The Grizzlies have officially completed their reported deal with center Jock Landale, announcing the signing on Tuesday in a press release (Twitter link).
Word broke on July 5 that Landale had agreed to a one-year, minimum-salary contract with Memphis after being waived by the division-rival Rockets. The Grizzlies reached a deal with the free agent big man right around the same time they agreed to trade another center Jay Huff, to Indiana.
Landale was signed by Houston in 2023 to a four-year, $32MM contract that included just one fully guaranteed season. However, the Rockets – who were operating well below the luxury tax line last season, hung onto him for the second year of the deal in 2024/25, even though he played a limited role for the team behind Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams in the frontcourt.
The 29-year-old Australian averaged 4.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game across 42 outings (three starts) in ’24/25. He had played a similar role a year earlier, with averages of 4.9 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 13.6 MPG (56 appearances).
Landale will provide depth in a Grizzlies frontcourt that could be missing both Jaren Jackson Jr. (turf toe surgery) and Zach Edey (ankle surgery) when training camps open in the fall. Brandon Clarke and Santi Aldama are among the club’s other options up front.
Landale’s minimum-salary contract will pay him $2,461,463, while Memphis carries a cap hit of $2,296,274.
He’s a bargain at that price, smart move by the Grizzlies.
Grizzlies’ Players are excited that the team has a JOCK.
But one for each player to use would be better.
> He’s a bargain at that price
I’m assuming you’ve seen him play, so I’m curious why you think Londale is worth more than the minimum? I haven’t seen him play enough to judge his defense (which may be his appeal?), so I don’t have a qualified opinion. I’m just looking at his stats…
…,and the stats say he’s a minimum guy. Houston, which loves to play bigs, hardly played him over 2 years. Of the few minutes he did play, I see that >60% were garbage time. It looks like Udoka didn’t think much of him.