SEPTEMBER 25TH: The deal is official, the team announced.
SEPTEMBER 16TH: The signing has taken place, according to the RealGM transactions log, though the team has yet to make an official announcement.
SEPTEMBER 14TH: Earl Clark has agreed to a training camp deal with the Grizzlies, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). This brings Memphis’ roster count up to 17, with 14 of those deals being guaranteed. The combo forward will compete for a roster spot with Jon Leuer, Jarnell Stokes, and Quincy Pondexter. The Spurs had also shown interest in the 6’10”, 26 year-old forward out of Louisville, and had him in for a workout almost two weeks ago.
Clark appeared in 45 games for the Cavs last season, averaging 5.2 PPG and 2.8 RPG. He was traded back in February to the Sixers in the the Spencer Hawes deal, and was promptly waived by Philadelphia. Clark was then picked up by the Knicks, but wasn’t re-signed after his back-to-back 10-day deals expired. In nine games for New York, Clark averaged 2.6 PPG and 1.8 RPG.
In his free agent stock watch entry for Clark, our own Chuck Myron noted that Clark performs best in an up-tempo attack, and that the player has struggled on the defensive end, as well as when paired with a strong inside presence like Dwight Howard. How he fits into a Memphis team that features Marc Gasol and a slower-paced, half-court brand of basketball that emphasizes defense remains to be seen.