Mavs, Pistons, Grizzlies, Clippers, Bucks, Wizards Finalize Six-Team Trade
The Mavericks, Pistons, Grizzlies, Clippers, Bucks, and Wizards have officially completed the six-team mega-deal that incorporates several separate trade agreements reported over the course of the past two weeks, with multiple clubs involved in the transaction sending out press release to confirm that it’s done.
The deal includes Santi Aldama being traded from Memphis to Dallas, Isaiah Stewart being sent from Detroit to Memphis, John Collins being signed-and-traded to the Pistons, and Khris Middleton being signed-and-traded to the Wizards, among other moving parts.
In total, 10 current NBA players are involved, along with an 11th draft-and-stash player – Tarik Biberovic – who will reportedly be signing a new contract with the Mavericks now that the trade is official.
As we outlined on Tuesday night, the full deal looks like this:
- Mavericks to acquire:
- Santi Aldama (from Grizzlies)
- Marcus Sasser (from Pistons)
- The draft rights to Tarik Biberovic (from Grizzlies)
- Pistons to acquire:
- John Collins (via sign-and-trade; from Clippers)
- Note: Collins signed a three-year, $51MM contract (more details here).
- Taurean Prince (from Bucks)
- Gary Harris (from Bucks)
- Either the Pistons’, Knicks’, or Bucks’ 2029 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable; from Grizzlies)
- The Mavericks’ 2031 second-round pick (from Grizzlies)
- The Pistons’ 2032 second-round pick (from Grizzlies)
- John Collins (via sign-and-trade; from Clippers)
- Grizzlies to acquire:
- Isaiah Stewart (from Pistons)
- AJ Johnson (from Mavericks)
- D’Angelo Russell (from Wizards)
- The Warriors’ 2030 first-round pick (top-20 protected; from Mavericks)
- The Rockets’ 2029 second-round pick (from Mavericks)
- The Lakers’ 2029 second-round pick (from Wizards)
- The Wizards’ 2033 second-round pick (from Wizards)
- The right to swap either the Grizzlies’ or Sixers’ 2032 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable) for the Jazz’s 2032 second-round pick (from Wizards)
- Bucks to acquire:
- Caris LeVert (from Pistons)
- The Bucks’ 2027 second-round pick (from Pistons)
- Either the Mavericks’ or Nets’ second-round pick (whichever is least favorable; from Pistons)
- Cash (from Clippers)
- Wizards to acquire:
- Khris Middleton (via sign-and-trade; from Mavericks)
- Note: Middleton signed a three-year, $17.6MM contract (more details here).
- The Mavericks’ 2033 second-round pick (from Mavericks)
- Khris Middleton (via sign-and-trade; from Mavericks)
- Clippers to acquire:
- The Pistons’ 2030 second-round pick (top-55 protected; from Pistons)
We published a series of previous stories on the Grizzlies’ acquisition of Stewart, the Pistons’ deal for Collins, the Mavericks’ addition of Aldama, the Bucks’ trade for LeVert, and the Wizards’ signing-and-trading for Middleton, so we won’t rehash the details from those articles at length here — you can check them out for more info on each component of the trade.
The upshot is that the Mavericks gave up some draft assets to add multiple potential rotation players; the Pistons made some changes in the frontcourt and on the wing while generating some additional cap flexibility; the Grizzlies swapped out Aldama for Stewart while taking on some unwanted salary and netting extra draft picks; the Bucks took on LeVert’s salary in order to land a couple second-round picks; the Wizards reacquired Middleton and moved off Russell’s expiring contract; and the Clippers generated a $17MM trade exception by signing-and-trading Collins.
L.A. wasn’t the only team to create an eight-figure trade exception as a result of the deal — the Pistons also generated one worth $15MM, which is equivalent to Stewart’s outgoing salary.
