Grizzlies Rumors

And-Ones: Cousins, LeBron, Redick, Value Contracts, 2025 FAs

Former All-NBA big man DeMarcus Cousins will be returning to the Taiwan Beer Leopards in mid-April, according to Chen Jung-chen and James Lo of Focus Taiwan. Cousins played four games for the Leopards in January.

Super excited to be back and gearing up for an epic season of playoffs with my teammates and all of you,” Cousins said in a video released on the team’s Facebook page. “Your support means the world, let’s lock it in and go all the way for this championship run.”

While he hasn’t officially announced his retirement from the NBA, the 33-year-old said in an interview last month that he doesn’t really expect to be back in the league. Since playing for the Nuggets in 2021/22, the four-time All-Star has been out of the NBA, competing professionally in Puerto Rico and Taiwan.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Gabriel's 10-Day Deal Expires

  • Wenyen Gabriel‘s 10-day contract with the Grizzlies expired overnight, notes Keith Smith of Spotrac (via Twitter). The Sudanese forward/center is now an unrestricted free agent, though Puerto Rico’s Vaqueros de Bayamon announced last week that Gabriel had signed a contract with the team. The 26-year-old averaged 3.4 points and 5.0 rebounds in five games with Memphis.

Southwest Notes: Wembanyama, Rockets, Pippen, Bane, Clarke

Spurs rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama looked like he was hitting the so-called “rookie wall” early in February when he posted a 5-of-16 performance and a 15-point, one-rebound game within days of each other, ESPN’s Andrew Lopez writes. However, Wembanyama shut down all talk about any potential slump when he put up a triple-double with blocks against the Raptors just before the All-Star break.

Since then, he’s had one of the finest stretches of his young career, averaging 22.5 points, 11.7 boards, 4.9 assists and 4.9 blocks in his last 11 games. Lopez writes that Wembanyama is focused on ending the season on a high note.

How important is it? It’s the whole point,” Wembanyama said. “Coach said it again tonight in the locker room. It’s our job and this is what we’re here for, to win as soon as possible but also in the long run. So there is no other option.

In the past month, Wembanyama has posted that aforementioned triple-double, recorded a 5×5, and is on pace to lead the league in blocks. Lopez writes his teammates have become used to his absurd stat lines.

There’s still moments where we’re like, ‘Oh, what was that? We ain’t never seen that before.’ But I think overall, we’ve seen so much of what he’s done and what he can become and what he is going to become that it’s kind of normal for us now,” teammate Jeremy Sochan said.We just know he can do way more than he’s doing right now, and what he’s doing right now is unbelievable.

According to Lopez, there are no plans to shut down Wembanyama for the rest of the season even though the Spurs have nothing to play for after being eliminated from postseason contention.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

  • Rockets bench players Reggie Bullock, Jock Landale and Jae’Sean Tate are embracing a next-man up mentality after recent injuries to Cam Whitmore and Alperen Sengun, writes Houston Chronicle’s Danielle Lerner. “We talk every day. We just talk about opportunity,” Bullock said of discussions between him, Landale and Tate. “We know that we are the guys that need to be able to step up with guys that’ve been out, and we all got that same mindset of going out and take whatever needs to be done to help the team win.” All three players saw a spike in playing time on Tuesday against San Antonio.
  • After being out since Feb. 12 with an injury, Grizzlies two-way guard Scotty Pippen Jr. returned to the lineup on Wednesday against Charlotte. He scored nine points and 10 assists in his return. As Memphis Commercial Appeal’s Damichael Cole observes (Twitter link), due to the amount of time he missed with injury, the Grizzlies don’t have to worry about Pippen hitting his games played limit per his two-way deal and will likely lean on him moving forward. Pippen was eligible to be active for up to 26 games after signing his two-way on Jan. 16 and the Grizzlies played 27 times since then, so he wouldn’t have been eligible for all of their games anyway.
  • Key Grizzlies players Desmond Bane and Brandon Clarke did some “extensive” work this week with Memphis’ G League affiliate, the Hustle, according to Cole (Twitter link). Clarke is now back to playing five-on-five after suffering an Achilles injury last season. Cole expects Bane to be back within the next couple games and Clarke to be back before the end of the month.

2024’s Most Valuable Traded Second-Round Picks

Fans of lottery-bound NBA teams will be keeping a close on the bottom of the league’s standings down the stretch because of the effect that “race” will have on the draft order and lottery odds for the 2024 first round.

However, it’s not just the first round of the draft that’s worth keeping an eye on. Those reverse standings will also dictate the order of the draft’s second round, and an early second-round pick can be nearly as valuable as a first-rounder.

