Memphis Grizzlies Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Morant Hits Game-Winner In Return From Suspension

December 19th, 2023 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Ja Morant made a spectacular return from his 25-game suspension, scoring 34 points — including a buzzer-beating, game-winning basket in the lane — as the Grizzlies rallied past the Pelicans on Tuesday night.

Morant was thrilled to be back in action and it showed, as The Associated Press’ Brett Martel relays.

“I’ve been putting work in, man,” Morant said. “I ain’t play a game in eight months. Had a lot of time to learn myself. A lot of hard days where I went through it. But you know, basketball is my life — what I love, therapeutic for me. And I’m just excited to be back.”

Morant’s point total was the most in NBA history by a player returning from an absence of at least 25 games. He heard a lot of boos from the New Orleans crowd, especially in the early going, but it didn’t faze him.

Morant lost approximately $7.6MM of his $34MM salary during the suspension. He’s in the first year of his five-year maximum-salary extension.

Whether Morant can carry Memphis back into the playoff picture remains to be seen. The Grizzlies dug themselves a deep hole, going 6-19 in his absence.

Morant will play in front of Memphis fans for the first time this season on Thursday when the team hosts the Pacers.

Southwest Notes: Morant, Smart, Cuban, Rockets, More

December 19th, 2023 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

With Ja Morant poised to return from his 25-game suspension on Tuesday night vs. New Orleans, the Grizzlies‘ season is on the brink, as Morant’s absence and a plethora of injuries have created what Derrick Rose referred to as a “quagmire situation,” according to Baxter Holmes and Tim MacMahon of ESPN. As Holmes and MacMahon detail, “frustration has simmered” within the organization about the direction of the season, which has opened with 19 losses in 25 games.

But Morant’s teammates were all smiles on Monday as they discussed the point guard’s impending return, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. The club’s top two scorers this season, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., have faced a level of defensive attention they’re not accustomed to, and they’re looking forward to sharing the court with a player like Morant, who will be able to divert much of that attention.

“(Morant) is going to have to deal with that,” Jackson said. “He’s going to have to turn left and turn right and see three dudes so that I can do what I do. He’s an All-NBA, Hall of Fame-type player, so you’re going to have to pay attention and if you do that, we’re going to punish you.”

Although Morant hasn’t suited up for the Grizzlies since April, the club has been ramping up his workload in practice and doesn’t anticipate imposing any real limitations on his playing time in his return, Cole notes.

“He’s going to play pretty significant minutes,” head coach Taylor Jenkins said. “… I won’t anticipate going crazy with his minutes, but I don’t think it’s any kind of restriction.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart, who hasn’t played since November 14 due to a left foot sprain, is getting very close to returning to action, Cole writes in another Commercial Appeal story. “Marcus is really close,” Jenkins said. “… Somewhere in that Indiana (Thursday) and Atlanta (Saturday) time frame, we’re hopeful that he’ll be back in the lineup then.”
Following up on the Mavericks‘ sale ahead of the Board of Governors vote, Marc Stein says on Substack that Mark Cuban will retain a 27% stake in the franchise. Stein indicates that the new owners – the Miriam Adelson/Patrick Dumont group – will therefore have a 73% controlling interest, but there have been conflicting reports on whether every single one of the minority stakeholders are being bought out.
The Rockets‘ closing lineup has been far less predictable than its starting group, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required), who examines head coach Ime Udoka‘s tendency to go with the hot hands down the stretch of games. “That’s what I believe in,” Udoka said. “I pretty much said that the day I was hired. Minutes and roles are not going to be handed out. The guys that are playing well and units that are playing well are going to get those minutes. I think everybody knows that across the board.”
William Guillory of The Athletic takes a look at the similarities between Pelicans forward Zion Williamson and Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama, two No. 1 picks who were expected to be saviors for their respective Southwest clubs as soon as they entered the NBA, exploring how they’ve dealt with those expectations.

Grizzlies Waive Kenneth Lofton Jr.

December 18th, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Rory Maher

DECEMBER 18: The Grizzlies have officially waived Lofton, the team confirmed in a press release on Monday night. The move opens up a spot to formally activate Morant.

DECEMBER 17: The Grizzlies plan to release Kenneth Lofton Jr., reports Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.

As Cole explains, the Grizzlies need to create a roster spot with Ja Morant nearing a return from his 25-game suspension; that’s expected to occur Tuesday vs. New Orleans. Lofton won’t be traveling on the team’s two-game road trip, which starts Monday in Oklahoma City.

Two different reports from the past week indicated that Lofton was the most likely player to be cut. When Morant was placed on the suspended list following the fifth game of the season, the Grizzlies signed Bismack Biyombo, and they’ll reportedly be keeping him around for now.

