Memphis Grizzlies Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Green, JJJ, Wemby, Williamson

January 14th, 2025 at 4:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The three-year, $105MM extension that the Rockets gave Jalen Green in the fall was widely viewed as a deal designed to be traded, especially given that it included a 10% trade kicker, a rare addition to a rookie scale extension. However, the fourth-year guard is taking major steps so far this season toward justifying Houston’s investment, as Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes.

Green has averaged 23.8 points per game on .470/.389/.884 shooting in his past 19 contests (34.4 MPG). Perhaps more importantly, he’s earning praise from head coach Ime Udoka for what he’s doing on the other end of the court.

“I love his defensive effort,” Udoka said after a victory over Memphis on Monday. “It goes under-noticed for him, probably underrated. He’s taken the challenge of (Desmond) Bane and (Ja) Morant, they’re trying to put him in actions and he’s holding up really well there, taking pride in that. Obviously, the scoring stands out. I saw he matched his career high (42 points), but taking care of the ball as well. Getting more used to teams going after him.”

As Iko writes, Green – a former No. 2 overall pick – hasn’t been discussed in the same breath as fellow top picks like Morant and Anthony Edwards, who have All-NBA seasons on their respective résumés. But if he can consistently produce like he has in the past month-and-a-half (and like he did last March), that could change.

“I’m right there,” Green said. “And if not, and no one thinks that, I’m just going to keep showing it.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

If Jaren Jackson Jr. earns an All-NBA nod or is named Defensive Player of the Year this season, he’ll become eligible for a super-max contract. If not, it could be tricky for the Grizzlies to extend him off of his current contract – which has a descending structure – before he reaches free agency in 2026. Keith Smith of Spotrac takes a closer look at the situation and explains why All-NBA recognition for Jackson may benefit both the seventh-year big man and his team.
Reigning Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama has improved his numbers across the board so far this season, with averages of 25.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.9 blocks, and 3.8 assists in 33.2 minutes per game through 33 outings. The rising Spurs star has made an extremely compelling case for a spot in the All-Star Game, teammate Chris Paul said on Monday, per Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. “Put him in the All-Star Game,” Paul said. “He deserves it, man. … He plays the game the right way. As humble of a star as you’d ever come across. Going to be Defensive Player of the Year. He’s got an opportunity to do it for 20 years straight, you know what I mean?”
Zion Williamson‘s performance in his return from a one-game suspension on Sunday was an encouraging one, as the Pelicans forward looked healthy and put forth an impressive defensive effort, registering five steals against the defending champion Celtics. Still, as Jared Weiss of The Athletic writes, Williamson and the Pelicans have had plenty of positive stretches in recent years, only for those stretches to be derailed by various setbacks, often injury-related. Weiss explores what the former No. 1 pick has to do to finish this season strong.

Injury Notes: Wagner, Magic, Kyrie, Sixers, Haliburton, Jackson

January 14th, 2025 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Magic forward Franz Wagner, who is recovering from a torn right oblique, will remain sidelined for Wednesday’s game in Milwaukee, but his injury designation will be updated to “return to competition reconditioning,” according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).

The change in designation doesn’t necessarily mean Wagner’s return is imminent, but it does suggest that he’s entering the final stage of his rehab process. By comparison, teammate Paolo Banchero, who sustained a torn oblique of his own on October 30, had his designation changed to “return to competition reconditioning” on December 27, then returned to action on January 10.

“I feel good,” Wagner said on Tuesday (Twitter link via Beede). “I think everything is going in a really good direction. I was able to do some more stuff on the court. I think pretty much the muscle is not the issue at this point. It’s more of getting back in shape, making sure that I check all of the boxes before I go play a game.”

Wagner, Gary Harris (left hamstring strain), and Jett Howard (left ankle sprain) went through a non-contact practice on Tuesday, per Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley (Twitter links via Beede). Tristan Da Silva (illness) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (sore left knee) also practiced, but Jalen Suggs (low back strain) and Goga Bitadze (right hip contusion) didn’t, Beede adds.

