Memphis Grizzlies Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Grizzlies Notes: Roster Opening, Noah, Randolph

November 1st, 2018 at 1:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies‘ Thursday announcement that they’ve waived third-year guard Andrew Harrison came as a bit of a surprise, given the fairly prominent role he has had in the team’s rotation in recent seasons. Cutting Harrison opens up a spot on Memphis’ 15-man NBA roster, but the move wasn’t made with a specific signing in mind, according to Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian (Twitter link). Herrington adds that he wouldn’t expect that roster spot to be filled immediately.

While teams can carry up to 15 players on standard NBA contracts, many clubs opt not to fill their rosters near the start of the season — as our roster counts page shows, only 19 of 30 teams have full 15-man rosters at the moment.

Leaving that last spot empty allows for roster flexibility and saves some money. Plus, with a pair of players on two-way contracts also available if needed, teams generally have plenty of depth without having to carry a 15th man.

Here’s more out of Memphis:

The Grizzlies currently have a greater need in the frontcourt than the backcourt, as Herrington notes (via Twitter). According to Herrington, the team “had some contact” with free agent center Joakim Noah recently, but have no plans to sign him at this point.
Despite Memphis’ desire for a little more frontcourt help and the strong possibility that Zach Randolph will eventually get a buyout in Sacramento, don’t expect a reunion between Randolph and the Grizzlies, Herrington writes in a mailbag for The Daily Memphian. Herrington believes the club is more likely to target a defensive option in the middle, and may not make a move unless Marc Gasol goes down for an extended period.
The Grizzlies’ strong start can be attributed in part to improvements on their bench, as Drew Hill of The Memphis Commercial Appeal details. Offseason additions like Shelvin Mack and Omri Casspi are among the players making an impact in Memphis’ second unit.

Grizzlies Waive Andrew Harrison

November 1st, 2018 at 12:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies have officially released guard Andrew Harrison, the team announced today in a press release. Harrison will become an unrestricted free agent on Saturday, assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers.

Harrison, who turned 24 on Sunday, had been the primary backup for Mike Conley at the point in Memphis over the last couple years. In his first two NBA seasons, the former Kentucky standout recorded 7.5 PPG, 2.9 APG, and 2.1 RPG in 128 games (21.9 MPG).

However, Harrison had fallen out of the rotation this season, with Conley healthy and free agent addition Shelvin Mack taking over the backup role. The Grizzlies also have rookie Jevon Carter at the point, with Garrett Temple capable of handling the ball as well, creating a good deal of depth even without Harrison in the mix.

Because Harrison’s contract was non-guaranteed, Memphis won’t be on the hook for his full $1,544,951 cap charge. Instead, the cap hit will be just $200K, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). The Grizzlies, who aren’t far from the luxury tax line, will save a little money and maintain some roster flexibility if they opt not to replace Harrison on their roster right away.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 10/30/18

October 30th, 2018 at 7:46pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Here are Tuesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Pacers have assigned Ike Anigbogu to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to the team’s website. Anigbogu, who was the 47th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, received only three minutes of action for Indiana so far this season.
The Grizzlies have recalled Jevon Carter from the team’s G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, per a team press release. Carter is available for tonight’s tilt with Washington.
The Hornets have assigned Devonte’ Graham to the Greensboro Swarm, according to the team’s website.

Marc Gasol Expected To Play Saturday After Injury Scare

October 27th, 2018 at 11:54am CST by marksuleymanov

Grizzlies big man Marc Gasol is expected to play on Saturday against the Suns after an MRI revealed no structural damage to his neck, Michael Wallace of NBA.com writes.

Gasol collapsed to the hardwood in Wednesday’s game against the Kings in Sacramento with a neck injury following a collision. The 33-year-old lost feeling in his left arm temporarily and there was fear the injury was serious, per Mark Giannatto of the Commercial Appeal. However, Gasol told reporters on Friday that the initial soreness and pain has improved.

“I went through everything, and it feels much better,” Gasol said “It was a bad scare when it happened, but thankfully, imaging showed there was no structural damage and nothing was too bad. I should be able to go.”

The three-time All-Star has appeared in four games this season, averaging 13.5 PPG and 9.0 RPG for Memphis.

Marc Gasol Considered Day-to-Day With Neck Soreness

October 25th, 2018 at 9:46pm CST by JD Shaw

Marc Gasol is dealing with neck soreness and is considered day-to-day, the Grizzlies said (Twitter link). Gasol suffered the injury on Wednesday against the Kings, with fears that he could miss extended time.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 10/22/18

October 22nd, 2018 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Monday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Pacers assigned center Ike Anigbogu to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to a team press release. Anigbogu, a 2017 second-round pick, played three minutes in one of the Pacers’ first three games this season after seeing action in 11 games as a rookie.
The Grizzlies assigned rookie guard Jevon Carter to the Memphis Hustle’s training camp, the team announced on its website. Carter has yet to make his regular-season debut but the No. 32 overall pick appeared in five preseason games, averaging 2.6 PPG in 11.8 MPG.
The Lakers assigned forward Isaac Bonga to the South Bay Lakers, the G league team tweets. Bonga, the No. 39 selection this June, was acquired from the Sixers in a draft-night deal. The 18-year-old Bonga averaged 3.6 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 10.8 MPG during five preseason games but has yet to make his regular-season debut.