Lofton, a second-year forward/center, was promoted from a two-way deal to a standard contract near the end of the 2022/23 season.

The 21-year-old had an opportunity to earn minutes in the frontcourt this season, with Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke sidelined with long-term injuries, plus Xavier Tillman missing extended time. But he was unable to establish himself as a consistent contributor this fall, averaging just 2.6 points per game on 37.8% shooting in 15 appearances (6.6 MPG).

A source tells Cole that Lofton met with head coach Taylor Jenkins earlier in ’23/24 to gain a better understanding of why he wasn’t playing, but Jenkins reportedly told him there weren’t many minutes available.

Lofton has two years left on his contract after this season, but both are non-guaranteed. That means if he clears waivers, the Grizzlies will only be on the hook for his ’23/24 salary, which is $1,719,864.

According to Cole, Lofton is expected to draw interest from rival teams due to his ability to score. He averaged a double-double for the Memphis Hustle (the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate) last season, winning the NBAGL’s Rookie of the Year award in the process.

Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Doncic, Exum, Rose

December 18th, 2023 at 8:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pelicans heated up on their latest road swing, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. New Orleans has gone 3-0 on its latest mini-road trip, and is currently riding a four-game win streak overall. The team returns home Tuesday, for a bout against Memphis.

“The guys are buying into what we are asking them to do,” head coach Willie Green said. “We are staying with it. We are trusting it. We are showing them the pictures when we watch film. We are getting on the floor and going over it again and again. Expressing to them how important it is to play with force, play with pace. Continue to share the ball. Just make the simple plays over and over again.”

New Orleans is currently 16-11 overall on the season. In the crowded West, that record is good for the conference’s seventh seed.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

All-NBA Mavericks guard Luka Doncic has been performing at an MVP level this year, opines Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Doncic has steered Dallas to a 16-9 start on the year. His 32.7 points per game rank second in the league, and his 9.1 assists per game place him fourth. He was just named the West’s Player of the Week for his most recent four-game run, in which he averaged 36.8 PPG, 11.5 APG and 8.0 RPG while helped the Mavericks go 3-1.
Mavericks guard Dante Exum has emerged as a critical running mate for Doncic this season, writes Tim Cato of The Athletic. “He knows how to play,” Dallas head coach Jason Kidd said. “He’s not judged on his scoring. He’s judged on doing the right thing.” Exum returned to the NBA this season after a two-year stint overseas. While starting the past six contests for Dallas, Exum has been averaging 30.8 minutes per night. Cato applauds the way Exum’s game fits in the Mavericks’ heliocentric offense around Doncic. “We try to attack personnel here (and) it’s working for us, it’s an advantage for us,” Exum said. “If it hasn’t worked for a couple plays, just getting the ball and saying, ‘Alright, getting guys connected, organized into an offense,’ that’s what I can do.”
After departing a 103-96 loss to the Rockets on Friday with left hamstring tightness, Grizzlies reserve guard Derrick Rose is considered week-to-week going forward, reports Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). When healthy, Rose has been a solid bench contributor for an injury- and suspension-depleted Memphis club, averaging 9.1 PPG (.438/.344/.905 shooting), 3.5 APG and 2.0 RPG in just 18.9 MPG.

Southwest Notes: Brooks, Lively, Irving, Rice

December 17th, 2023 at 7:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Dillon Brooks was determined to beat his former team. The Rockets wing got his wish as they downed the Grizzlies on Friday night, 103-96, with Brooks scoring 26 points in 40 minutes.

“He had 24 of his 26 after the half. He stepped it up offensively,” Rockets head cach Ime Udoka told Kelly Iko of The Athletic and other media members. “He hit a big shot late, but his aggressiveness and scoring was needed in the second half. It felt like the group galvanized around him.”

Brooks’ career with Memphis ended on a sour note, but Houston wanted his edgy attitude and defensive prowess enough to sign him to a four-year, $86MM contract in free agency.

“It’s a lot of emotion. A lot of things I’ve been holding in and just wanted to release for this time,” he said. “It just felt good with my people in the arena, watching me play. It just felt good.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Mavericks rookie center Dereck Lively sprained his left ankle against Portland on Saturday night. He’s in a walking boot and won’t play against Denver on Monday, according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter links). Lively has started in 22 of 23 games.
Mavericks star guard Kyrie Irving will also miss Monday’s contest, Townsend adds in another tweet. He’s been out since Dec. 8 due to a right heel contusion.
The Spurs’ NBA G League team in Austin has acquired the rights to undrafted rookie guard Sir’Jabari Rice, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News tweets. He was on a two-way deal until being placed on waivers Thursday to make room for guard David Duke Jr. Rice didn’t appear in an NBA game before being waived.

