies signed guard Lucas Williamson to a 10-Day Contract
signing · G · $0.1M/yr
Memphis Grizzlies signed guard Adama Bal to a 10-Day Contract
signing · G · $0.1M/yr
Memphis Grizzlies signed forward Toby Okani a 10-Day Contract
signing · F · $0.1M/yr
Memphis Grizzlies sign G Dariq Whitehead
signing · G · $0.1M/yr
Memphis Grizzlies signed guard Lucas Williamson a 10-Day Contract
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Zachary Kleiman is the general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies, in his 7th year as the lead executive. FanVerdicts covers every NBA GM and the full body of moves they've made — and asks fans to render the verdict. Cast your Fan Verdict on Zachary Kleiman, see where the crowd lands, and argue the call. FanVerdicts brings its own read too — the contract value of the deals they signed, the performance of the players they assembled, and the sentiment around recent moves — as one honest input alongside the crowd's. Where FanVerdicts has weighed in so far: Contract Value Index F, Performance F, Sentiment D-.
Each GM grade is rolled up from the underlying transactions attributed to that GM's tenure. When a GM signs a player, that signing's Contract Value Index grade flows into the GM's portfolio score; the same player's subsequent performance and sentiment grades flow into the GM's respective summaries. Phased attribution applies for new GMs: the first three years weight the prior GM's legacy deals at 100%/66%/33%, ramping the new GM's ownership of roster outcomes.
For broader context, the NBA hub has team rankings, GM report cards, and the transactions feed. The NBA GM rankings page ranks every front office side-by-side on the same four dimensions.

signing · G · $0.1M/yr