Here are a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA:

Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving, who last played on January 1, has been upgraded to questionable for Tuesday’s matchup with Denver. The Mavs announced last Monday that Irving was expected to miss at least a week or two due to a bulging disc in his back, but he fully participated in Monday’s practice and “looked good,” head coach Jason Kidd said (Twitter link via Jared Greenberg of NBA TV).
The banged-up Sixers will be missing Joel Embiid (left foot sprain), Andre Drummond (left toe sprain), and Kyle Lowry (right hip sprain) for a fifth straight game on Tuesday vs. Oklahoma City. Philadelphia also added Tyrese Maxey to its injury report as a result of a left hand sprain, with the star guard considered questionable to play against OKC.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle confirmed during a radio appearance on Tuesday that it’s “highly unlikely” Tyrese Haliburton suits up vs. Cleveland tonight, but said the point guard’s hamstring issue isn’t believed to be significant, as Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star relays. “The good news is we don’t believe that it’s serious,” Carlisle said. “It was tightness, soreness. When you have a high-functioning athlete, skill player like Tyrese, tightness can really make it difficult for him to play at the level that he plays at. Having him come out of (Sunday’s) game was absolutely the right thing to do.”
Grizzlies forward GG Jackson has essentially recovered from his offseason foot surgery and his season debut isn’t far off, according to head coach Taylor Jenkins. “It’s more just about reconditioning and back to play,” Jenkins said (story via Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal). “There may be opportunities with the (G League’s Memphis) Hustle for his first exposure to live five-on-five play.”

Pippen Endorses JJJ As All-Star; Morant Dealing With Illness

January 13th, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Scotty Pippen Jr. is pushing for teammate Jaren Jackson Jr. to earn a spot on the All-Star team, per Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda. Jackson has helped the Grizzlies overcome numerous injuries and remain among the top three teams in the West. “I feel like Jaren’s one of the most unstoppable players in the league,” Pippen said. “So, credit to him. He’s been working, you know, really hard, so he’s been doing well.”
In their latest injury report, the Grizzlies are listing Ja Morant as questionable for tonight’s game at Houston due to an illness (Twitter link).
In case you missed it on Sunday, there’s been “nothing substantive” between the Grizzlies and Nets regarding a trade involving Cameron Johnson, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link).

New York Notes: Bridges, Knicks, Marks, Johnson

January 12th, 2025 at 10:18pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Knicks forward Mikal Bridges‘ first year in New York continues to be somewhat up and down. As Andrew Crane of The New York Post observes, the former All-Defensive Teamer went scoreless on 0-of-9 shooting from the floor in a lopsided recent 126-101 Friday defeat to the Thunder.

“I just gotta make them,” Bridges said of his shooting woes. “I think I’m just short on a lot of them probably these past couple games. I just gotta put a little more lift probably on it.”

Across his last three contests, Bridges has shot just 6-of-32 from the floor.

On the season, the 6’6″ wing is averaging 17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, all solid stats. He’s connecting on a just-mediocre 33.2% of his 6.8 three-point attempts per night, however. That represents a career-worst, and Bridges’ first time below 36% since his 2018/19 rookie season.

There’s more out of the Big Apple:

The Knicks obliterated Milwaukee, 140-106, on Sunday, but a happy victory hardly erases New York’s recent slump, opines Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post (subscriber link). The team has gone 2-4 across its last six contests, a brutal stretch to follow up a nine-game win streak. Bridges’ recent shooting issues have been a concern, while All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns missed one of those losses with an injury. But it’s tough to excuse the team’s middling effort in its recent blowout loss to Oklahoma City, Vaccaro opines.
Nets general manager Sean Marks is angling to capitalize on what’s expected to be a starry 2025 draft class, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Part of that goal includes prioritizing the future over the present, be that trading away veterans or thinking longer-term and not necessarily looking to win games now. Since opening night, Brooklyn has already dealt away veterans Dennis Schröder, Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton in the interest of draft equity and future cap space. “We’re going to have to be systematic with some of the decisions we make,” Marks told Lewis. “And they may not always be in line with winning the next game or putting the most talent out there.” For now, the 13-25 Nets have the sixth-worst record in the league, and thus the sixth-best lottery odds. “To be frank, you’ve still got to get a little lucky,” Marks said. “The hot-button topic has always been the draft. We all know we’ve still got to get lucky. At the end of the day, the Ping-Pong balls are going to drop a certain way.”
While there has been some speculation that the Grizzlies could emerge as a real trade bidder for Nets forward Cameron Johnson, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal remains somewhat dubious, tweeting that the two sides have yet to engage in significant talks with regard to a Johnson trade.

Jenkins Expects Jackson, Williams To Return By The End Of January

January 11th, 2025 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said at today’s pregame session with reporters that he’s hoping to have both GG Jackson and Vince Williams back before the end of the month (Twitter video link from Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com). Jackson hasn’t played this season as he recovers from foot surgery, while Williams has been out with a sprained right ankle since mid-November.

Jimmy Butler Notes: Bucks, Trade Timeline, Riley, More

January 10th, 2025 at 8:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Multiple reports this week indicated that the Grizzlies and Bucks are among the teams that have been advised not to pursue a trade for Heat forward Jimmy Butler, and while Sam Amick of The Athletic has “for sure” heard that Memphis received that message, he’s less certain about what’s going on with Milwaukee.