[RELATED: Traded Second-Round Picks For 2024 NBA Draft]

Here are a few of the traded 2024 draft picks that will land near the top of the second round:


From: Washington Wizards
To: Utah Jazz
Current projection: No. 31

Technically, the Jazz will receive whichever of the Wizards’ or Grizzlies’ second-round picks is most favorable, while the Timberwolves will receive the least favorable of the two.

Even at 23-43, Memphis has an 11.5-game lead on the 11-54 Wizards in the standings, so we can safely assume Washington’s pick will be more favorable than the Grizzlies’ second-rounder and will head to Utah.

The Wizards initially traded the most favorable of those two picks to Brooklyn in 2021’s five-team deal that sent Spencer Dinwiddie from the Nets to D.C. via sign-and-trade. The Nets later attached the pick to DeAndre Jordan in a salary-dump deal with Detroit. The Pistons, in turn, sent it to Utah at this season’s trade deadline in the Simone Fontecchio swap.


From: Detroit Pistons
To: Toronto Raptors
Current projection: No. 32

The Pistons’ 2024 second-round pick was one of several future second-rounders they gave up for the right to draft Saddiq Bey in 2020. The Clippers acquired it at that time, then sent it to New York a year later in order to move up four spots to No. 21 in the 2021 draft to select Keon Johnson — that was a nice move for the Knicks, who used No. 25 to nab Quentin Grimes.

New York eventually used the Pistons’ pick about two-and-a-half months ago as a sweetener in the OG Anunoby trade with the Raptors. At the time, Detroit had the NBA’s worst record, so the pick was projected to be 31st overall. It may not ultimately land there, but given the Pistons’ 11-53 record, it will still be one of the top selections of the second round.


From: Charlotte Hornets
To: Portland Trail Blazers
Current projection: No. 34

The Hornets probably have no regrets about trading this second-rounder to New Orleans back in 2020 in order to acquire the No. 42 overall pick in that draft, which they used to select Nick Richards — Richards has been Charlotte’s starting center for much of this season, whereas there’s no guarantee that whoever is picked 34th overall this year will still be in the league in four years.

The Pelicans used the pick a few days later during the 2020 offseason as part of a package to acquire Steven Adams from the Thunder. Oklahoma City later flipped it to Denver, giving the Nuggets either the Hornets’ or Timberwolves’ 2024 second-rounder (whichever is most favorable).

Denver sent that pick to Portland at the 2022 draft in exchange for the No. 46 selection, which was used on Ismael Kamagate, whom the Nuggets ultimately turned into $2.68MM in cash at this season’s deadline.

Technically, the “most favorable” language still applies, but there’s no question that the 16-49 Hornets will have a higher second-round pick than the 45-21 Timberwolves, so Portland will get Charlotte’s pick.


From: Portland Trail Blazers
To: Milwaukee Bucks
Current projection: No. 35

While the Trail Blazers are in position to acquire a top-35 pick from Charlotte, they’ll lose their own high second-round pick, which they initially included in a five-player 2020 trade that sent Trevor Ariza from Sacramento to Portland.

Two years later, the Bucks acquired Portland’s 2024 second-rounder from the Kings in a four-team deadline deal that saw Donte DiVincenzo head from Milwaukee to Sacramento. As a result, despite having one of the NBA’s best records this season, the Bucks are poised to control a pair of top-35 picks, since they still own their own first-rounder as well.


From: Memphis Grizzlies
To: Minnesota Timberwolves
Current projection: No. 36

As we noted above when discussing the Wizards’ pick, Utah will receive the most favorable of Washington’s and Memphis’ second-rounders, while Minnesota will acquire the least favorable of the two, which is certain at this point to be the Grizzlies’ selection.

Initially dealt to the Thunder in the 2019 draft so that Memphis could move up from No. 23 to No. 21 to draft Brandon Clarke, the Grizzlies’ 2024 second-rounder bounced around the league after that and was eventually acquired by the Timberwolves from the Lakers at the 2023 trade deadline in the three-team deal that sent D’Angelo Russell to Los Angeles and Mike Conley to Minnesota.

Although the Grizzlies have traded away their own second-rounder, they control Brooklyn’s second-round pick, which may end up just a couple spots lower (it’s currently No. 38).


From: Toronto Raptors
To: Indiana Pacers
Current projection: No. 37

The Raptors originally traded their 2024 second-rounder to the Grizzlies during the 2018/19 season as part of a larger package for center Marc Gasol — it’s safe to say that deal, which helped cement the franchise’s first-ever championship a few months later, was a worthwhile one.

