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Grizzlies Notes: Morant, Rose, Jackson, Bane, Spencer, Konchar

September 30th, 2024 at 4:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is healthy and ready to go this fall after missing 85 of the team’s last 102 regular season games due to a pair of suspensions and a season-ending shoulder injury. While the last season-and-a-half have been pretty forgettable for fans in Memphis, Morant told reporters on Monday that he wants to remember “pretty much everything” he’s experienced during that time.

“Everything I’ve been through, I wanna remember that feeling I felt each time, no matter what situation it was,” he said, per Jason Munz of The Memphis Commerical Appeal. “I feel like it helped me a lot, it helped me grow more into a better Ja. Right now, you know, I’m probably the happiest I feel like I’ve been in a while. You know just having my family, my AAU team and the little things I was doing to keep me going and that makes me happy being able to do it this offseason – catching up with a lot of my family has been good.

“… I feel like a happy Ja is a scary Ja for a lot of people. So, long as I stay happy and healthy, it’ll be a great season.”

Morant wasn’t the only Grizzlies player to be affected by health problems last season. Nearly every one of the team’s rotation players missed time due to various injuries, but Morant and fellow cornerstones Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane are healthy this fall and the star point guard is bullish about the potential of the 2024/25 squad.

“I honestly feel like this is one of the best rosters we’ve had, you know, on paper, depth-wise,” Morant said. “And now being able to see the guys go out and when we’re playing and stuff, it gives me even more confidence. I feel like we’re pretty much loaded at every position. It’s gonna be interesting to see how it all pans out.”

Here’s more on the Grizzlies:

  • Derrick Rose‘s retirement wasn’t something the Grizzlies had expected this fall, but they were happy to accommodate him when he asked to be let out of his contract in order to call it a career, head of basketball operations Zach Kleiman said on Monday, according to Munz. “First, congrats to Derrick Rose on his retirement. Really glad that Derrick was with us for a season,” Kleiman said. “We got a call – it was classic Derrick fashion. Completely respect Derrick, the person he is and the decision he decided to make. But, got a call out of left field from his agent last weekend. ‘He’s ready to ride off into the sunset.'”
  • Kleiman made it clear during his media session on Monday that Morant, Jackson, and Bane are the three players the Grizzlies are building around now and going forward, as Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal relays. “I think that’s one of, if not the best three-man cores in the NBA,” Kleiman said. “I firmly believe that. We’ve spent years trying to think about what are the type of players that fit best around them, and I think every year we have trended more and more in that direction.”
  • Already without Vince Williams (leg) and GG Jackson (foot) for training camp, the Grizzlies are also missing two-way player Cam Spencer for now as he deals with an ankle sprain Kleiman described as “moderate,” according to Cole. “A little bit shorter-handed than we’d like to be,” Kleiman said. “… It’s next man up. Down to the two-ways. We feel strongly about each of the three two-ways on the roster. They’re guys who can potentially contribute.”
  • The Grizzlies are carrying just 13 players on standard contracts for now and could wait as late as two weeks into the regular season to add a 14th man if they so choose. Kleiman didn’t offer any real hints on Monday about who might fill that spot, as Cole notes. “I think realistically, you’ll see someone in the 14th spot before we start the regular season,” Kleiman said. “Don’t hold me to that. Not promising it. Over the course of training camp and preseason, we’ll evaluate.”
  • Reserve wing John Konchar said his goal in 2024/25 is to make at least 38% of his three-pointers, tweets Cole. Konchar was a 40.6% three-point shooter in his first three NBA seasons, but knocked down just 33.0% in the past two seasons.
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Grizzlies Need Experienced Backup After Derrick Rose's Retirement

September 30th, 2024 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill
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Grizzlies’ Vince Williams Out At Least Four Weeks With Leg Injury

September 27th, 2024 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

Grizlies wing Vince Williams, who recently experienced pain in his left shin during a training session, underwent imaging on the affected area and has been diagnosed with a stress reaction in the upper portion of his tibia, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

According to the Grizzlies, Williams will be sidelined for at least the next four weeks before being reevaluated. While the club says he’s expected to make a full recovery, there are no guarantees he’ll be ready to play at the four-week mark. Further updates will be provided as appropriate, per the Grizzlies.

Memphis will play its first game of the regular season in 26 days, so even if Williams makes a speedy recovery, it sounds like he won’t be available for opening night.