All six teams involved in the trade will now be hard-capped at the first tax apron for the rest of the 2026/27 league year, meaning their team salaries can’t surpass $209,015,000 between now and June 30, 2027. That’s unlikely to be an issue, given that none of them currently appear likely to even cross into luxury tax territory.
Sorting Out The Six-Team Trade Involving Stewart, Aldama, Others
After initially reporting earlier tonight that the Wizards‘ sign-and-trade acquisition of Khris Middleton would be combined with several separate trade agreements to form a single six-team mega-deal, Ohm Youngmisuk, with the help of colleague Shams Charania, has laid out the terms of that trade in a full story for ESPN.com.
There are a few new details within ESPN’s report, including the Clippers receiving a protected 2028 second-round pick from the Pistons while sending cash to the Bucks, which will help ensure that all six teams “touch” at least two other clubs in the deal. However, the story doesn’t include the specifics on each of the draft assets involved in the trade.
Based on ESPN’s reporting, several previous reports, and RealGM’s tracker of traded draft picks, here’s our best shot at what the final deal will look like:
Mavericks to acquire:
- Santi Aldama (from Grizzlies)
- Marcus Sasser (from Pistons)
- The draft rights to Tarik Biberovic (from Grizzlies)
- Grizzlies to acquire:
- Isaiah Stewart (from Pistons)
- AJ Johnson (from Mavericks)
- D’Angelo Russell (from Wizards)
- The Warriors’ 2030 first-round pick (top-20 protected; from Mavericks)
- The Rockets’ 2029 second-round pick (from Mavericks)
- The Lakers’ 2029 second-round pick (from Wizards)
- The Wizards’ 2033 second-round pick (from Wizards)
- The right to swap either the Grizzlies’ or Sixers’ 2032 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable) for the Jazz’s 2032 second-round pick (from Wizards)
- Pistons to acquire:
- John Collins (via sign-and-trade; from Clippers)
- Note: Collins is reportedly signing a three-year, $51MM contract.
- Taurean Prince (from Bucks)
- Gary Harris (from Bucks)
- Either the Pistons’, Knicks’, or Bucks’ 2029 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable; from Grizzlies)
- The Mavericks’ 2031 second-round pick (from Grizzlies)
- The Pistons’ 2032 second-round pick (from Grizzlies)
- John Collins (via sign-and-trade; from Clippers)
- Bucks to acquire:
- Caris LeVert (from Pistons)
- The Bucks’ 2027 second-round pick (from Pistons)
- Either the Mavericks’ or Nets’ second-round pick (whichever is least favorable; from Pistons)
- Cash (from Clippers)
- Wizards to acquire:
- Khris Middleton (via sign-and-trade; from Mavericks)
- Note: Middleton is reportedly signing a three-year, $17.6MM contract.
- The Mavericks’ 2033 second-round pick (from Mavericks)
- Khris Middleton (via sign-and-trade; from Mavericks)
- Clippers to acquire:
- A top-55 protected 2028 second-round pick (from Pistons)
The deal isn’t yet official and therefore this breakdown should also be considered unofficial. But the final version of the trade should look pretty similar to this.
The deal has been two weeks in the making — the Grizzlies and Pistons first worked out a trade involving Stewart during the second night of the NBA draft on June 24. That was followed on July 1 by the Pistons and Clippers coming together on a Collins sign-and-trade and the Grizzlies and Mavericks agreeing to terms on an Aldama deal.
Then, earlier on Tuesday, the Bucks and Pistons reached an agreement on a trade involving LeVert, Prince, and Harris, the Mavs made a deal to sign-and-trade Middleton to the Wizards, and Washington agreed to salary-dump Russell to Memphis.
While most of those agreements could’ve been officially completed as separate deals, rolling them all into one will provide some cap benefits for various clubs.
For example, had they completed their Aldama deal directly with the Grizzlies, the Mavericks would have had to use most of their $20.8MM Anthony Davis traded player exception to accommodate the Spaniard’s incoming $17MM salary, since they were only sending Johnson ($3.2MM) to Memphis in that deal.
