Grizzlies Rumors

Suns Notes: Ighodaro, Booker, Brooks, Allen

November 14th, 2025 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Oso Ighodaro put his name in the Suns’ record book Thursday night by posting a plus-52 in a win over Indiana, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The second-year big man put up the gaudy number in 26 minutes off the bench as Phoenix pulled away and led by as many as 46 points.

“I thought it was a typo,” coach Jordan Ott said as Ighodaro recorded the highest single-game plus-minus rating in franchise history and the third best in the NBA’s play-by-play era. He finished with a career-high 17 points, along with seven rebounds, three assists and a career-best three steals.

“Felt like I was going after winning,” Ighodaro said. “That’s been my focus the last four, five games. Not worrying about stats. Not worrying about anything like that. Just trying to impact the game in a positive way.”

There’s more from Phoenix:

The Suns are one of the league’s early-season surprises at 8-5, but the schedule has been somewhat grueling with 13 games in 23 days, Rankin adds in the same piece. Devin Booker, who posted his seventh 30-point game of the season on Thursday, admits he was feeling worn down, but he got a lift from his teammates. “It’s been tough,” Booker said. “I know I didn’t have a lot of juice coming in, but I was looking around the locker room and everybody was ready to go. Kind of revived me.”
Dillon Brooks, who has helped to spark the Suns’ revival after arriving in an offseason trade, was asked after the game about the last time he hasn’t felt confident on the court. He pointed to a 2023 playoff series against the Lakers when he was still with the Grizzlies, Rankin tweets. “I couldn’t shoot the ball. The GM (Zach Kleiman) is telling me to only shoot six shots,” Brooks recalled. “Not giving me the confidence I needed and you can feel that energy coming from front office and coaches. Never the players, the players want to win, but you feel that energy. Even if you’re working and put in the time, it’s not falling. Probably that was the last time.”
Ott is getting the most out of Grayson Allen by trusting him as a ball-handler, observes Fred Katz of The Athletic. He notes that Allen had already run 160 pick-and-rolls this season going into Thursday’s game, which is already more than halfway to his previous career high. He’s also averaging 3.2 pull-up three-point attempts per game and is sinking 45% of them.

Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Morant, Zion, Mavs, Sheppard

November 13th, 2025 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies lost for the seventh time in eight games on Wednesday, suffering a 36-point blowout defeat at the hands of the Celtics. Memphis made just 33.7% of its shots from the floor while allowing Boston to convert at a 50.5% clip. Head coach Tuomas Iisalo acknowledged after the game that the discrepancy in field goal percentage was a reason for the loss, but he was unhappy with his team’s overall effort, according to Jay King of The Athletic.

“I would say this: One way to lose is not to make shots,” Iisalo said. “Today we struggled a lot, even with open three-pointers. We couldn’t convert underneath the basket. At the same time, their shot-making was at a relatively high level. That’s all good. That’s part of basketball. It happens sometimes. The fact that today the Celtics were the things that we aspire to be — faster than the other team, harder working, better organized — that’s a tough pill to swallow as a coach, and I think it should be for all of our guys.

“… You can lose games,” Iisalo added. “That’s part of basketball. But to go away from your identity or the things that we know produce wins, that’s something that we must correct right away.”

The Grizzlies, who are still playing without big men Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke, were also extremely shorthanded in the backcourt on Wednesday. With ball-handlers Ja Morant, Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Javon Small all unavailable, Vince Williams Jr. earned the start at point guard. Still, Iisalo didn’t want to use those injuries as an excuse for his team’s performance.