Derrick Rose Leaves Game With Sore Hamstring

December 16th, 2023 at 9:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hamstring soreness forced Grizzlies guard Derrick Rose to leave Friday’s game, the team tweeted. Rose, who has helped the team weather Ja Morant‘s suspension, managed to play only about eight minutes.

And-Ones: Panic, Trade Candidates, Awards, Atkinson, Thabeet

December 15th, 2023 at 8:51pm CST by Rory Maher

Which teams that hoped to be contenders entering 2023/24 should be panicking after slow starts? John Hollinger of The Athletic explores that topic, with the Warriors topping his list (an eight on a scale of one-to-10).

The indefinite suspension of Draymond Green and the poor play of Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson “presents a dilemma” for Golden State, which just won the title two seasons ago. The Warriors will be faced with many difficult decisions in the coming months, Hollinger notes, with Thompson’s expiring contract looming large.

The Raptors (seven), Hawks (six), Grizzlies (five) and Suns (four) also hold places on Hollinger’s “Panic Meter” for various reasons.

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

Speaking of the Raptors, two of their starters — Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby — are at the top of the trade candidate big board compiled by Sam Vecenie of The Athletic. Bulls guard Zach LaVine ranks third on the 25-player list, followed by his Chicago teammates DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso.
Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press takes a look at the early impact of the NBA’s new 65-game requirement for awards, writing that Heat guard Tyler Herro (ankle) and Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons (thumb surgery) are among the noteworthy players who won’t meet that requirement due to injuries, with many others having missed several games already. Herro has accepted that he won’t have a shot at a postseason award. “Next year then,” Herro said. “Or the year after that.”
Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson has joined the staff of the French national team, per a team press release. Atkinson, formerly the head coach of the Nets, interviewed for several NBA head coaching jobs in recent years.
Hasheem Thabeet, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2009 draft, is signing a contract with the Kaohsiung Steelers, a Taiwanese team, agent Jerry Dianis tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Thabeet appeared in 224 NBA games with the Grizzlies, Rockets, Blazers and Thunder, but has been out of the league since the ’13/14 season.

Southwest Notes: Morant, Luka, Pelicans, Wemby

December 15th, 2023 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking today to reporters for the first time this season, Grizzlies guard Ja Morant admitted he made “a lot” of mistakes in the past and said he had “some horrible days” this year as he focused on his behavior away from basketball, according to reports from Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal and Teresa M. Walker of The Associated Press. However, he’s hopeful that he’ll ultimately benefit from his 25-game suspension and the requirements that came with it, including therapy.

“In the end, I feel like it made me better,” Morant said. “I feel like I learned some stuff about myself that I did during that process. Very eye-opening. It kind of gave me a new look on life. How I go about my days. How I carry myself.”

Morant, who acknowledged that his actions will speak louder than his words when it comes to being a better leader on and off the court for the Grizzlies, also said he felt guilty about the fact that the team has struggled without him while he has served his 25-game suspension. After winning 107 regular season games over the last two seasons, Memphis is off to a 6-17 start this fall.

“Yes, it’s definitely some guilt in that,” he said. “Obviously I’m not on the floor. Nobody like losing. … I take full responsibility of that. Even though I’m not on the floor, decisions I’ve made didn’t allow me to be out there to go to battle with my team.”

Morant remains on track to make his return on Tuesday against New Orleans. His teammates, who have been seeing what he’s doing in practice, are excited about how he’s looked and the impact his return will have on the club, as Cole writes for The Commercial Appeal. Jaren Jackson Jr. said Morant has the “same quick-trigger bounce” as he always has, while Vince Williams referred to the star guard as an “energy guy” in practices.

“I feel like he’s putting in a lot more effort on the defensive end in practice,” Williams said. “If he’s doing it in practice, I know he’s going to do it in the games for us.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Appearing on Headliners with Rachel Nichols (Twitter video link), Mavericks star Luka Doncic was asked if he’d seek an exit from Dallas if he didn’t feel like the team was moving toward title contention. Doncic suggested that’s not something he’s considered. “I feel great here,” he said. “They drafted me. I’ve felt at home since day one. I’m really happy where I’m at. I think we made some great moves this offseason. Yeah, I’m happy here.”
The Pelicans have the pieces to be an effective small-ball team and have been leaning more on those lineups as of late, William Guillory writes for The Athletic. In Guillory’s view, embracing a small-ball identity could take the team to new heights, so he thinks it’s important to see what a lineup consisting of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy, and Herbert Jones looks like once they’re all healthy — those five players have shared the court for just one minute so far this season.
Former No. 1 overall picks Anthony Davis and LeBron James are sympathetic to the expectations that Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama is facing in San Antonio, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscriber link), who notes that neither Davis nor James made the playoffs during their first two NBA seasons. “You’ve just got to go in and just play, find your way,” Davis said of Wembanyama this week. “You’re going to have ups and downs in the season. Obviously, he’s an exceptional talent. But don’t stress yourself out over the pressure from everyone else. You’ve got to know what your team wants from you. And don’t think that you have to turn the franchise around in one year.”

