Grizzlies Rumors

Grizzlies’ Jared Jackson Jr. Has Mild Hamstring Strain

October 2nd, 2024 at 2:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

OCTOBER 2: Imaging revealed a low-grade hamstring strain for Jackson, according to head coach Taylor Jenkins, who called it very good news and said there’s no concern at this point that the big man will miss the start of the regular season (Twitter link via Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal).

OCTOBER 1: The Grizzlies couldn’t get through the first day of training camp without another injury popping up, this one to their top frontcourt player.

Jaren Jackson Jr. injured his hamstring while driving to the basket. Jackson felt “tightness” after the play, according to head coach Taylor Jenkins, and he’ll undergo an MRI, The Athletic’s Joe Vardon reports. Jenkins speculates that Jackson will be diagnosed with a strain, which could keep him out the remainder of camp and jeopardize his chances of playing in the regular season opener.

Memphis’ 2023/24 season was wrecked by injuries and the Grizzlies already had two players dealing with injuries that will keep them out of training camp and beyond.

The team announced last week that Vince Williams would be out at least four weeks due to a left leg ailment. GG Jackson underwent foot surgery in early September with a reevaluation scheduled for three months from the time of the procedure.

Santi Aldama could see some extended playing time at power forward until Jackson and/or Williams return.

New York Notes: Bridges, Washington, Towns, Nets, Williams, Thomas

October 2nd, 2024 at 7:26am CST by Luke Adams

After making an NBA Finals and being part of a 64-win season in Phoenix, new Knicks forward Mikal Bridges admitted it was a difficult adjustment to be on a Nets team that went just 44-65 during his season-and-a-half with the franchise. However, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes, Bridges also viewed his Nets tenure as a useful learning experience.

“Yeah, it was tough in Brooklyn, we were losing. Even personally, I think I didn’t handle it as well as I could,” he told reporters on Tuesday. “I always preach mental toughness and never losing your spirit. But it was just something I never dealt with like that. And, I think it was just a lot just for that team in general when I was there and the expectation for everybody and I think I didn’t handle it as good as I should have.”

Having been traded to Brooklyn’s cross-town rivals, Bridges is more optimistic about what the 2024/25 season holds, while Knicks star Jalen Brunson is excited about reuniting with his former Villanova teammate in New York’s starting lineup.

“I know how he plays, he knows how I play,” Brunson said. “The chemistry is still there.”

Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:

According to reporting from Bojan Brezovac of MozzartSport, the Serbian club Partizan Belgrade could receive a payment worth up to $1MM for letting Duane Washington out of his contract in order to be signed-and-traded by the Knicks to the Hornets for salary-matching purposes in the three-team Karl-Anthony Towns trade. The Knicks could pay up to $850K of that amount with no cap impact — any additional buyout money on top of that would come out of Washington’s NBA salary. The veteran guard is expected to be waived by Charlotte so he can return to Partizan after the trade.
Fred Katz of The Athletic explores how the Knicks might deploy Towns in order to optimize his unique skill set and considers what assets New York still has left for a possible in-season trade.
After being traded from the Grizzlies to the Nets in July, Ziaire Williams said on Monday that he feels like “a loose bird finally let out of his cage” (Twitter video link via Erik Slater of ClutchPoints). “Some days, I just kind of felt like I was trapped,” Williams said. “I definitely feel a lot more free (here). … It’s definitely a blessing in disguise.” Brian Lewis of The New York Post takes a look at the opportunities that Williams and former lottery pick Killian Hayes have for fresh starts in Brooklyn. Williams has a guaranteed $6.1MM salary for 2024/25, while Hayes is on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal and is fighting for a roster spot.
Nets guard Cam Thomas is eligible for a rookie scale extension up until October 21, but he seems more likely to reach restricted free agency next summer than to sign a new contract before the season begins, according to Lewis. “I’m pretty sure my agent will have conversations with them, but I’m just worried about the season,” Thomas said. “This is the opportunity I’ve been wanting since I got into the league: to play, be free, so I’m just gonna make the most of it, and whatever happens, happens.”

And-Ones: NBAGL Trades, Extension Candidates, Woj’s Replacement, More

October 1st, 2024 at 9:29am CST by Luke Adams

Toronto’s G League affiliate – the Raptors 905 – has made a pair of trades in recent days, including a four-team deal that sent Kennedy Chandler‘s returning rights to the 905, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). As we noted recently when the NBA’s Raptors signed and waived Chandler, their G League team still needed to acquire the guard’s rights in order to get him on the 905’s roster this fall.

