The offseason clock is officially ticking for the Memphis Grizzlies.

The NBA's new collective bargaining agreement before the 2023-24 season came with several changes. While most of the attention was centered around future restrictions on building "superteams," one change allowed teams to start negotiating with their own free agents immediately following the NBA Finals. Teams won't be able to announce deals just yet, but they can agree to terms with players like we often see in free agency days before deals become official.

Now that the Boston Celtics have secured the NBA title, that process starts now.

The Grizzlies have a roster that's stacked with 14 players under contract, but this is still a development to watch. Here's what to keep an eye on in Memphis after the CBA's negotiation change.

What's next with Luke Kennard's Grizzlies future?

Here's a curveball. Luke Kennard technically isn't a free agent, but the shooting guard has an expensive $14.8 million team option that must be decided on by June 29. If the Grizzlies pick up Kennard's option, they'll be a luxury tax team headed for the first apron of the new CBA. Teams in the first apron operate under more restrictions, including not having access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception that's expected to be more than $12 million this offseason.

Even though Kennard has an expensive price tag, he is valuable to Memphis. The Grizzlies do not want to lose Kennard's floor-stretching ability as one of the game's best shooters.

Memphis could decline Kennard's option and bring him back at a cheaper number with more than one year of security to lessen the luxury tax blow. If both sides agree that this is the route to take, a deal could theoretically be reached before the free agency negotiation period opens on June 30 for other teams to get involved.

"Luke is someone we continue to feel strongly about," general manager Zach Kleiman said in April. "Someone who is important for this team and this NBA. We have decisions that we have to make on him coming up."

Lamar Stevens and a crowded Grizzlies roster

Lamar Stevens was traded from the Celtics to Memphis in February and was one of the most impactful players when he was active for the remainder of the season. Stevens played minutes at small forward, power forward and backup center while guarding some of the most physical players in the NBA. He averaged a career-high 11.5 points per game in 19 appearances.

Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins took a liking to Stevens' brand of basketball, but the Grizzlies are stuck in a conundrum here. Sure, bringing Stevens back and taking advantage of the extra negotiation time makes sense, but signing Stevens would mean the Grizzlies have all 15 guaranteed contract spots occupied.

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Remember, a first-round pick is an automatic guaranteed contract and roster spot, so that would be 16 players. Either the Grizzlies won't have room for Stevens, or they'll need to find trade partners for other players who are no longer roster fits.

If there's Grizzlies interest in bringing Stevens back, this will most likely need to occur later in the free agency period after other roster moves are made.

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: Players the Memphis Grizzlies can re-sign before free agency begins