“We got bullied on the boards,” the Grizzlies’ coach said. “I think we gave up almost 40 second-chance points against a team that’s not particularly big or bigger than us. Transition game, that’s one thing, but in the half court we were late for several actions, unable to communicate or arrive with the ball. Basic things. It started out early, obviously, with two early timeouts. And we then had stretches, but nothing consistent.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Although there has been some tension between them in recent weeks, Iisalo said that it has been “great” coaching Morant since he joined the Grizzlies last season, according to King. “We have had a lot of dialogue,” Iisalo said. “We see the game in very similar ways. He’s a very intelligent player. He sees things on video; you don’t even have to point it out, he already knows what could have been an option there. And overall it’s just been a pleasure.”
Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has been cleared to resume full-contact, on-court basketball activities, the team announced today (via Twitter). Williamson has been sidelined since November 2 due to a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, but today’s update suggests he’s making progress toward a return.
In the wake of Nico Harrison‘s ouster in Dallas, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports contends that it’s time for the Mavericks to blow up their roster and make virtually all of their veterans available for trade. As O’Connor outlines, Cooper Flagg is the kind of prospect a team can build around, and the Mavs could be in position to add another top prospect in a strong 2026 draft. O’Connor also proposes eight hypothetical Anthony Davis trades, suggesting that Atlanta and Detroit are among the teams that look like potential fits.
Rockets guard Reed Sheppard, who has taken on more responsibilities this season following Fred VanVleet‘s torn ACL, has had his three best performances of the fall within the past week, averaging 17.7 points in 26.7 minutes per game on .645/.619/.855 shooting during that stretch, as Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle writes (subscription required). “That’s the Reed we like to see,” teammate Kevin Durant said on Wednesday after Sheppard scored a season-high 21 points in a win over Washington. “I think these last three games, he’s just playing freely and not thinking too much, playing under control and knocking down shots. It’s a make-or-miss league, so if you continue to work on your game and become efficient, then the rest of the game is pretty easy for you.”

And-Ones: NBA Europe, Oladipo, Contract Year All-Stars, More

November 12th, 2025 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA is targeting October 2027 for the launch of its new European league, according to NBA Europe managing director George Aivazoglou, who recently spoke at a conference in Milan about the league’s plans.

As Daniella Matar and Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press write, while the NBA envisions a 16-team league, it’s possible that not all of those slots will be filled during the first season. The tentative plan is for NBA Europe to feature 12 permanent teams, with the other four slots rotating based on the results of FIBA’s Basketball Champions League or certain European domestic leagues.

While no agreements with specific teams have been announced so far, the NBA has a number of countries and cities on its radar, per Aivazoglou, including Britain (London and Manchester), France (Paris and Lyon), Spain (Madrid and Barcelona), Italy (Rome and Milan), Germany (Berlin and Munich), Greece (Athens), and Turkey (Istanbul).

Matar and Reynolds speculate that there could be a more concrete update from the NBA in January, when a pair of regular season games are scheduled to be played in London and Berlin.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Having recently joined the Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee’s G League affiliate, former NBA star Victor Oladipo spoke to Jared Weiss of The Athletic about his ongoing attempts to make it back to the league for the first time since the 2022/23 season. “Even though I was at the top and I got to work my way back up. I’m willing to do that,” Oladipo said. “So, I’m looking forward to it. I think, like I said, I think my greatest years are ahead of me and I’m looking forward to see where it goes.”
Lakers teammates Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura are among the headliners on ESPN’s Bobby Marks’ list of 12 “contract year All-Stars” — players who are in position to earn lucrative new deals with big contract years in 2025/26. Pistons center Jalen Duren, Heat guard Norman Powell, and Sixers teammates Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr. are among the others singled out by Marks.
Which NBA star duos could be headed for a split? Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report takes a closer look at several around the league, including Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Grizzlies, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner of the Magic, and Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland of the Cavaliers, and weighs whether or not each pairing is likely to have a long-term future.
As part of a series revisiting the NBA over the past quarter-century, The Athletic has published its list of the top 25 players of the last 25 years, along with the top 25 transactions of the last 25 years. LeBron James holds the top spot on both lists, with his decision to take his “talents to South Beach” ranking first among the most impactful transactions of the 21st century. The Warriors are at No. 2 on both lists, with Stephen Curry placing second among players, while Kevin Durant signing with Golden State comes in second among transactions.

Injury Notes: LeBron, Garland, Sharpe, Morant, Edey

November 12th, 2025 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, Lakers star LeBron James has been assigned to the G League today in order to practice with the South Bay Lakers, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

James, whose season debut has been delayed while he deals with sciatica on his right side, is being sent to the G League for the first time since he entered the NBA in 2003. The assignment will, of course, be a brief one, giving the 40-year-old an opportunity to take part in his first full practice of the season, including 5-on-5 play, Charania notes.

Charania reported nearly a month ago that James and the Lakers were targeting mid-November for his 2025/26 debut. His progress so far appears to line up with that timeline.

The Lakers, led by Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, have played well in James’ absence, winning eight of their first 11 games this season.