“The Milwaukee thing, I’m admittedly a little confused by,” Amick said during an appearance on FanDuel’s Run it Back (Twitter video link). “… I was told from somebody who 100% would and should know that Jimmy’s camp had not spoken about Milwaukee and also hadn’t been asked about Milwaukee.

While the Bucks were named on Monday as one of the clubs considering the possibility of making a play for Butler, Amick is skeptical that they plan to seriously explore that idea, whether or not they’ve been warned off by the forward’s camp.

“There is chatter about the Bucks and the idea of them kicking it around. Regardless of exactly what was said, I would move off that possibility,” Amick continued. “I don’t sense a lot of eagerness from the Bucks’ side to go down that road.”

Since the Bucks are currently operating about $6.5MM above the second tax apron, they’d have to reduce their team salary by more than that amount before – or as part of – any trade for Butler in order to legally aggregate multiple player contracts for matching purposes.

Here are a few more items related to the NBA’s most prominent trade candidate:

Within a detailed breakdown of where things stand with Butler, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports cites league sources who believe there’s a real chance the 35-year-old could remain in Miami all season and not be traded until the summer, at which time it would be easier for the Heat to construct a deal that works for both them and their trade partner(s).
Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald takes a closer look at what the Heat’s options in the 2025 offseason would be if they were to sign-and-trade Butler or allow him to walk as a free agent.
Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel checks in on the latest developments related to the Butler drama, including Heat president Pat Riley talking to Dan Le Batard about critics who say he’s “washed” and Butler seemingly taking a passive-aggressive jab at Riley and the Heat in a social media video.
In his most recent mailbag (subscription required), Winderman considers whether it’s fair to the rest of the players on the roster for the Heat to put them in the middle of more drama by bringing Butler back at the end of his suspension instead of taking the best offer on the table at that point.
A recent feature from Ben Golliver of The Washington Post includes some exclusive quotes from Butler. Those quotes are about a month old, predating the developments of the past few weeks, but one comment from Butler perhaps provides some insight into why he was upset that the Heat were unwilling to offer him a maximum-salary contract extension over the summer. “I still think I’m in my prime if I’m being brutally honest,” Butler told Golliver.

And-Ones: Cousins, All-Star Voting, 2025 Draft, More

January 10th, 2025 at 7:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Four-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins hasn’t played in the league since finishing the 2021/22 season with Denver, but he continues to compete professionally in non-NBA leagues around the world. The 34-year-old center is joining Selenge Bodons in Mongolia, according to announcements from the club on Instagram and Cousins on Facebook.

The No. 5 overall pick in the 2010 draft, Cousins averaged 19.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game in 654 regular season appearances for seven NBA teams from 2010-22. Cousins’ career was derailed by a series of major leg injuries, including a torn ACL and torn Achilles, which reduced his effectiveness on both ends of the court in his later NBA seasons.

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

The NBA provided an update on All-Star fan voting on Thursday, announcing (via Twitter) that Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic continue to be the leading vote-getters. The only change among the top three frontcourt players and two guards in each conference since last Thursday is that Warriors star Stephen Curry has nudged ahead of Luka Doncic as the No. 2 guard in the West.
Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN (Insider link) and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic have updates their NBA mock drafts for 2025. Vecenie suggests that after top two prospects Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper, there are plenty of question marks, which is reflected in the significant differences between the two mocks. For example, Georgia’s Asa Newell comes in at No. 6 in Vecenie’s mock but at No. 22 in ESPN’s. Converseley, French point guard Nolan Traore, the No. 6 player for ESPN, nearly falls out of the lottery in Vecenie’s mock at No. 13.
In a pair of stories for The Athletic, John Hollinger identifies several underrated draft prospects to watch, including including Texas Tech’s Darrion Williams and Auburn’s Johni Broome, and discusses 10 less heralded trade candidates, such as Rockets forward Jeff Green, Celtics guard Jaden Springer, and Grizzlies sharpshooter Luke Kennard.

Grizzlies’ Spencer Breaks Thumb; Smart Week-To-Week

January 10th, 2025 at 5:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies rookie Cam Spencer fractured his left thumb on Thursday while taking part in a practice with the Memphis Hustle in the G League, according to a press release from the team.

Spencer will require surgery to repair the break and will be reevaluated in three weeks, the Grizzlies said in their statement.

The 53rd overall pick in the 2024 draft, Spencer missed the first several weeks of his rookie season due to an ankle injury. Since getting healthy in mid-November, he has appeared in 10 contests for Memphis, including eight of the team’s past 14 games. He has averaged 4.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 12.5 minutes per game with a shooting line of .429/.333/1.000 across those eight recent outings.

