Memphis Grizzlies Rumors

Trey Jemison Claimed By Pelicans

July 26th, 2024 at 6:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans have claimed Trey Jemison off waivers, Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype tweets. The Grizzlies placed the big man on waivers on Wednesday in order to make room for Jay Huff.

Jemison was on a two-way contract with Memphis. He signed a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies in January, then agreed to a two-year, two-way deal when that contract expired.

He earned regular minutes down the stretch on a Memphis roster hit hard by injuries, averaging 7.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 1.2 BPG in 23 games (24.9 MPG).

With the free agent loss of Jonas Valanciunas, New Orleans has been busy this summer adding other options. They Pelicans signed free agents Daniel Theis and Karlo Matkovic and drafted Yves Missi. Jemison gives them yet another option in the middle.

Jemison, who also played two games with Washinigton last season, went undrafted out of UAB.

New Orleans has two other players —Malcolm Hill and Jamal Cain — signed to two-way deals, so Jemison will fill the third slot.

Contract Details: Mobley, Hauser, Reeves, Mamukelashvili

July 25th, 2024 at 7:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Evan Mobley‘s new maximum-salary extension with the Cavaliers features a 15% trade kicker and is fully guaranteed, with no player or team option on the fifth year, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

As Brian Windhorst previously reported, Mobley’s deal includes multiple levels of Rose Rule incentives and could end up starting at either 25%, 27.5%, or 30% of the 2025/26 cap, depending on whether the big man earns end-of-season honors next season. According to Windhorst, a spot on the All-NBA Third Team would bump Mobley’s starting salary to 27.5% of the cap, but he’d have to make one of the top two teams or win Defensive Player of the Year to increase that figure to 30%.

Here are a few more details on recently signed NBA contracts:

Sam Hauser‘s four-year extension with the Celtics is worth exactly $45MM, as previously reported, and has a straightforward ascending structure with 8% annual raises, tweets cap expert Yossi Gozlan. Hauser’s contract starts at just over $10MM in 2025/26 and increases to nearly $12.5MM by the fourth year (2028/29).
Antonio Reeves‘ three-year, minimum-salary contract with the Pelicans is only fully guaranteed for the 2024/25 season, Hoops Rumors has learned. Reeves’ second-year salary would become 50% guaranteed if he remains under contract through at least July 23, 2025, while his third-year team option is non-guaranteed.
Sandro Mamukelashvili‘s one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Spurs is fully guaranteed, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Mamukelashvili also waived his right to veto a trade. San Antonio has 14 players with guaranteed salaries for 2024/25, with a 15th player (Julian Champagnie) on a non-guaranteed standard contract.
The two-way contracts recently signed by Jeff Dowtin (Sixers), Jay Huff (Grizzlies), and DJ Steward (Bulls) are each for one season.

Grizzlies Sign Jay Huff To Two-Way Deal, Waive Trey Jemison

July 24th, 2024 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies have signed free agent big man Jay Huff to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link). In order to open up a two-way slot for Huff, Memphis waived center Trey Jemison.

Huff, who went undrafted out of Virginia in 2021, has bounced back and forth between the NBA and G League over the past three years, appearing in 31 regular season NBA games during that time, including 20 while on a two-way contract with the Nuggets last season.

Huff’s contributions at the NBA level have been modest (2.4 points and 1.2 rebounds in 5.3 minutes per game), but he has excelled in the NBAGL, earning Defensive Player of the Year and All-NBAGL First Team honors in 2023. In 18 games last season for the Grand Rapids Gold – Denver’s affiliate – he averaged 19.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks in 28.9 minutes per contest, with a strong shooting line of .573/.390/.857.

The 7’1″ center was also impressive at the Las Vegas Summer League with the Magic this month, putting up 16.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 2.2 BPG on .621/.357/.778 shooting in five outings (26.5 MPG).

Jemison signed a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies in January, then agreed to a two-year, two-way deal when that contract expired. He earned regular minutes down the stretch on a Memphis roster hit hard by injuries, averaging 7.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 1.2 BPG in 23 games (24.9 MPG). However, it appears he’s not in the team’s plans going forward, at least for now.

Huff joins Cam Spencer and Scotty Pippen Jr. as the Grizzlies’ two-way players.