But including Middleton and aggregating his outgoing salary (roughly $5.6MM) with Johnson’s will be enough to meet the salary-matching requirements for Aldama, allowing Dallas to preserve that full $20.8MM Davis TPE. The Mavs can then use their bi-annual exception to absorb Sasser’s $5.2MM salary.
Memphis is in a similar boat. If they’d just acquired Stewart from Detroit in a straight-up deal, the Grizzlies would have needed to use over half of the $28.9MM exception they created in February when they traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah. But by folding in their Aldama deal and using his outgoing salary to legally match Stewart ($15MM), Johnson ($3.2MM), and Russell ($6MM), they can keep that full Jackson TPE intact.
The Pistons, meanwhile, will be able to use LeVert’s outgoing salary ($14.8MM) for matching purposes to acquire Collins, whose deal figures to start in the $16-18MM range. That will allow them to create new trade exceptions equivalent to Stewart’s ($15MM) and Sasser’s ($5.2MM) outgoing salaries.
The Wizards have a trade exception expiring this Thursday that still has $5,341,122 left on it after the team used part of it to absorb Deandre Ayton‘s $8.1MM salary on Tuesday. Washington will be able to use the rest of that exception before it expires to give Middleton a starting salary of $5,591,122 (the amount of the exception, plus a $250K buffer), then will create a new trade exception worth Russell’s outgoing salary (nearly $6MM).
The Clippers will also generate a trade exception worth Collins’ new salary (roughly $16-18MM).
When the dust settles, all six teams will be hard-capped at the first tax apron, notes Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). The Pistons, Clippers, and Wizards faced first-apron hard caps already, based on prior transactions, while the Mavericks, Grizzlies, and Bucks will all join them as a result of using the “expanded traded exception” (ie. taking back more than 100% of a player’s – or players’ – salary) in the deal.
Trade Rumors: DeRozan, Finney-Smith, Sasser, Lakers, Bucks
Kings forward DeMar DeRozan hopes to “accelerate his exit” from Sacramento, according to Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports. Reporting in June indicated that the team expects to either trade or waive DeRozan, and the 17-year veteran would like for that to happen sooner rather than later, Iko explains.
While a trade that clears DeRozan’s full $25.7MM from their books without any incoming salary coming back would presumably be the preferred route for the cap-strapped Kings, very few teams are in position to accommodate that kind of deal. The more likely outcome is that Sacramento will eventually opt to waive DeRozan and use the stretch provision to spread his partial guarantee of $10MM across three seasons ($3.33MM per year).
If the Kings were to waive and stretch him immediately, it would allow DeRozan to reach the open market while a number of playoff teams still have some spending flexibility, potentially resulting in a more favorable deal. However, it appears Sacramento’s front office wants to exhaust its trade options before resorting to that fall-back option. The deadline to waive a player and stretch his 2026/27 cap hit is August 29.
Here are a few more trade rumors and notes from around the NBA:
- Sources who spoke to Iko described the Rockets‘ trade talks involving forward Dorian Finney-Smith as “fluid,” noting that Houston has explored scenarios in which Finney-Smith would be sent out to create cap flexibility and others in which a player would come back in the deal. However, none of those options has been appealing enough to pull the trigger, and Iko notes that the team’s urgency to make a move has lessened due to how free agency has played out — Houston was able to secure commitments from Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic without using more than the taxpayer portion of the mid-level exception.
- After reporting earlier in the week that the Mavericks are a “leading suitor” to acquire guard Marcus Sasser from the Pistons, Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link) is talking as if that deal is expected to happen. As Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron points out (via Twitter) there’s a plausible scenario in which the Grizzlies, Pistons, and Mavericks combine their trade agreements involving Isaiah Stewart and Santi Aldama into a single transaction and include Sasser — Detroit’s acquisitions of Isaiah Joe (from the Thunder) and John Collins (via sign-and-trade from the Clippers) would also likely be folded in to make it a five-team trade.