The Grizzlies also issued an injury update on veteran guard Marcus Smart, who has been unavailable since December 21 due to a partial tear of the proximal extensor hood of his right index finger.

According to the club, Smart is making progress in his rehab and is now considered week-to-week. While that’s somewhat vague, it suggests a January return remains in play for the 30-year-old.

Injuries have been a problem for Smart since he was traded to the Grizzlies during the 2023 offseason. He was able to suit up for just 20 games last season and has been limited to 18 so far in 2024/25. In total, he has missed 82 of 120 regular season contests since arriving in Memphis.

Grizzlies Sign Zyon Pullin, Waive Colin Castleton

January 10th, 2025 at 1:50pm CST by Rory Maher

1:50pm: The moves are now official, the Grizzlies confirmed in a press release (Twitter link).

1:25pm: The Grizzlies are signing free agent guard Zyon Pullin to a two-way deal covering two seasons, reports Drew Hill of The Daily Memphian (Twitter links).

According to Hill, Memphis will waive center Colin Castleton in order to add Pullin to the roster.

A 6’4″ guard out of Florida, Pullin played for UC Riverside from 2019-23 before transferring to the Gators for his super-senior year. He was an All-SEC honoree in 2023/24 after averaging 15.5 points, 4.9 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per contest in 33 games (27 starts), with a shooting line of .444/.449/.847.

Pullin quickly agreed to terms with the Heat after going undrafted in June, officially signing a two-way contract with the team on the first day of the new league year on July 1. However, he didn’t see much playing time for Miami’s Summer League squad and was waived on July 25 when the club needed to open up a roster spot to sign Summer League standout Josh Christopher to a two-way deal.

Pullin re-signed with the Heat on an Exhibit 10 deal in August, then was released shortly before the ’24/25 season began. He has spent his first pro season playing for Miami’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

The 23-year-old had a relatively modest role with the Skyforce during the Tip-Off Tournament this past fall, averaging 9.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.8 APG, and 0.8 SPG on .476/.318/.765 shooting in 17 games (22.4 MPG). However, he has received more playing time (38.3 MPG) in his first six regular season games with Sioux Falls, and he has excelled in those outings, averaging 24.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 7.7 APG, and 1.2 SPG on .535/.424/.731 shooting.

Castleton, who spent ’23/24 with the Lakers on a two-way deal, hasn’t played much for the Grizzlies during his second season, logging just 46 NBA minutes in 10 games. The 24-year-old big man put up 17.5 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 3.2 APG, and 1.3 BPG in 10 outings with the Memphis Hustle (31.8 MPG), though he struggled with turnovers (3.8 per game) and scoring efficiency (.438/.261/.756 shooting line).

Castleton recently had his full-season salary guaranteed by the Grizzlies, but two-way contracts don’t count against the salary cap, so Memphis won’t face any tangible financial ramifications for making the roster swap.

Southwest Notes: Morant, Grizzlies, Jackson, Wemby, Pelicans

January 9th, 2025 at 10:53pm CST by Earnest Marshall

Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant made his return from injury on Thursday, as first announced by the team (Twitter link). Morant missed five games with an AC joint injury.

The Grizzlies went 2-3 without Morant, who is averaging 21.2 points, 7.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game this season. He finished with 27 points in a narrow loss to the Rockets in his return.

Morant wasn’t the only Grizzlies player back in action on Thursday, as Santi Aldama and Desmond Bane also made their returns. Aldama missed six games with an ankle injury, while Bane was only absent for Monday’s game against Dallas.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

The Grizzlies got more good news on the injury front, as GG Jackson was assigned to the Memphis Hustle for practice on Thursday (Twitter link via team). That means Jackson has practiced for three straight days, twice with the Hustle and once with the Grizzlies. Jackson hasn’t played at all this season after suffering an offseason foot injury, but was a bright spot last year when the Grizzlies were decimated by injuries, as he averaged 14.6 points while shooting 35.7% from deep as a rookie. He was elevated from a two-way contract to a standard deal after being the No. 45 pick in the 2023 draft.
Victor Wembanyama is establishing himself as the league’s best defender, with plenty of room to grow at 21 years old, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes. He’s leading the NBA in blocks by a wide margin. “It just strikes fear in opponents’ hearts,” Julian Champagnie said. “That’s the best part about it. It’s like, yeah, he’s tall. He almost blocks every shot that comes his way. So anybody who’s going to the basket, you got that little double-take to see where he’s at.” In another article by Jeff McDonald of San Antonio Express-News, players talked about what it takes to approach a defender like Wembanyama.
After suffering a shoulder sprain, Pelicans forward Herbert Jones will miss Friday’s game against the Sixers, Will Guillory of The Athletic relays (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Trey Murphy will miss his third straight game with an ankle sprain.