That four-team trade also saw the Long Island Nets acquire Au’Diese Toney‘s returning rights and a 2025 first-round pick, the Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans) acquire Trhae Mitchell‘s returning rights, and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets) land the rights to Devin Cannady and Markquis Nowell along with a 2024 first-round pick.

In the 905’s other trade, the Raptors’ affiliate sent Koby McEwen‘s returning rights to the Windy City Bulls in exchange for Evan Gilyard‘s rights, tweets Murphy.

Fred Katz of The Athletic identifies five of the most interesting extension-eligible veterans to keep an eye on this fall, singling out Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr., and Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, among others.
Who are the candidates to replace Adrian Wojnarowski as ESPN’s top NBA insider? According to reporting from Andrew Marchand of The Athletic and Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, while big-name NBA reporters like Shams Charania and Chris Haynes are possibilities, it’s also not out of the question that one of ESPN’s other top news-breakers, such as Jeff Passan or Adam Schefter, could end up in the role. Marchand says Passan is a candidate to switch from MLB to the NBA, while McCarthy suggests it’s not out of the question for Schefter to take on a dual role covering the NFL and NBA.
In an in-depth Insider-only article for ESPN, Bobby Marks takes a look at all 30 teams’ training camp rosters and examines the key dates and deadlines coming up for each of those clubs.
Taking into account their projected regular season win totals, John Hollinger of The Athletic picks five teams he expects to exceed expectations in 2024/25, including the Cavaliers, Suns, and Pistons.

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.

Grizzlies Need Experienced Backup After Derrick Rose's Retirement

September 30th, 2024 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Finding an experienced backup point guard should be a priority for the Grizzlies following the retirement of Derrick Rose, Damichael Cole and Jonah Dylan of The Commercial Appeal state in a training camp preview. Cole mentions unsigned free agents Markelle Fultz and Dennis Smith Jr. as possibilities.

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.

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.

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.

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

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 14
- Spencer Dinwiddie, Luka Doncic, Dante Exum, Daniel Gafford, Quentin Grimes, Jaden Hardy, Kyrie Irving, Maxi Kleber, Dereck Lively, Naji Marshall, Dwight Powell, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 2
- A.J. Lawson, Markieff Morris
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 3
- Jazian Gortman, Emanuel Miller, Jamarion Sharp
Players on two-way contracts: 2
- Kessler Edwards, Brandon Williams

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

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 14
- Steven Adams, Dillon Brooks, Tari Eason, Jalen Green, Jeff Green, Aaron Holiday, Jock Landale, Reed Sheppard, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith, Jae’Sean Tate, Amen Thompson, Fred VanVleet, Cam Whitmore
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 2
- Nate Hinton, Jermaine Samuels
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- N’Faly Dante, Jack McVeigh, Jeenathan Williams

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

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 13
- Santi Aldama, Desmond Bane, Brandon Clarke, Zach Edey, GG Jackson, Jaren Jackson Jr., Luke Kennard, John Konchar, Jake LaRavia, Ja Morant, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Wells, Vince Williams
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 4
- Armando Bacot, Yuki Kawamura, Miye Oni, Maozinha Pereira
Players on two-way contracts: 2
- Jay Huff, Scotty Pippen Jr., Cam Spencer

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

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 13
- Javonte Green, Jordan Hawkins, Brandon Ingram, Herbert Jones, Karlo Matkovic, CJ McCollum, Yves Missi, Trey Murphy, Dejounte Murray, Antonio Reeves, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Daniel Theis, Zion Williamson
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 1
- Jose Alvarado
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 3
- Izaiah Brockington, Keion Brooks Jr., Matt Ryan
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- Jamal Cain, Malcolm Hill, Trey Jemison
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 1
- Elfrid Payton (Exhibit 10?)

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

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 15
- Harrison Barnes, Charles Bassey, Malaki Branham, Stephon Castle, Julian Champagnie, Sidy Cissoko, Zach Collins, Keldon Johnson, Tre Jones, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Chris Paul, Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell, Victor Wembanyama, Blake Wesley
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 4
- Brandon Boston Jr., Malachi Flynn, Riley Minix, Jameer Nelson Jr.
Players on two-way contracts: 2
- David Duke, Harrison Ingram
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 2
- Nathan Mensah (Exhibit 10)

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:

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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