Nets’ Jalen Wilson Named Summer League MVP

July 22nd, 2024 at 6:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets forward Jalen Wilson has been named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League, the league’s communications department tweets.

Wilson averaged 21.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.6 steals while shooting 47.3% from the field and 55.0% from 3-point range in five games in Vegas.

His performances should solidify his spot on the team’s roster this upcoming season. The 23-year-old has a $1.89MM minimum-salary contract for 2024/25 that is currently just partially guaranteed for $75K. It increases to a partial guarantee of $325K if he makes the opening night roster.

Oddly, Wilson was only named to the All-Summer League Second Team. The First Team included the Grizzlies‘ GG Jackson II and Scotty Pippen Jr,, the Clippers‘ Jordan Miller, the Rockets‘ Reed Sheppard and the Heat‘s Kel’el Ware.

The Grizzlies and Heat reached the Summer League championship game. Sheppard, the No. 3 pick in last month’s draft, averaged 20.0 points, 5.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals in four Las Vegas outings.

Along with Wilson, the Second Team included the Wizards‘ Carlton Carrington, the Trail Blazers‘ Donovan Clingan, the Heat‘s Jaime Jaquez Jr. and the Pacers‘ Jarace Walker (Twitter links).

Heat, Grizzlies To Meet For Las Vegas Summer League Title

July 22nd, 2024 at 4:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Summer League action will come to an end on Monday night as the Heat and Grizzlies battle for the championship in Las Vegas. Both teams have compiled 5-0 records in Vegas, and both reached the finals with narrow wins on Sunday.

Miami edged the Warriors, 102-99, using a late 27-11 run to erase a 10-point third quarter deficit, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The victory avenged a 39-point loss to Golden State in the California Classic.

“We always want to win,” said Heat Summer League head coach Dan Bisaccio. “So no matter what, when we have an opportunity to win a championship, of course we’re going for it. It doesn’t matter if it’s Summer League, it doesn’t matter if it’s some kind of spring ball. Whatever it is, we’re always going to want an opportunity to compete for a championship.”

Free agent guard Josh Christopher had 23 points to lead Miami, with 13 of those coming in the fourth quarter. First-round pick Kel’el Ware contributed 18 points and five rebounds, while second-rounder Pelle Larsson filled the stat sheet with 21 points, four rebounds, six assists and four steals.

The shorthanded Grizzlies were missing Jake LaRavia, Cam Spencer and Zach Edey due to injuries, but they were able to edge the Clippers, 99-98, per Josh Crawford of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Second-round pick Jaylen Wells was 6-of-7 from three-point range while scoring 20 points, and 2023 second-rounder GG Jackson also had 20 points. Scotty Pippen Jr., who joined Memphis on a two-way deal in January, posted a triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

LaRavia was held out of Sunday’s game due to lingering knee soreness, Crawford adds, while Spencer and Edey were both inactive after leaving Thursday’s contest with minor injuries. None of them are expected to play tonight, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel.

Memphis will be trying to win its first Las Vegas Summer League title since 2019 when Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke were rookies. This is the first appearance in the Summer League title game for Miami.

Southwest Notes: Jackson, Hawkins, Paul, Rockets

July 21st, 2024 at 3:01pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Grizzlies forward GG Jackson is already making strides as a rebounder in Summer League play, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Jackson notched two straight double-doubles in scoring and rebounding during his first four Summer League contests. Cole notes that Memphis is frequently tasking the second-year forward with some of the team’s toughest defensive assignments.

On Thursday, Jackson helped the Grizzlies stay undefeated, showing off his improved play-making skills with a six-assist performance, adds Cole in another story. Memphis beat the Clippers in their Summer League semifinal matchup Sunday, and on Monday will square off against the winner of an ongoing Heat-Warriors playoff semifinal.

