Much to the chagrin of Memphis Grizzlies fans, their team has historically not been a destination for top-tier free agents. While the Grizzlies are not alone in that space and they ike Memphis must draft well and make wise trades in order to improve their lot. According to Stephen A. Smith, players are skiddish about playing for the Grizzlies due to the personal safety concerns, citing that it was a major factor in Memphis not being a preferred destination for Jimmy Butler.
Speaking on First Take to the Morris twins, Smith said this:
“The people in Memphis, it’s a great sports town, great fans, great people, but there’s an element there where cats like Jimmy Butler and others don’t feel it’s the safest environment. I’m talking to the local authorities in Memphis- you gotta clean some of that stuff up, because it’s dissuasive to NBA players. They have talked about it ; I know they’ve told me. “
Although Memphis has a reputation as a crime-riddled city, its overall crime levels have decreased in the past few years but remained elevated from pre-pandemic levels, according to the Memphis Shelby County Crime Commission. The city’s overall crime rate is 98 incidents per 1,000 residents, which is significantly higher than many other cities in the U.S. However through the first three months of 2025 violent crime has decreased by 8.8% lower than at the same time in 2024 and property crime is down 19.7%.
According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the murder rate remained constant at 10.8 instances per 100,000 people in 2024 and 2025. Rape decreased 37.4%, aggravated assault was down 6.8%, while burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and robbery all occurred at lower rates in the first three months of 2025 than at the same point in time in 2024.