No NBA team was hit harder by injuries last season than the Grizzlies, and while there was hope that their bad luck wouldn’t carry over to 2024/25, Williams is the second player to be affected this fall by a relatively significant health issue. Forward GG Jackson underwent surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot earlier this month and was ruled out for at least the first six weeks of the regular season.

The Grizzlies should have enough depth to withstand the losses early in the season, but Jackson and Williams both emerged as productive rotation players in expanded roles last season and were expected to play regular minutes again this fall.

Williams, who turned 24 last month, averaged 10.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 27.5 minutes per game across 52 outings (33 starts) in 2023/24, posting a shooting line of .446/.378/.800. He began the season on a two-way deal before being converted to a standard multiyear contract in January.

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Derrick Rose Announces Retirement

September 26th, 2024 at 6:16am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose has announced his retirement as a basketball player.

Rose confirmed the decision in a post on Instagram and, according to Malika Andrews and Tim MacMahon of ESPN, by taking out full-page ads in local newspapers of the six NBA cities he played in: Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Detroit and Memphis.

“Knowing that I gave my all to the game, I feel confident in my decision,” Rose told ESPN. “Basketball was just the beginning for me. Now, it’s important that I give my all to my family — they deserve that.”

Rose added in a statement to Shams Charania of The Athletic: “The next chapter is about chasing my dreams and sharing my growth. I believe true success comes from becoming who you were created to be, and I want to show the world who I am beyond basketball.”

Rose, who will turn 36 next Friday, was selected first overall in the 2008 NBA draft by his hometown Bulls. He earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2009 and was named an All-Star in each of his next three seasons, winning the MVP award in 2011. Over the course of that season, his third in the NBA at age 22, he averaged 25.0 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game across 81 starts, leading the Bulls to a league-best 62-20 record.

The fact that Rose won the MVP award while still on his rookie scale contract resulted in an NBA rule being unofficially named after him. As we’ve outlined in a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry, the “Derrick Rose rule” allows players coming off their rookie deals to sign maximum-salary contracts worth up to 30% of the salary cap instead of the typical 25% if they’ve earned a major award such as MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, or All-NBA.

However, Rose’s career hit a snag following his first four seasons in Chicago, as he missed the entire 2012/13 season due to an ACL tear and only played in 10 games in ’13/14 as he continued to recover from that injury.

The 6’3″ guard ultimately made it back to the court on a more regular basis in ’14/15, but he only appeared in more than 51 games in a season twice in his final 10 NBA seasons as he continued to be affected by health issues that sapped him of the speed and explosiveness he displayed in his first few years.

Rose was still an effective role player when healthy, earning Sixth Man of the Year votes in 2019, 2020, and 2021 for the Timberwolves, Pistons, and Knicks, but his injury woes prevented him from fully delivering on the potential to be a longtime NBA star that he showed early in his career.

Rose will call it a career with averages of 17.4 PPG, 5.2 APG, and 3.2 RPG in 723 career regular season games (30.5 MPG). He also made 52 postseason appearances and put up 21.9 PPG, 6.3 APG, and 4.3 RPG in those outings. He made the Eastern Conference Finals with the Bulls during his MVP year in 2011, though he never played in the NBA Finals. In addition to suiting up for the Bulls, Timberwolves, Pistons, and Knicks, he spent time with the Cavaliers and Grizzlies.

Rose had been under contract with Memphis for the 2024/25 season, but requested his release and gave up his full $3.3MM guaranteed salary for the year as part of that agreement.

As K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Sports Network tweets, there are no immediate plans for Rose to sign a ceremonial one-day contract with the Bulls, but the organization will almost certainly honor its former star at some point this season.

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Southwest Notes: Monroe, Pelicans, T. Allen, Klay, Mavs

September 25th, 2024 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Longtime NBA center Greg Monroe is joining the Pelicans‘ coaching staff in a player development role, according to Christian Clark of The New Orleans Times-Picayune.

The seventh overall pick in the 2010 draft, Monroe averaged 13.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per contest in 646 regular season games across 10 NBA seasons with the Pistons, Bucks, Suns, Celtics, Raptors, Sixers, Timberwolves, Wizards, and Jazz. He last played in the league during the 2021/22 season, when he spent time with four different teams from December to April. The 34-year-old has also competed in Germany, Russia, China, and Puerto Rico.