We have a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

The Cavaliers announced today that point guard Darius Garland has been diagnosed with a contusion on his left great toe after re-injuring that surgically repaired toe in Monday’s game vs. Miami (Twitter link). While Garland will miss Wednesday’s rematch with the Heat, the diagnosis is a best-case scenario for him and the Cavs, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who notes that the team hasn’t ruled out the point guard for any additional games yet. Garland will receive daily treatment and his status will be updated as appropriate, per the club.
Nets big man Day’Ron Sharpe sat out on Tuesday vs. Toronto due to what the team referred to as a left glute contusion, but the injury isn’t considered significant, writes C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required). “He’s day-to-day, we’re not concerned,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “And we want to make sure he feels good and mentally in a good place to be ready to play. So, that’s all good news, and it’s an opportunity for the next man up.” One of those “next men up” could be rookie forward Danny Wolf, who was recalled from the G League before Tuesday’s game and made his second NBA appearance.
While Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is questionable to play on Wednesday vs. the Celtics due to right ankle soreness, center Zach Edey (left ankle surgery recovery) has taken another step toward his season debut, having been upgraded from out to doubtful, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. While he may not play on Wednesday in Boston, Edey could be available for Saturday’s game in Cleveland. “I’ve seen him on the court working out,” teammate Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said. “I’m excited for him to be back.”

Grizzlies’ Clarke Expected To Return In 6-9 Weeks

November 11th, 2025 at 10:45am CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke is making good progress in his rehabilitation from knee surgery, according to the team, which announced today (via Twitter) that Clarke has been cleared to start ramping up to basketball activities and is expected to return to action in about six-to-nine weeks.

Clarke underwent an arthroscopic procedure in September to address synovitis in his right knee after having his 2024/25 season cut short due to a PCL sprain in that same knee. The 29-year-old Canadian hasn’t suited up for a game since March 19.

The right knee issues represent the second major health problem Clarke has dealt with recent years — he also suffered an Achilles tear in March 2023, which ended his ’22/23 campaign prematurely and limited him to just six outings in ’23/24.

Prior to his knee sprain in March, the 6’8″ forward had a relatively healthy 2024/25 season, averaging 8.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assist in 18.9 minutes per game across 64 total appearances (18 starts). Clarke is an important part of Memphis’ frontcourt rotation when he’s available. The team had a +8.2 net rating during his time on the court last season, compared to a +3.0 mark when he wasn’t playing.

Even in a best-case scenario, Clarke likely won’t be back until around Christmas, based on the six-to-nine week timeline provided by the Grizzlies. If the final stages of his recovery process take closer to nine weeks than six, he won’t return until sometime in 2026.

In addition to missing Clarke, the Grizzlies have also been without second-year center Zach Edey this fall. But Edey – who is coming off ankle surgery – has recently been assigned to the G League for practice reps, suggesting his season debut isn’t far off.

Timberwolves Contacted Grizzlies About Ja Morant

November 10th, 2025 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves have “checked in” with the Grizzlies about a potential Ja Morant trade, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic said in a recent appearance on SiriusXM Radio (Twitter link, hat tip to RealGM).

Krawczynski described the contact as exploratory, saying Minnesota is “testing the waters a little bit” to see if a deal might be available later on. He projects that talks could become more serious if the Wolves haven’t found an answer at point guard by December, saying, “I do think that they could explore at least looking harder at Ja Morant.”

Trade speculation surrounding Morant began to increase nine days ago after he had a disagreement with the coaching staff during a loss to the Lakers. Head coach Tuomas Iisalo reportedly confronted Morant about his effort level and focus during halftime and following the game, and Morant expressed frustration over Iisalo’s unorthodox substitution pattern.

The situation has been calmer since Morant returned from a one-game suspension, but there’s no indication that the dispute has died down. Still, multiple reports indicate the Grizzlies aren’t currently considering a Morant trade and are hoping that any hard feelings can be resolved.

The Timberwolves were cited last week as one of the teams monitoring Morant’s situation in Memphis, and their need for a reliable point guard has been obvious early in the season. Thirty-eight-year-old Mike Conley has been used mainly as a reserve and is averaging career lows with 6.5 points and 3.9 assists per game. Krawczynski points out that Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle have been handling most of the play-making duties.

Tax apron restrictions make it difficult for Minnesota to work out a deal for Morant or any other star player. Because they’re operating above the first apron, the Wolves aren’t permitted to send out more salary than they take back in a trade, and Morant is earning $39.5MM this season.