Jackson was selected with the No. 45 pick out of South Carolina in last year’s draft. The 6’9″ forward quickly emerged as one of the most impressive players in the 2023 class, earning an All-Rookie Team berth for his efforts. Across 48 games (18 starts), Jackson averaged 14.6 points on a .428/.357/.752 shooting line while also chipping in 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.5 blocks per night.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

Second-year Pelicans shooting guard Jordan Hawkins departed his last game of Summer League with an ankle injury, but X-rays on the ailment were negative, reports Christian Clark of NOLA.com (Twitter link). The No. 14 pick out of UConn, Hawkins averaged 7.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assists during his 2023/24 rookie season.
In a new interview with Cyro Asseo de Choch of HoopsHype, third-year Spurs guard Blake Wesley reflected on the club’s decision to add 12-time All-Star veteran Chris Paul in free agency over the summer. “He’s a great dude,” Wesley said. “We just worked out with him not too long ago at Summer League. Yeah. So it’s good. He’s a great dude. He’s talking to me, coaching me, telling me to go handle the ball. So I’m enjoying it so far, and I can’t wait to learn and get the knowledge. Really take what he has. So I’m excited.” One of the great facilitators and shooters in the history of the game, Paul has shown an ability to help develop younger guards, so his addition could greatly abet Wesley.
The Rockets enjoyed an active Summer League run, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle in a piece unpacking his takeaways from the event. No. 3 draft pick Reed Sheppard has already impressed as a scorer, averaging 20 points per game, though he has struggled with protecting the ball.

Grizzlies Trade Ziaire Williams, Second-Rounder To Nets For Diakite

July 19th, 2024 at 1:54pm CST by Rory Maher

1:54pm: The trade is now official, the Grizzlies announced in a press release (Twitter link).

12:25pm: The Grizzlies have agreed to a trade that will send Ziaire Williams and a 2030 second-round pick (via Dallas) to the Nets for Mamadi Diakite and the draft rights to Nemanja Dangubic, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

It’s essentially a salary dump for Memphis, which had been looking to move Williams due to the team’s financial situation. The 22-year-old will earn $6.13MM in 2024/25, which is the final season of his rookie scale contract. The Grizzlies will generate a trade exception worth that amount.

After the transaction is complete, the Grizzlies project to be about $10MM below the luxury tax line and $14MM beneath the first apron, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. The Nets will acquire Williams using one of their outstanding trade exceptions, Marks notes. It’ll likely be the one worth $9.5MM from sending Royce O’Neale to Phoenix in February.

According to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link), the Grizzlies are likely to use their new cap flexibility to re-sign veteran sharpshooter Luke Kennard, who remains an unrestricted free agent. Wojnarowski confirms Memphis is working to bring back Kennard.

As for the rebuilding Nets, they’ll be taking a low-risk flyer on a former top prospect in Williams, who was selected 10th overall in the 2021 draft. And as a sweetener for taking on his salary, they’ll also add a future second-round pick.

Williams has averaged 7.5 points and 2.6 rebounds per game on .426/.301/.803 shooting over the past three seasons with Memphis (150 games; 20.4 minutes per contest). He’s eligible for a rookie scale extension until the day before the 2024/25 season begins; if no deal is reached, he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency in 2025.

Diakite, a forward/center who was sent from New York to Brooklyn in the Mikal Bridges trade and is now being re-routed to Memphis, could be waived. His salary for next season is only partially guaranteed for $1.39MM, and Cole recently reported that the Grizzlies want to keep an open roster spot entering the regular season; re-adding Kennard and retaining Diakite would push their standard roster count up to 15 players.

Diakite, 27, has bounced around the NBA over the course of his four seasons, suiting up for the Bucks, Thunder, Cavs, Spurs and Knicks. Overall, the Guinea native has appeared in 55 regular season games, with career averages of 3.1 points and 2.3 rebounds in 9.6 minutes.

Southwest Notes: Kennard, Pelicans, Murphy, Whitmore

July 18th, 2024 at 6:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Checking in on where things stand between the Grizzlies and Luke Kennard, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes that the sharpshooter’s return to Memphis “still feels inevitable” even though it’s taking longer than expected.

The Grizzlies declined Kennard’s $14.8MM team option at the end of June, but the expectation has always been that he would return on a more team-friendly cap number. He hasn’t been linked to any other suitors since free agency began.