As Clark observes, Monroe is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana who attended high school in the New Orleans area and won Louisiana’s Mr. Basketball Award in 2007 and 2008 before playing college ball at Georgetown. Monroe told The Times-Picayune in 2023 that he was living in Metairie – which is where the Pelicans’ practice facility is located – when he wasn’t playing overseas.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

  • Word broke back in May that the Grizzlies would retire Tony Allen‘s No. 9 jersey during the 2024/25 season. Now there’s an official date for the ceremony. According to a press release from the team, Allen’s No. 9 will be retired on Saturday, March 15 after the Grizzlies’ game against Miami. The former defensive standout will be the third player in team history to have his jersey hung in the rafters, joining Zach Randolph (No. 50) and Marc Gasol (No. 33).
  • Appearing on The TK Show with Tim Kawakami (Spotify link), Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said he believes Klay Thompson will benefit from a fresh start with the Mavericks, as Grant Afseth of The Dallas Hoops Journal relays. “We all wanted him to stay. I wanted Klay to be a Warrior for life, it felt like the right thing. (But) you never really know what the right thing is for someone else, only that person knows,” Kerr said. “And I think by the end of the year, I think Klay knew for his own sake that he wanted to leave. … I’m happy for him, I think this will be a great move. He’s going to play for a great team, two high-level creators, he should get a lot of open shots. I think sometimes a career change, a late-career change can refresh and recharge you.”
  • Although the addition of Thompson might increase the Mavericks‘ ceiling in 2024/25, repeating as Western Conference champions won’t be an easy feat, according to Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com, who looks at some of the challenges standing in the way of another trip to the NBA Finals for Dallas.
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Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Southwest Division

September 25th, 2024 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is in the process of taking a closer look at each NBA team’s current roster situation, evaluating which clubs still have some moves to make and which ones seem most prepared for training camp to begin.

This series is meant to provide a snapshot of each team’s roster at this time, so these articles won’t be updated in the coming weeks as more signings, trades, and/or cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.

We’re wrapping up our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Southwest Division. Let’s dive in…

Dallas Mavericks

Although Morris’ salary isn’t guaranteed, I’d expect him to fill the 15th spot on the Mavericks‘ opening night roster. His non-guaranteed contract should give them some additional flexibility during the season — for instance, they could waive him ahead of the January 7 league-wide guarantee date, re-sign him to a couple 10-day contracts, then bring him back on a rest-of-season deal after February 6 once they know they won’t need that 15th roster spot for a trade acquisition.

With one two-way slot still available, the Mavs could hold a camp competition for that opening. In addition to their three Exhibit 10 players, Lawson would also be two-way-eligible, though he’d have to be waived and re-signed rather than directly converted.

Houston Rockets

After buying out AJ Griffin, the Rockets have an open spot on their projected 15-man standard regular season roster. They’re well below the luxury tax line, so they’d have no issue carrying a 15th man on a minimum-salary contract (or even something more lucrative than that, if they so choose). Still, with so many players on the roster who have a case for rotation minutes, Houston may not be in a rush to fill that spot by adding someone who won’t play.

Even though the Rockets’ three two-way slots are currently occupied, I’d expect Hinton and/or Samuels to receive consideration for a two-way deal if they impress in camp. Houston also has room on their roster to bring two more players to camp.

Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies opened up a pair of standard roster spots within the last month by waiving Mamadi Diakite and Derrick Rose. Because they stretched Diakite’s partial guarantee and got Rose to agree to give up his full salary, they’re nearly $6MM below the luxury tax line, giving them more than enough breathing room to carry a full 15-man roster into the season if they want to.

I’d expect Memphis to peruse the free agent market for a 14th man, but it’s worth noting that Pippen – who played a rotation role for much of last season – is a strong candidate to be promoted from his two-way contract to the standard roster sooner or later. If that happens before the season, there would be an opening for one of the Grizzlies’ Exhibit 10 signees to have his contract converted to a two-way deal.

Like Houston, Memphis has enough room on its 21-man preseason roster to bring two more players to camp.

New Orleans Pelicans

Alvarado is a lock to make the roster, and the Pelicans – who never pay the tax – are already hovering a little above the luxury tax line, so I’d bet on them leaving their 15th roster spot open to start the season in order to save some money.