Morant, Jackson Remain United; Edey Assigned To Practice With G League Team

November 7th, 2025 at 1:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Last week’s blowout between Ja Morant and the Grizzlies‘ coaching staff hasn’t affected his relationship with teammate Jaren Jackson Jr., sources tell Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. They remain united in their determination to turn the season around, and general manager Zach Kleiman hasn’t lost confidence in his two stars. Siegel states that there’s no indication that Kleiman has thought about trading Morant, and Morant hasn’t expressed a desire to be dealt. Siegel also hears that Morant received support from several teammates after clashing with coach Tuomas Iisalo over his unorthodox substitution patterns.
The Grizzlies announced (via Twitter) that they’ve assigned Zach Edey and GG Jackson II to practice with their G League affiliate. Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com notes that Edey has entered the front end of his projected “return-to-play” window following ankle surgery (Twitter link). Wallace adds that Charles Bassey is no longer with the team after his 10-day hardship contract expired on Wednesday.

Latest On Ja Morant

November 7th, 2025 at 8:06am CST by Arthur Hill

Ja Morant‘s skepticism about the unique strategy favored by head coach Tuomas Iisalo was behind the locker room confrontation that led to a one-game suspension last week, Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes in a piece co-authored by Tim Bontemps.

Iisalo, who took over the team late last season when Taylor Jenkins was fired, had success in Europe by playing his lineups three to four minutes at a time and then making mass substitutions to keep everyone fresh and competing at a high energy level. That’s unusual in the NBA, where the bulk of minutes typically go to the best players, and sources tell Windhorst that Morant remains “skeptical” of the approach. Through eight games, he’s posting the lowest shooting percentages of his career at 38.3% from the floor and 14% from three-point range.

“His system is based on having an elite guard who has the ability to get his feet into the paint, and then all his strategy evolves from that. Morant should be a very good fit for it, (Iisalo) was surely excited about that when he got that job,” a European executive told Windhorst. “He is running his system there. But it is not creating the advantages that are expected yet.”

Even with the awkward fit, an immediate trade seems unlikely. Several sources around the league tell Bontemps that Morant is still viewed as a “borderline top-10” point guard, but there aren’t many teams that are looking for a starter at that position. Morant’s off-court issues and the Grizzlies‘ recent downturn haven’t lessened his popularity with Memphis fans, Bontemps notes, and he has stated several times that he enjoys playing in the city.

“He sells shoes, he sells tickets, and he wants to play in Memphis when no one wants to,” a Western Conference assistant coach told Bontemps. “So it makes for a really, really difficult situation.”

ESPN’s findings are consistent with a report this week from Marc Stein, who hears that the team is in no hurry to pursue a Morant trade. The Timberwolves and Kings are rumored to be among the teams keeping an eye on the situation to see if that changes.

If the Grizzlies opt to trade Morant at some point this season, sources around the league are wondering if they might consider parting with Jaren Jackson Jr. as well, Bontemps adds. The team made a huge commitment to Jackson over the summer, maneuvering its roster to renegotiate and extend his contract, resulting in a new five-year deal worth $240MM.

That contract makes him more attractive to small-market teams, Bontemps points out, because they would have the security of knowing he’s signed through 2030. Bontemps compares it to the conditions that prompted Cleveland to deal for Donovan Mitchell and Minnesota to acquire Rudy Gobert.

Jackson has some holes in his game — his low rebounding numbers make it difficult to play him at center and he remains foul prone, averaging 4.4 per game this season — but his ability to space the floor and protect the rim would create a significant trade market if he ever becomes available.

“He’s a perfect complementary guy,” an Eastern Conference scout said, “and he can play just about anywhere.”

Parting with Morant and Jackson would signal a complete rebuild in Memphis, but Bontemps states that this might be the best time to do it with a loaded draft class looming in 2026. The Grizzlies already have two potential lottery picks and could add more draft capital by moving their two stars, giving them a fresh wave of young talent to add to Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells and Cedric Coward.

Grizzlies Notes: Morant, Jackson, Coward, Vibes

November 6th, 2025 at 9:03pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Grizzlies are off to a 3-6 start to the season and have already suspended Ja Morant for one game for conduct detrimental to the team.