- A number of league sources are wondering if the Lakers are planning to make a trade – or a waive-and-stretch move – involving a player like Jarred Vanderbilt or Deandre Ayton to open up a little more cap room to try to re-sign free agent forward Rui Hachimura, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. At this point, that sounds like speculation rather than anything concrete.
- The Bucks touched base with the Grizzlies about Ja Morant during the 2025/26 season and periodically circled back to discuss him all the way up until this Monday (well after agreeing to move Giannis Antetokounmpo) before ultimately deciding not to pursue a trade, reports Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Memphis agreed to send Morant to Portland instead.
Grizzlies To Trade Santi Aldama To Mavericks
The Grizzlies and Mavericks have agreed to a trade that will send forward Santi Aldama to Dallas, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links). The Mavs will also acquire forward Tarik Biberovic‘s draft rights in the deal.
In return for Aldama and Biberovic, Memphis will acquire guard AJ Johnson, the Warriors’ top-20 protected 2030 first-round pick, and a pair of second-round picks, according to Charania. That Golden State selection will turn into a 2030 second-rounder if it lands in its protected range.
Charania adds (via Twitter) that the move will allow the Grizzlies to preserve their $28.9MM trade exception from the Jaren Jackson Jr. deal, which suggests that Memphis will use Aldama’s outgoing salary to take in Isaiah Stewart from the Pistons.
That would mean either combining the two trades into a single transaction or completing the Aldama deal first in order to create a $17MM trade exception to slot Stewart into. Memphis will be able to take on Johnson and his $3.24MM salary into the trade exception they’ll create in the Ja Morant deal, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
The Grizzlies were facing a logjam in their big man rotation, having drafted Cameron Boozer and Karim Lopez, agreed to add Stewart and Jerami Grant via trade, and retained Olivier-Maxence Prosper and GG Jackson II. They also hope to get a healthy season from starting center Zach Edey.
That likely would’ve left fewer minutes for Aldama at either the power forward or center spot than he saw last season. Before a knee procedure ended his season, the 25-year-old averaged 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 27.9 minutes per game across 43 appearances (11 starts).
Aldama will go to a Dallas organization that also has a good amount of depth in the frontcourt after drafting Morez Johnson Jr. with the No. 9 pick last week to complement Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, and P.J. Washington. However, the Spaniard’s shooting ability and positional versatility should put him in position to carve out a regular role, especially if Dallas ends up moving another one of those veterans later this offseason.
While it’s possible the Mavs don’t have any immediate plans for Biberovic, the 2023 second-round pick is more than a throw-in. A 25-year-old wing, Biberovic helped Fenerbahce win the EuroLeague title in 2025 and multiple domestic championships. He’s known as a top-tier shooter, having posted a .524/.419/.952 slash line in 41 EuroLeague contests in 2025/26. He averaged 11.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 24.3 minutes per game this season.
Reporting in June indicated that several NBA teams had inquired about Biberovic’s rights. Given his inclusion in this trade, it seems likely that Dallas was one of them.
Aldama’s $17MM salary for 2026/27 will slot into Dallas’ $20.8MM trade exception from the Anthony Davis trade, Marks notes (Twitter link). His contract also includes a $17MM team option for the 2027/28 season.
The Mavs are still $22MM away from the luxury tax line and have the ability to use their $15MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception as well as their $5.5MM bi-annual exception, Marks adds (Twitter link).
Southwest Notes: Demas, Aldama, Curtis, Mavericks
The Laketown Squadron, the Pelicans’ NBA G League club, have named Brandon Demas as their head coach, the team announced (Twitter link).
Demas has worked in the Pelicans organization over the past 14 seasons. Most recently, he was an assistant coach with the NBA team for two seasons following two seasons as the team’s two-way coach (2022-24). Before joining the coaching staff, Demas served as a player development coach/video assistant for three seasons (2019-22) after beginning his career with the organization as a team attendant (2012-19).