The only wild card there could be if the team makes a preseason trade. I wouldn’t necessarily count on that, but New Orleans remains on the lookout for a starting-caliber center and Brandon Ingram‘s future with the team is still in question.

After signing and waiving Galen Robinson Jr. on Tuesday, the Pelicans have an open spot on their 21-man roster to finalize Payton’s deal, though they may rotate other players in and out of that spot before camp begins next week for G League/Exhibit 10 bonus purposes.

San Antonio Spurs

Barring a preseason trade, the Spurs‘ projected standard roster looks set with their current 15 players on guaranteed contracts.

It’s unclear whether there will be an open competition for the final two-way contract or if San Antonio has someone specific in mind for it. Boston would be a good candidate — he has over 100 games of NBA regular season experience on his résumé and has one more year of two-way eligibility left. Flynn, on the other hand, is ineligible for a two-way deal.

I’d expect the Spurs to cut Minix or Nelson at some point in the coming days to make room for Mensah, though it’s possible his Exhibit 10 deal won’t be completed until later in October.

Previously:

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Grizzlies’ Derrick Rose Gave Up Full Salary

September 24th, 2024 at 3:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran point guard Derrick Rose won’t receive any of his $3,356,271 salary for the 2024/25 season after being waived by the Grizzlies, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link). According to MacMahon, the full amount will come off Memphis’ books, leaving the team with no cap hit for Rose.

It’s a little surprising that Rose – who will turn 36 next Friday and has been limited to 77 total games over the past three seasons due to injuries – would opt to forfeit a guaranteed $3.3MM+ salary. However, it was reported at the time of his release on Monday that the Grizzlies were letting him go at his request, so it makes sense that the team wasn’t prepared to grant that request and pay him his full salary.

Getting that $3.36MM off the books is important for the Grizzlies, given their proximity to the luxury tax line. Without a cap hit for Rose, Memphis is now approximately $5.98MM below the tax threshold with 13 players on standard contracts. Rose’s buyout will allow the club to carry a full 15-man roster without going into the tax — with his contract on the books, the Grizzlies would’ve gone into tax territory by signing two new players to minimum-salary deals.

That doesn’t mean the Grizzlies will definitely make two roster additions in the coming weeks, as carrying a 14-man standard roster into opening night in order to create some additional in-season flexibility remains an option for the team. However, that extra financial breathing room should come in handy sooner or later. It also gives Memphis the option of using a portion of its mid-level exception to offer more than the veteran’s minimum to a 14th man without going into the tax.

Rose is the second player in 2024/25 to give up his entire remaining salary as part of a buyout agreement. Sasha Vezenkov surrendered his $6.66MM salary with the Raptors in order to return to Europe on a lucrative long-term deal with Olympiacos.

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Southwest Notes: J. Smith, H. Jones, Grizzlies, Edey

September 24th, 2024 at 12:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft, won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award in 2023, while the No. 2 pick in the ’22 class, Chet Holmgren, would have claimed the award in 2024 if not for Victor Wembanyama‘s historic season.

However, Rockets forward Jabari Smith – the third overall pick in 2022 – struggled in his first professional season, and while he improved his shooting percentages in year two, he hasn’t yet shown the kind of All-NBA potential that Banchero and Holmgren have displayed.

As Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle writes in a subscriber-only story, Smith just turned 21 in May and has intriguing tools to go along with a strong work ethic, seemingly making him a strong candidate for a breakout season in 2024/25.

Still, as Feigen acknowledges, the Rockets will want to make sure players like Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Fred VanVleet, and Amen Thompson have the ball in their hands frequently, which may not leave a ton of opportunities for Smith to create his own scoring chances. He’ll still be relied upon largely as an off-ball floor spacer on offense, Feigen adds, so while a third-year leap is a possibility, it might be more realistic to expect continued steady growth from the former No. 3 overall pick.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