The Clippers eventually acquired the pick from Memphis at the 2023 deadline as part of the return for Luke Kennard, then used it in a package to land James Harden from Philadelphia this past fall.

Some “most favorable” language was attached to the pick in the Harden blockbuster, and that language still applied when the Sixers flipped it to Indiana in the Buddy Hield trade last month. However, the the 23-42 Raptors would have to pass the 37-29 Pacers or the 41-24 Cavaliers for any team besides Indiana to receive this pick, so it’s safe to assume it’ll land with the Pacers.

Desmond Bane Close To Returning From Ankle Injury

Grizzlies high-scoring guard Desmond Bane is close to returning from a Grade 3 left ankle sprain, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.

Bane has been doing three-on-three basketball activities the past two weeks and progressed to five-on-five in recent days. He could return to action as early as this weekend.

“He’s working really hard, so I envision in a couple games here, he’s back in the lineup,” coach Taylor Jenkins said.

Bane was in the midst of a career year prior to the injury, averaging 24.4 points, 5.3 assists and 4.6 rebounds in 37 games. He suffered the injury during a Jan. 12 game against the Clippers.

In the last update from the team on Feb. 22, Bane’s timetable was listed at three-to-five weeks.

Brandon Clarke, who suffered a torn left Achilles tendon last March, will start five-on-five workouts this weekend with hopes of getting some game action before the season ends.

“Really encouraged by all the signs he’s been showing,” Jenkins said. “He’s on schedule. We’re hopeful sometime maybe at the end of the month he’s in a Grizzlies uniform.”

Clarke is in the first year of a four-year, $52MM extension he signed in 2022.

Wenyen Gabriel Signs With Team In Puerto Rico

Big man Wenyen Gabriel has signed with Puerto Rico’s Vaqueros de Bayamon, the team announced (Twitter link; hat tip to Alberto De Roa of HoopsHype).

The timing of the announcement is curious, since Gabriel just inked a 10-day hardship contract with the Grizzlies on Friday. The press release from Bayamon didn’t indicate when Gabriel would join the team, but it would make the most sense to occur once his deal with Memphis expires on March 17.

Gabriel, 26, had been an NBA free agent for most of the 2023/24 campaign until signing his 10-day deal with the Grizzlies. He has averaged 4.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 1.0 SPG in 17.0 MPG in two appearances with Memphis. The veteran forward/center signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract with Boston last fall, but he was released before ’23/24 began, having spent most of the season with the G League’s Wisconsin Herd.

In total, Gabriel has appeared 147 career regular season games with the Kings, Trail Blazers, Pelicans, Nets, Clippers, Lakers and Grizzlies over the past five seasons. His most consistent role came last season with the Lakers, when he averaged 5.5 PPG and 4.2 RPG in 68 games (15.1 MPG).

Last summer at the World Cup, Gabriel helped South Sudan secure its first-ever appearance in men’s basketball at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Grizzlies Sign DeJon Jarreau To 10-Day Deal

MARCH 10: The Grizzlies have officially signed Jarreau to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

The deal will run through March 19, covering Memphis’ next five games, and will be worth $103,550.


MARCH 9: The Grizzlies are promoting guard DeJon Jarreau from their G League affiliate and will sign him to a 10-day contract, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Jarreau, who won the AAC Defensive Player of the Year award in his final college season at Houston in 2021, had brief stints with the Pacers and Rockets as a rookie, but has spent most of his professional career in the G League. He has played for four separate NBAGL clubs since 2021, including the Memphis Hustle in 2023/24.

In 36 total Showcase Cup and regular season games this season for the Hustle, Jarreau has averaged 14.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in 25.0 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .468/.313/.777. As Wojnarowski notes, he has played some of his best basketball as of late, putting up 21.6 PPG, 9.7 RPG, and 8.6 APG in his past 10 games.

The Grizzlies have a full 15-man roster, with Wenyen Gabriel also under contract via the hardship exception. A team qualifies for a hardship exception – granting an extra roster spot temporarily – if it has four players who have missed three or more consecutive games due to injury or illness and are expected to remain out for at least two more weeks.

Memphis appears to have six players who fit that bill: Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke, Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, Derrick Rose, and Ziaire Williams. Unless the Grizzlies expect one of those players back within the next couple weeks, they could qualify for up to three hardship additions — Jarreau will be the club’s second hardship addition, Wojnarowski confirms, so no corresponding cut will be necessary to make room for him.