Sources tell Cole that the Grizzlies would like to keep their 15th roster spot for the sake of flexibility entering the regular season. Since the team currently has 14 players on guaranteed standard contracts, re-signing Kennard may mean trading someone else — Ziaire Williams is rumored to be on the block.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

While head of basketball operations David Griffin said on an ESPN broadcast this week that the Pelicans are “really excited” about what they have at center and are looking forward to playing “small and fast,” it’s fair to wonder if one more move is coming to shore up the position, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Veteran Daniel Theis currently sits atop New Orleans’ depth chart at the five, with rookies Yves Missi and Karlo Matkovic behind him and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl potentially in the mix as well.
Within the same story, Clark reports that the Pelicans and fourth-year wing Trey Murphy have opened discussions about a rookie scale extension. The two sides have “differing viewpoints” on Murphy’s value for now, but there’s optimism they’ll find a middle ground and make a deal before the October 21 deadline, Clark writes.
Rockets forward Cam Whitmore has been shut down for the rest of Summer League, but rookie guard Reed Sheppard will continue playing in Las Vegas, reports Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). Last year’s Summer League MVP, Whitmore has struggled with his shooting efficiency this time around, making just 38.3% of his shot attempts, including 1-of-14 three-pointers, but Houston knows what he’s capable of offensively and he impressed in other areas (7.0 RPG, 4.3 APG, 3.3 SPG).

Charania’s Latest: Markkanen, Warriors, Ingram, Bucks, Trent, Westbrook, More

July 15th, 2024 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have been the “most engaged” trade suitor for Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen this offseason, but the two teams are divided on what a potential Golden State package would look like, writes Shams Charania of The Athletic.

According to Charania, the Warriors have discussed an offer that would center around Moses Moody and a number of draft assets, including multiple first-round picks, multiple second-rounders, and multiple pick swaps. However, Utah has sought “the bulk of young talent and capital” Golden State controls, including Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga in addition to Moody and draft assets. Sources tell Charania that idea has been a “non-starter” for the Warriors.

Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is another notable name still on the trade market, but teams around the league believe his market is limited, according to Charania, since some potential suitors (including the Kings and Spurs) made moves for other forwards and most other teams aren’t looking to make a major trade at this point in the offseason. If the market for Ingram remains quiet, New Orleans could assess its current group to open the regular season before deciding whether a trade is necessary, Charania suggests.

With most of the NBA’s other teams focused on tweaking their rosters around the edges, one high-ranking team official told Charania, “It might be one of the more quiet summers.”

Here’s more from Charania:

The Bucks are in the market for help at shooting guard and are among the contending teams pursuing Gary Trent Jr., sources tell The Athletic. However, due to its proximity to the second tax apron, Milwaukee is limited to a minimum-salary offer, and one recent report suggested that Trent isn’t interested in accepting a minimum deal. The Bucks are hosting a free agent workout this week in Las Vegas, Charania notes, with Will Barton expected to be among the participants.
While there has been no action on the Russell Westbrook front as of late, the Clippers and the former MVP still plan to part ways this offseason, says Charania. The Nuggets are considered the favorites to sign Westbrook if he reaches free agency, Charania adds, but Los Angeles is still discussing possible trades.
The Grizzlies are exploring trade possibilities involving former lottery pick Ziaire Williams, sources tell Charania. The Grizzlies aren’t far from the luxury tax line and will likely have to shed some salary if they want to use their full mid-level exception or re-sign Luke Kennard while staying out of tax territory.

Southwest Notes: Geriot, Murphy, Edey, Castle

July 12th, 2024 at 10:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Dan Geriot is joining the Pelicans as an assistant coach under Willie Green, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps tweets. Geriot spent the past nine years with the Cavaliers. New Orleans’ interest in Geriot was reported earlier this week.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Pelicans wing Trey Murphy, who is participating this summer with the Select Team, said that if Zion Williamson can stay healthy, New Orleans will be a serious contender. “You get to see what a generational talent looks like with a healthy team. That’s the biggest thing. We’ve got to be healthy,” Murphy told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “That’s always been our thing for my entire time in New Orleans. If we have a healthy team, I think we can make a deep run.”
Grizzlies lottery pick Zach Edey sat out Friday’s Summer League game against the Kings with a mild ankle sprain, according to Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com (Twitter link). Edey is expected to return to action in Las Vegas at some point.
Spurs lottery pick Stephon Castle has aspirations to be a starting point guard but it probably won’t happen this year with Chris Paul signing with the club. Castle says he’s looking forward to the experience of playing with and learning from the future Hall of Famer. “I’m super happy about that,” Castle told Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. “To have a guy like that and play alongside him and have him mentor me a bit, it’s going to be fun.”