JaMychal Green Has Surgery For Broken Jaw

October 20th, 2018 at 4:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Grizzlies power forward JaMychal Green is recovering from a broken jaw he suffered in Friday’s game, the team announced on Twitter. Green had a surgical stabilization procedure today, and a full recovery is expected.

The injury occurred when Green took an elbow to the face in the third quarter, the team added. No timetable was given for a possible return for Green, who was listed as day-to-day with a knee issue coming into Friday.

For comparison, Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian notes that former Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic had his jaw broken by Bobby Portis on October 17 of last year and returned to action on December 8 (Twitter link). A source tells Herrington the team is hoping Green can resume basketball activities in four weeks (Twitter link).

Green started both of the Grizzlies’ games this season and is averaging 7.5 PPG and 6.0 RPG. His absence will provide a greater opportunity for first-round pick Jaren Jackson Jr.

G League Notes: Moreland, Select Contracts, Harrison, Draft

October 19th, 2018 at 5:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Several NBA teams secured returning rights for players who were in camp with them but failed to make the 15-man roster. Raptors 905 acquired center Eric Moreland from the Canton Charge, Cleveland’s affiliate, for forward Kyle Wiltjer, according to a G League release. The Raptors waived Moreland a week ago. Raptors 905 pulled off a similar deal with the Texas Legends, the Mavericks’ affiliate, to acquire guard Kyle Collinsworth, who was waived at the same time as Moreland. Texas acquired the returning player rights to forwards C.J. Leslie and Kennedy Meeks, according to a G League release. The Delaware Blue Coats, the 76ers’ affiliate, gained the returning player rights of forward Cory Jefferson in a three-team swap with the Agua Caliente Clippers and the Legends, according to another G League post. The Sixers waived Jefferson on October 13th.

We have more from the G League:

The league is putting together a “working group” that will determine which players are eligible for select contracts, G League president Malcolm Turner said in a Q&A session posting on the league’s website. “That group will be charged with identifying appropriate, eligible, elite talent, not only in terms of on-court performance and potential, but also in terms overall readiness for the G League. In addition to identification, that working group will really help us monitor the rollout and execution of this professional path … that working group will be charged with developing its own framework and lens for eligible players.” Beginning next year, the G League will offer “select contracts” worth $125K to top prospects who are at least 18 years old but aren’t yet eligible for the NBA draft.
Numerous NBA and G league executives, coaches, agents and players feel the select contract concept is intriguing, but there is widespread skepticism how much appeal the program will have to top-level prospects and how it will be implemented. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic takes a deep dive into the topic in a lengthy analysis piece.
The Arizona Suns traded away the returning player rights of Shaquille Harrison to the Memphis Hustle in a deal involving four players and a draft pick, according to another G League release. Harrison was the odd man out in the Suns’ point guard competition, as he was waived early this week. It was still somewhat surprising they traded away his rights. The Grizzlies gave themselves a little extra depth at the G League level as protection against another Mike Conley injury.
NBA veterans such as Willie Reed, Hakim Warrick, DeJuan Blair, and Arnett Moultrie could be among the higher selections in the annual G League draft, which takes place on Saturday, Adam Johnson of 2Ways10Days.com reports. The Salt Lake City Stars own the top pick.

Shelvin Mack Opens Seasons As Grizzlies' Backup PG

October 18th, 2018 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies‘ signing of Shelvin Mack was something of an afterthought in an offseason that also included the acquisitions of Jaren Jackson Jr., Kyle Anderson, and Garrett Temple, However, Mack opens the season as Mike Conley‘s primary backup at point guard, as Jason Munz of The Memphis Commercial Appeal details.

Grizzlies Cut Three Players To Finalize Roster

October 13th, 2018 at 1:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies have finalized their roster for the start of the 2018/19 season, the club announced today in a press release. In order to reach the regular season roster limit, the club waived guard Markel Crawford, guard Brandon Goodwin, and center Doral Moore.

The moves don’t come as a surprise, as the Grizzlies had four players on non-guaranteed salaries and needed to cut at least three of them in order to reduce their roster to 15 standard contracts. The fourth player with a non-guaranteed deal, Andrew Harrison, wasn’t in any real danger of being waived — he remains on Memphis’ roster.

Crawford, Goodwin, and Moore all signed with the Grizzlies earlier this year as undrafted rookies. If they decide to sign G League contracts for the 2018/19 season, Memphis can make them affiliate players, assigning them to the Memphis Hustle.

The Grizzlies are now carrying 17 players, including a pair on two-way contracts.