Grizzlies make roster move, more to come

The Grizzlies have waived forward Zach Cleveland, but their more difficult roster decisions are still ahead.

Memphis announced the move Saturday, leaving 17 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals. The Grizzlies must clear two more standard spots before the regular season.

Those decisions will likely involve trading or waiving players with guaranteed salaries, giving Memphis a reason to keep working the phones through the weekend.

Unlike cuts involving non-guaranteed contracts, waiting another day or two won’t change the cap charge if a guaranteed player is ultimately released. The Grizzlies could take until Sunday or Monday to finalize their moves.

Cleveland went undrafted out of Liberty in June and joined Memphis on an Exhibit 10 contract. He’s expected to continue with the Memphis Hustle, where a stay of at least 60 days would qualify him for a $91,000 bonus.

The Grizzlies have been exploring trades to ease their roster squeeze. Cleveland’s departure handles one camp decision. It doesn’t resolve the two openings they still need to create.