Memphis Grizzlies Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Grizzlies Notes: Morant, Jones, LaRavia

October 29th, 2022 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant is listed as doubtful to play on Saturday vs. Utah due to a non-COVID illness, the team announced (via Twitter). Morant was added to the injury report on Friday night and his status remains unchanged in the latest update.

An illness may be just about the only thing capable of slowing down Morant at this point. The All-NBA guard is off to a terrific start this season, averaging 32.6 points, 6.8 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game in his first five contests (32.8 MPG), with an outrageous shooting line of .529/.565/.875. If the 4-1 Grizzlies and Morant stay hot, the 23-year-old could emerge as a legitimate MVP candidate this season.

Here’s more out of Memphis:

After re-signing with the Grizzlies this summer on a two-year, $29MM deal, Tyus Jones is playing a slightly bigger role and is facing a tougher challenge, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Jones, who is averaging a career-high 23.8 minutes per game so far, is one of the few holdovers in a second unit that lost De’Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson and is currently without injured wing Ziaire Williams.
Those departures and injury absences have Jones looking for his own shot more and unable to maintain his usual league-leading assist-to-turnover ratio so far this season. Still, he’s not too worried about an up-and-down start, and remains focused on helping his teammates – including multiple rookies – get comfortable. “As far as our unit goes, (I’m) just talking to them before practice, during practice trying to help them on that learning curve as I can,” Jones said, per Cole. “That’s part of my job as a leader on this team.”
Injuries to Williams and Jaren Jackson Jr. have helped open up a regular rotation role for rookie forward Jake LaRavia, and the former Wake Forest standout showed on Thursday what he’s capable of providing the club, Cole notes in a separate Commercial Appeal story. LaRavia had 13 points and nine rebounds while making 3-of-4 three-pointers in Memphis’ win over Sacramento. “They drafted me here because I’m a shooter, play defense, too, and that’s what I’m going to do,” LaRavia said.
In case you missed it, the Grizzlies ranked 29th out of 30 NBA teams when Forbes released its annual franchise valuations. Forbes estimates the team to be worth $1.65 billion.

Forbes Releases 2022 NBA Franchise Valuations

October 27th, 2022 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

For the first time since Forbes began issuing annual valuations of NBA teams over two decades ago, a team other than the Knicks or Lakers ranks atop the publication’s list of 2022’s most valuable franchises.

According to Mike Ozanian and Justin Teitelbaum of Forbes, the Warriors are now considered the NBA’s most valuable club, with a record-setting valuation of $7 billion following a championship season.

Forbes’ duo explains that the Warriors generated more revenue and operating income in 2021/22 than any other team in NBA history, buoyed by $150MM in arena sponsorships and advertising, along with $250MM from premium seating.

While the Warriors enjoyed the biggest bump in value since Forbes’ most recent round of valuations, every other NBA team saw its valuation rise during that time as well, according to Ozanian and Teitelbaum, who say the average franchise is now valued at $2.86 billion. That’s 15% more than a year ago, despite the fact that the stock market is down 15% over the same time period.

Of the NBA’s 30 teams, only one – the Nets – lost money last season, per Forbes’ report, which states that record-setting sponsorship and advertising revenue ($1.35 billion last season) has put the league back on its “pre-Covid growth trajectory.” Further growth is anticipated going forward, with a new television and media deal to be negotiated in the coming years — it will take effect in 2025.

Although Forbes’ figures are just estimates and often don’t quite match up with the sale prices for franchises that change hands, they’re still useful for getting a sense of the league’s most and least valuable teams.

Here’s Forbes’ full list of NBA franchise valuations for 2022:

Golden State Warriors: $7 billion
New York Knicks: $6.1 billion
Los Angeles Lakers: $5.9 billion
Chicago Bulls: $4.1 billion
Boston Celtics: $4.0 billion
Los Angeles Clippers: $3.9 billion
Brooklyn Nets: $3.5 billion
Dallas Mavericks: $3.3 billion
Houston Rockets: $3.2 billion
Philadelphia 76ers: $3.15 billion
Toronto Raptors: $3.1 billion
Miami Heat: $3 billion
Phoenix Suns: $2.7 billion
Washington Wizards: $2.5 billion
Milwaukee Bucks: $2.3 billion
Portland Trail Blazers: $2.1 billion
Cleveland Cavaliers: $2.05 billion
Sacramento Kings: $2.03 billion
Utah Jazz: $2.025 billion
San Antonio Spurs: $2 billion
Atlanta Hawks: $1.975 billion
Denver Nuggets: $1.93 billion
Detroit Pistons: $1.9 billion
Oklahoma City Thunder: $1.875 billion
Orlando Magic: $1.85 billion
Indiana Pacers: $1.8 billion
Charlotte Hornets: $1.7 billion
Minnesota Timberwolves: $1.67 billion
Memphis Grizzlies: $1.65 billion
New Orleans Pelicans: $1.6 billion

Ziaire Williams Out 4-To-6 Weeks With Patellar Tendinitis

October 26th, 2022 at 6:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

Grizzlies forward Ziaire Williams will miss another four-to-six weeks due to soreness in his right knee caused by patellar tendinitis, the team announced (via Twitter).