While rumors have started to circulate about teams keeping an eye on the situation, there’s still no indication that Memphis would consider moving Morant, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line — at least, no indication yet.

“Nobody’s doing seismic, monumental things before 20, 25 games have been played,” an agent told Fischer, who notes that the team is still in the evaluation stage after a significant offseason roster shakeup that included trading Desmond Bane to Orlando for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and four first-round picks.

According to Fischer, indications are that leadership wants to see what head coach Tuomas Iisalo can do with the roster when it’s closer to full strength before making any decisions. Brandon Clarke, Zach Edey, Ty Jerome, and Scotty Pippen Jr. have all missed time to open the season.

We have more from the Grizzlies:

While the Morant situation has been the subject of the most scrutiny, Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s struggles to find his place in the offense have been an important part of the story too, writes Damichael Cole for Memphis Commercial Appeal. Jackson finished with just nine points on six shots in Wednesday’s loss to the Rockets after entering the game averaging the second-lowest field goal attempts since his rookie year. “He got this little trail three he used to get a lot,” said teammate Vince Williams Jr. “He hasn’t been shooting that as much. I think he’s just being over passive, but we need him to score if we want to win, so he’s got to score.”
Iisalo has made it clear that getting Jackson more involved is a priority moving forward, though Cole writes that Morant told the head coach the team’s ability to spread the defense out is also an issue. “It’s not enough space,” Morant said. “We got to make more shots and open up the floor for him.” Jackson, for his part, said that he’s “very confident” that he will return to form soon. “You just got to be aggressive,” Jackson said. “You just got to be in attack mode.”
One of the few bright spots in Memphis so far this season has been the play of rookie Cedric Coward, who was selected with the No. 11 pick in this year’s draft after the Grizzlies traded two of the first-rounders acquired in the Bane deal — including the 16th overall pick that became Yang Hansen — to get him. Coward currently ranks third on the team in scoring, rebounding, and steals, and is second in made three-pointers. However, it doesn’t appear that a promotion to the starting lineup is in the immediate future. “We think about that with all of our players,” Iisalo said when asked about the idea (Twitter link via Cole). “… A lot of times it doesn’t make sense to have, for example, all of your best on-ball creators in the same lineup. His minutes have been steadily going up because of his overall impact. I think that’s the more important thing than like who is starting and who is not.“
There are palpable bad vibes surrounding the team, according to Kelly Iko of Yahoo! Sports, and not just related to Morant. Iko writes that after years of boasting an energetic, fun-loving style of play, the team is missing the edge and confidence it once wore on its sleeve. Iisalo is aware of the change. ” It’s very hard to build confidence if you’re consistently losing,” he says. “It’s great to be around other guys when you’re winning, and when it’s losing, it tests you and reveals a lot of that character. We’re losing and it’s being tested and there’s only one way out from there.”
Iko points to a different style of attack after years of playing in Taylor Jenkins‘ scheme as part of the cause. Morant’s attempts at the rim are down and his perimeter shots are up, and the team seems more stagnant at times than it used to. Jackson echoed the sentiment. “The longer you’ve done [something different], it’ll take a little longer than the average person to snap back into something new,” the former Defensive Player of the Year said. “You have to have full belief in it and have to give yourself up for it, full belief that it will work every single time. Otherwise, you’re going to be hesitant. Any little bit of hesitation in professional sports will get you a loss.”

Tony Allen Arrested On Drug Charges

November 5th, 2025 at 11:04pm CST by Eli Cohen

Former Grizzlies guard Tony Allen was arrested on drug charges in Poinsett County, Arkansas on Wednesday, according to Clay Bailey of The Associated Press.

The Poinsett County Sheriff’s Office alleges that following a traffic stop about 50 miles outside of Memphis, Allen was found to have a package of a leafy substance later identified as marijuana on his person.

A subsequent search of the car, which was driven by a man named William Hatton, revealed marijuana-related paraphernalia, which Hatton claimed belonged to him, according to Action News 5, as well as a cigarette box with a substance later identified as cocaine.

Allen pleaded guilty to his involvement in a federal case of health insurance fraud in 2023 and received three years of supervised probation, in addition to community service.

Allen was a key leader of the Grit and Grind Grizzlies from 2010-17 and had his No. 9 jersey retired last March. During his seven seasons in Memphis, he made six All-Defense teams and missed the playoffs just once.

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