As our 10-day contract tracker shows, Jarreau will be the eighth player to sign a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies this season.

Grizzlies Sign Wenyen Gabriel To 10-Day Contract

MARCH 8: The Grizzlies have officially signed Gabriel to a 10-day contract, the team confirmed today in a press release (Twitter link). The deal will run through March 17, covering Memphis’ next five games.


MARCH 7: The Grizzlies have agreed to a 10-day contract with Wenyen Gabriel, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link). Gabriel is a four-year NBA veteran who most recently played with the Lakers in 2022/23.

Gabriel has played for six teams across four years after making his NBA debut in the ’19/20 season with the Kings. The 26-year-old has also spent time with the Trail Blazers, Pelicans, Nets, Clippers and Lakers. He saw his most extensive playing time with the Lakers last year, averaging 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds in 68 games (two starts).

Gabriel played two collegiate seasons at Kentucky from 2016-18, where he averaged 5.7 points and 5.1 rebounds before going undrafted. He has appeared in 40 games in the G League this season with the Wisconsin Herd, with whom he’s averaging 14.9 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per contest.

This is almost assuredly a hardship signing from the Grizzlies, who have a full 15-man roster. The team is still dealing with long-term injuries to Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, and Brandon Clarke, among others.

Matthew Hurt was signed to a 10-day hardship contract that expired overnight, so Gabriel is likely taking his place. Hurt’s 10-day deal with Memphis was his second of the season, so the Grizzlies are exploring other options instead of signing him for the remainder of the season.

Scotty Pippen Jr. May Be Close To Returning

  • The Grizzlies could have Scotty Pippen Jr. back on the court by next week, tweets Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com. The second-year point guard, who signed a two-way contract with Memphis in January, has been out of action since February 12 with a bulging disc in his lower back.

Southwest Notes: Sengun, Zion, Mavs, Lawson, Grizzlies

He hasn’t gotten the same sort of press this season as Rookie of the Year candidates Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, but going up against Wembanyama on Tuesday, Rockets big man Alperen Sengun provided a reminder that there’s another young center on the rise in the Western Conference.

As Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required) details, Sengun didn’t just get the best of Wembanyama on Tuesday — he dominated him, pouring in a career-best 45 points to go along with 16 rebounds and five steals, both personal season highs. After the game, he admitted that he was motivated to go up against the Spurs‘ young star, who went scoreless in the second half and had just 10 points on the night.

“I didn’t play that good last game against him, I can say,” Sengun said. “And I didn’t see that much double-teams. They just leave me one-on-one with Wemby. I just did what I do.
 
When you score, and score and score at some point, you get some emotion. It was great for me. He is so tall, he’s really tall, but he’s not that strong, yet. So, I was going at his chest and put him under the rim.”

Sengun, who is still just 21 years old (and younger than Holmgren), has taken his game to new heights in his third NBA season, averaging 21.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 32.4 minutes per game across 60 starts. He’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2024 offseason.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

  • Asked on Tuesday if he could see himself participating in the NBA’s annual slam dunk contest at some point, Pelicans star Zion Williamson didn’t rule out the possibility. “I gotta do my part and make the All-Star game,” Williamson said with a smile (Twitter video link via Pelicans Film Room). “If I’m in the All-Star game, I’ll do the dunk contest. But if I’m not, not doing it.”
  • On Tuesday, for a third straight time, Luka Doncic had a triple-double and scored 37+ points in a game the Mavericks lost. It’s a troubling trend for the Mavs, who are running out of time to prove they’re better than they’ve shown as of late, according to Tim Cato of The Athletic and Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Dallas has – by far – the NBA’s worst defensive rating since the All-Star break, and Doncic isn’t sure how to reverse that trend. “I don’t know, honestly,” he said. “We know we got to fix it.”
  • Mavericks wing A.J. Lawson had a hard time playing it cool when he found out he was being promoted to the team’s standard roster on a new four-year contract that will guarantee him $1MM for the rest of this season, writes Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. “I was trying to keep my emotions down at the gym. I didn’t want anybody to see me super-excited or tear up or anything,” Lawson said. “But I got to the crib and I just said ‘Thank God.’ And I screamed off my balcony. Probably the whole uptown area heard it. It was a great feeling and definitely something I’m going to remember the rest of my life.”
  • It has been over a year since the Grizzlies announced on the same day (March 4, 2023) that Brandon Clarke had suffered a torn Achilles and that Ja Morant would be away from the team after a video on social media showed him brandishing a firearm in a Colorado nightclub. As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes, the impact of those events carried over to 2023/24 and were factors in derailing the team’s season before it really got going.