Williams began experiencing pain in his knee in early October, forcing him to miss the final two games of the preseason and the first four games of the regular season. Memphis had been treating him as a day-to-day situation.

Williams is coming off a strong rookie season that saw him start 31 of the 62 games he played while averaging 8.1 points and 2.1 rebounds in 21.7 minutes per night. The 21-year-old was the 10th pick in the 2021 draft.

The Grizzlies had Williams focus on improving his play-making skills during Summer League, notes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Until Williams returns, rookies Jake LaRavia and David Roddy will continue to receive plenty of wing minutes, Cole adds.

Bucks, Heat Have NBA’s Oldest Rosters; Thunder Youngest

October 26th, 2022 at 11:25am CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks have the NBA’s oldest opening night roster this season, per a 2022/23 roster survey published by the league on Tuesday.

According to the NBA’s data, the average age of a Milwaukee player is 29.47 years old, with 36-year-olds George Hill and Wesley Matthews and 35-year-old Joe Ingles among the veterans contributing to that league-high average. The Heat (average age of 28.13 years old), Suns (28.05), Clippers (27.98), and Mavericks (27.89) have the next-oldest rosters, according to the NBA.

On the other end of the spectrum, no team has a younger roster than the Thunder, whose current group includes just one player older than 27 (Mike Muscala, who is 31). The average age of a Thunder player is just 23.14 years old, putting them ahead of fellow rebuilding teams like the Rockets (23.58), Spurs (23.84), and Magic (23.94). Interestingly, the Grizzlies (24.27) are the league’s fifth-youngest team, despite coming off a 56-win season.

Here are a few other tidbits of note from the NBA’s roster survey for the 2022/23 season:

The Bucks and Thunder are also the most and least experienced NBA teams, respectively. The average Milwaukee player has 7.24 years of NBA service, while the average Oklahoma City player has just 1.94. That puts the Bucks comfortably ahead of the Clippers (6.56) and Celtics (5.82), while the Thunder are well behind the Rockets (2.29) and Magic (3.00).
Kentucky (27) and Duke (25) have the most players currently in the NBA of any college program. No other school has more than 12 (UCLA).
The average NBA player stands at 6-foot-6.74, weighs 217.62 pounds, and is 26.01 years old. The league identifies Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks (6-foot-6.5, 220 pounds, and 26 years old) as the player who most closely resembles the league’s “composite” player in terms of height, weight, and age.
There are 13 sets of brothers currently in the NBA, including three Antetokounmpos (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, and Kostas Antetokounmpo) and three Holidays (Jrue Holiday, Justin Holiday, and Aaron Holiday).
The league’s survey also includes some data on the youngest and oldest players, which we previously outlined here.

Durant Dazzled By Morant's Talent

October 24th, 2022 at 8:23pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Grizzlies star Ja Morant poured in 49 points against Houston during the opening week of the season and Nets perennial All-Star Kevin Durant is dazzled by Morant’s talent, ESPN’s Nick Friedell writes. “He’s a unique player. A lot of athleticism and creativity out there,” Durant said. “Body type reminds you of somebody like — well he’s taller than A.I. [Allen Iverson], but a wiry, strong player … but he’s an incredible player, man.”

Injury Notes: Garland, Embiid, Curry, J. Murray, More

October 21st, 2022 at 8:26pm CST by Rory Maher

Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland, a first-time All-Star last season, has been ruled out of Saturday’s game at Chicago due to his eye injury, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter links). Garland didn’t travel with the team and the “current feeling” is that Garland is “improbable” to play in Cleveland’s home opener on Sunday against Washington, Fedor adds.

Garland suffered a lacerated eyelid when he was inadvertently poked in the eye by Gary Trent Jr. in the second quarter of the Cavs’ 108-105 loss to the Raptors on Wednesday. Fedor reported on Thursday that Garland does not have structural damage and won’t require surgery.

Here are some more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

Sixers head coach Doc Rivers says that Joel Embiid‘s conditioning was impacted by plantar fascitiis during the offseason, as Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia relays. “He had a little plantar fasciitis before the season started — before training camp — and that took him off his conditioning program,” Rivers said. “And so he’s back on that. But listen, he’s playing with the right intentions. He just didn’t play well, and that’s OK, too. That’s going to happen. We’ve still got to win those games.” The Sixers dropped their first two games of the season, with Embiid looking pretty sluggish. Rivers reiterated that Embiid is no longer dealing with the injury, but needs to regain his rhythm and conditioning.
Guard Seth Curry (offseason ankle surgery) is likely to travel with the Nets for their two-game road trip next week, but “probably” needs more practice time before he returns to action, head coach Steve Nash said on Friday (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post).
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, who played his first regular season game on Wednesday since suffering a torn ACL in April 2021, is out for Friday’s game against the Warriors, head coach Michael Malone told reporters (Twitter links via Kendra Andrews of ESPN). According to Andrews, Malone said the Nuggets are resting Murray because Friday is the first of a back-to-back. However, that might not be the case for the entire season, Malone added.
No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray will make his debut on Saturday against the Clippers after being a full participant in Friday’s practice, a source tells ESPN’s Marc J. Spears. Murray was fully cleared by the Kings after exiting the health and safety protocols, Spears writes.
Dillon Brooks (left thigh soreness) and Ziaire Williams (right knee soreness) missed their second consecutive games for the Grizzlies on Friday, the team announced (via Twitter). Memphis won its opener against New York and defeated Houston in game two.