  • Herbert Jones admitted it was a great feeling to make the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team last season, but the Pelicans forward doesn’t want to get complacent after earning that honor for the first time in 2023/24, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com (subscription required). “It felt amazing,” Jones said. “At the same time, you are always trying to reach for more. After I saw the news, my initial thought was, ‘You have to do it again.'”
  • Will any of the Grizzlies players currently on Exhibit 10 contracts – Miye Oni, Yuki Kawamura, Maozinha Pereira, and Armando Bacot – stick with the team into the regular season? Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal explores that question, suggesting that the team’s relative lack of depth in the frontcourt could make Bacot the best bet to make the 18-man roster. If the Grizzlies were to promote a two-way player like Scotty Pippen Jr. to the standard roster, it could open up a two-way slot for a camp invitee such as Bacot, Cole notes.
  • In a separate story for The Commercial Appeal, Cole spoke to Purdue assistant coach Brandon Brantley about what to expect from former Boilermakers star Zach Edey, whom the Grizzlies selected with the ninth overall pick in this year’s draft. While there are questions about how some aspects of Edey’s game will translate to the NBA, the big man’s rebounding definitely won’t be an issue at the next level, according to Brantley. “Memphis is going to have a dude in that paint that’s going to hold that paint down,” Brantley said. “Usually guys that size will try to rebound their area. He rebounds outside of his area. It means something to him.”
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Grizzlies Waive Derrick Rose

September 23rd, 2024 at 5:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

5:54pm: The Grizzlies have officially waived Rose, according to the NBA’s transactions log.

4:00pm: The Grizzlies plan to waive veteran point guard Derrick Rose, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Rose had one year left on the two-year, veteran’s minimum contract he signed with Memphis last offseason.

According to Ian Begley of SNY TV (Twitter link), Rose requested to be released from his contract. Expect the former MVP to provide an update on his status later in the week, Begley adds. It remains to be seen whether Rose is contemplating retirement or seeking out another opportunity.

Rose had been expected to battle for playing time behind starting point guard Ja Morant. Memphis’ decision to waive Rose may signal that it will offer a standard contract to Scotty Pippen Jr., who is currently on a two-way deal. However, the Grizzlies will likely target more depth at that position, according to Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link).

There are some veteran point men still on the free agent market, including Markelle Fultz and Dennis Smith Jr. As our Offseason Check-In displays, the Grizzlies have exceptions available if they choose to use them but would risk surpassing the luxury tax line if they offer anyone more than the veteran’s minimum, assuming Rose didn’t give up any of his salary.

Rose, who turns 36 next month, only appeared in 24 games with the Grizzlies last season, including seven starts. He averaged 8.0 points and 3.3 assists in 16.6 minutes. He battled knee, hamstring, ankle and back ailments last season. He hasn’t appeared in more than 27 games in any of the past three seasons after playing in a combined 50 games with Detroit and New York in 2020/21.

The first overall pick of the 2008 draft, Rose made three All-Star teams before knee injuries plagued his career. He has appeared in 723 regular season games, averaging 17.4 points and 5.2 assists in 30.5 minutes.

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Western Notes: Gordon, Rockets Roster, Divac, Doncic, Kennard

September 22nd, 2024 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Aaron Gordon becomes eligible for a four-year contract extension later this week and that will be one of the big storylines at the Nuggets’ training camp, Bennett Durando of the Denver Post writes. Gordon has a player option for the 2025/26 season but could replace that with the first year of a new deal as part of an extension agreement.

Jamal Murray‘s health and the way Russell Westbrook fits into the Nuggets’ rotation are among the other storylines to watch in Denver, according to Durando.

We have more from the Western Conference:

  • With the Rockets buying out and waiving forward AJ Griffin, they have an open spot on the official roster. How will it be filled? It could turn into a competition among players on two-ways and training camp deals, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Jeenathan Williams, Nate Hinton, N’Faly Dante, Jermaine Samuels and Jack McVeigh comprise that group. Houston could also opt to leave that spot open or sign a free agent.
  • Former Kings general manager Vlade Divac made one of the biggest draft blunders in recent years when he passed on Luka Doncic in favor of Marvin Bagley in 2018. Divac admits he made a mistake but explained that he already had a talented floor leader in De’Aaron Fox.  “I could’ve taken Luka, but then I would’ve had to trade Fox,” he said in an interview with Index, a Croatian outlet (hat tip to Grant Afseth of the Dallas Sports Journal).
  • Grizzlies players have been competing in 5-on-5 scrimmages for over a month and Luke Kennard is impressed by the team’s competitiveness and attention to detail. “Something I haven’t really seen before,” Kennard told Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “We’re really pushing each other and competing really hard. I think that’s going to go a long way. We start that right now. We’re getting a few steps ahead until the season starts.”
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