Western Rumors: Markkanen, Giddey, Mann, Kings, Lofton

December 15th, 2023 at 12:23pm CST by Luke Adams

After Marc Stein reported that teams around the NBA are keeping an eye on Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports says that several clubs have already contacted Utah to inquire on Markkanen.

Fischer stresses that the Jazz are “by no means expected” to trade Markkanen, who is a favorite of team officials. However, opposing executives have gotten the sense that the All-Star forward is no longer quite as untouchable as he was in the past.

“Do I expect Utah to trade Lauri? No,” one general manager told Fischer. “But they are saying they’re willing to listen. They are willing to listen to calls on everyone, but it’s a matter of meeting their price like Minnesota did for Rudy [Gobert].”

As Fischer notes, even if a deal is unlikely, the fact that the Jazz are open to listening on Markkanen means that there will continue to be plenty of buzz around him as the trade deadline nears. League personnel believe that the Kings, Hawks, and Thunder are among the teams that would have the most interest in the Finnish star, Fischer adds.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Rival teams had begun to zero in on Thunder guard Josh Giddey as a possible trade target before the NBA and California police began looking into allegations that he had an inappropriate relationship with a minor, per Fischer. Depending on the outcome of those investigations, Giddey may still draw interest ahead of the trade deadline. Oklahoma City also explored moving Tre Mann prior to the start of the season, Fischer adds.
If the Kings pursue either Pascal Siakam or OG Anunoby, the Raptors are expected to ask for Keegan Murray in return, which may be a non-starter for Sacramento, Fischer writes, since the Kings view Murray as an important piece in both the present and the future. However, another former lottery pick, Davion Mitchell, is considered a “strong” trade candidate, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
The Grizzlies have made calls to potential trade partners to gauge those teams’ interest in some of Memphis’ reserves, but if a deal doesn’t materialize in the coming days, the expectation is that the team will probably waive Kenneth Lofton Jr. to open up a roster spot to activate Ja Morant next week, says Fischer. We took a closer look at Memphis’ looming roster decisions earlier in the week.

Southwest Notes: Brooks, Morant, Nowell, Green, Bassey

December 14th, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Dillon Brooks doesn’t know what kind of reception to expect when he returns to Memphis on Friday, but he’s been looking forward to it ever since he signed with the Rockets this summer, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Brooks’ new team has beaten the Grizzlies twice already, including on Wednesday night, but both games were played in Houston. He knows the atmosphere will be different in front of the fans at FedEx Forum.

“I can’t wait to get back out there playing,” Brooks said. “This has been circled out there on my schedule.”

For six seasons, Brooks was a fiery part of a brash Grizzlies team, clashing with opponents and challenging teammates to raise their intensity level. However, after saying last month that he felt like a “scapegoat” for the team’s playoff loss to the Lakers, he’s not sure how Memphis fans will receive him.

“I’m excited,” he said. “I miss the Forum. I just can’t wait to get out there, shoot on the court and see what it’s all about. We’ll see what happens.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Ja Morant, who may be nearing the end of his suspension, will speak to the media Friday morning, Cole tweets. If commissioner Adam Silver agrees to reinstate Morant after 25 games, he will be eligible to return Tuesday at New Orleans.
With the Grizzlies facing a roster crunch ahead of Morant’s return, they’re not likely to keep Jaylen Nowell, whose second 10-day contract expired Wednesday. Nowell called his time with the organization “a blessing,” according to Cole (Twitter link). “They accepted me, and I’m real thankful for that,” he said. “I definitely think that these guys are going to pick it up and be one of the best teams in the West, for sure.”
Rockets coach Ime Udoka is proving that he’s willing to bench anyone who isn’t performing up to expectations, notes Kelly Iko of the Athletic. Jalen Green sat out the entire fourth quarter for the second straight game on Wednesday amid a poor shooting night and questionable decision making. “Play harder like the group that was in,” Udoka responded when asked about his advice for Green. “It starts with effort. Continuing the play through it. Learn from those things, but it’s not always a result of what they don’t do. It’s more so the other lineup and what they’re doing.”
Spurs teammates say Charles Bassey is in good spirits despite suffering a season-ending ACL tear, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. “He is resilient,” Collins said. “He has come back from stuff before. He is a very positive guy. But we are going to miss him.”