Aldama Impresses In Debut; Morant Aims For MVP Award

October 20th, 2022 at 8:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Santi Aldama delivered a big performance in his first NBA start for the Grizzlies, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal notes. Filling in for injured Jaren Jackson Jr., the 2021 first round pick supplied 18 points and 11 rebounds in 39 minutes while guarding the Knicks’ Julius Randle. “It was more about knowing his game, knowing his tendencies and being ready to absorb contact,” Aldama said. “It’s not easy, but I think I did a pretty good job overall.”

Ja Morant signed a five-year max extension this summer after being named the league’s Most Improved Player. The Grizzlies’ star guard now has the Most Valuable Player in his sights, as he told ESPN’s Malika Andrews on the NBA Today show (Twitter link). “MVP for sure,” he said. “I’m not an individual goal guy but that’s … pretty much everyone’s goal in this league.”

Examining Grizzlies' Place In West; Danny Green To Appear On ESPN As Analyst

October 19th, 2022 at 10:39am CST by Luke Adams

Can the Grizzlies continue to ascend the ranks of the Western Conference’s contenders without making any major roster additions? Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal explores where Memphis stands in the West, noting that the team is coming off another quiet offseason and hasn’t signed an outside veteran free agent since 2019.
As he continues to recover from an ACL tear, Grizzlies wing Danny Green will appear on ESPN as an analyst this season, Cole writes in a separate story for The Commercial Appeal. Green, with an eye toward his post-retirement plans, agreed to a deal for 15 TV appearances, according to Cole. “When I’m done playing, it’s something that I always wanted to venture out into,” Green said. “This an opportunity to build a résumé and can get some reps.”

Update On JJJ; Williams' Status For Opener Uncertain

October 17th, 2022 at 3:16pm CST by Rory Maher

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said the team is hoping to get some 5-on-5 work in for Jaren Jackson Jr. “in the next couple of weeks,” tweets Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Jackson underwent foot surgery at the end of June and will miss the start of the regular season. Jenkins also said second-year wing Ziaire Williams missed practice on Monday with a non-COVID illness in addition to knee soreness, and his status for the season opener is up in the air (Twitter link via Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com).

Extension Notes: Russell, G. Williams, Clarke, Poole

October 17th, 2022 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell is about to begin the final season of the four-year contract he signed in 2019, and will be eligible to sign an extension anytime up until June 30, 2023, the day before he reaches free agency. However, Brian Windhorst of ESPN and Darren Wolfson of SKOR North and 5 Eyewitness News suggested during the latest episode of Wolfson’s The Scoop podcast that an extension for Russell probably isn’t around the corner.

“I have not heard any discussion of him getting an extension,” Windhorst said, per RealGM.

Wolfson agreed, adding, “I think (Russell’s) representation has reached out to the Wolves, but it doesn’t seem like it’s being reciprocated.”

The Timberwolves already have significant financial commitments to Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert on their books for the next several years, and will likely be signing Anthony Edwards to a lucrative long-term contract next summer, so it makes sense that the team would be unwilling to work out a big new deal with Russell before assessing how all the pieces fit together this season.

Here are a few more extension-related notes from around the NBA:

Celtics forward Grant Williams, extension-eligible for a few more hours, recently spoke to Brian Robb of MassLive.com about the possibility of getting a new deal. Williams shared some interesting insights, including explaining why he doesn’t view recently extended power forwards like Larry Nance Jr. and Maxi Kleber as direct comparables. “It’s one of those things like — you look at guys across the league, they maybe play different roles and a different situation,” Williams said. “You bring up Nance Jr. with the Pelicans and he’s probably their ninth or 10th man. They are one of the teams that are on the edge of making a run. Similar to Kleber’s, who is 30. He doesn’t necessarily have the versatility, the guarding — I try my best not to look at those guys. I just feel like you make your own market and understand your value.”
Brandon Clarke‘s four-year contract extension with the Grizzlies, reported to be worth $52MM, actually has a base value of $50MM, with $2MM in total incentives ($500K per year), tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic. The deal features four flat annual cap hits of $12.5MM, adds ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter).
Warriors guard Jordan Poole, who officially signed a four-year, $123MM+ extension on Sunday, told reporters that he “couldn’t stop smiling” when he put pen to paper on his new deal, as Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic writes. Poole didn’t have much to say about his practice altercation with Draymond Green, downplaying the impact he expects the incident to have going forward: “He apologized and we’re professionals. We plan on handling ourselves that way.”