Rod Walker of NOLA.com describes in a subscriber-only article how Demas rose from being a ball boy to becoming a head coach. Demas gives some credit to Jose Alvarado, who was traded to the champion Knicks in February.
“Jose did a lot for me on this journey, and I’m proud of him as well,” Demas said. “I consider him family. We are both the same breed. We are both underdogs, and we don’t pass the eye test. But at the end of the day, we get the job done.”
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- The Grizzlies are seeking to trade up from their No. 16 overall pick in the draft and virtually anyone on the roster outside of their young core is available at the right price, according to Brett Siegel of Clutch Points. Among the players considered to be available is center Santi Aldama, who underwent a right knee procedure in March and appeared in only 43 games this past season. Aldama is entering the second year of a three-year, $52.5MM contract that includes a club option for 2027/28.
- The Grizzlies are hiring Mike Curtis as their new head of player health and performance, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets. Curtis, who spent six seasons with the Grizzlies from 2002-08 as their strength and conditioning coach, has been working in the college ranks for Virginia.
- The Mavericks could be looking for the best available wing or frontcourt prospect at the No. 9 spot, according to Jake Rogers of DallasHoopsJournal.com. That’s due to the anticipation that top guards prospects like Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown and Darius Acuff will be off the board by the time Dallas makes its selection.
- De’Aaron Fox seems like a prime trade candidate, given the Spurs’ backcourt situation. However, it doesn’t have to happen this offseason. Get the details here.
Southwest Notes: Edey, Prosper, Kyrie, Fears, Rockets
Speaking to reporters earlier this week for the first time since December, Grizzlies center Zach Edey said he was pleased with how he performed in his 11 games this season, suggesting he “showed who I can be,” per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Edey was excellent in his limited appearances, averaging 13.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in just 25.8 minutes per contest and leading the team to a 7-4 record, though he acknowledged that his health issues made it feel like a “wasted” season.
“Every game it kind of got a little worse,” he said of the left ankle injury that eventually required a second surgery following the initial repair last June. “My first few games, I didn’t feel it at all. Then I may have pushed it too much — played too many minutes or whatever it was. Toward the end of that stretch, it started giving me problems.”
In addition to getting a second surgery on his left ankle, Edey also underwent a procedure on his left elbow in March. However, the big man downplayed the elbow issue, confirming that it wasn’t a new injury.
“Just a little clean-up,” Edey said. “I’ve had some problems with my elbow since middle school. I played through it for a while. I figured I might as well just get it cleaned up while I have this boot on my foot.”
Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama (right knee surgery), guard Jaylen Wells (right big toe surgery), and Scotty Pippen Jr. (right big toe surgery) also spoke this week about their respective injury recoveries, as Jonah Dylan of The Memphis Commercial Appeal relays.
Aldama indicated he expects to be fully recovered by mid-summer; Wells said he should be good to go by late June; and Pippen projected a three-month recovery timeline following his mid-March surgery. In other words, all three players expect to be ready for training camp in the fall.
We have more from around the Southwest:
- Waived after two seasons in Dallas, former first-round pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper has had a breakout year with the Grizzlies (10.0 PPG on .549/.405/.754 shooting). Speaking to Ben Steele of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Prosper says it was important for him to find his “niche” and make sure he excels in that area. “For me, it was focusing on my ability to guard multiple positions and be versatile on both sides of the ball,” the former Marquette forward said. “Offensively, you can put me as a three, four, five. And defensively, I can guard one through five. So that’s been my calling card. Now you can add to your game after that. Add to your shooting, add to your bag, but first you have to do what your calling card and do that and be consistent and stay poised the whole way through the season.”
- Kyrie Irving hasn’t played at all in the past year while recovering from a torn ACL, but the Mavericks have appreciated how his calm, level-headed presence and locker-room leadership have helped the team navigate a turbulent season, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). “He sees when guys are in their heads,” big man Daniel Gafford said. “He’s taking all of his experience, all of his game knowledge and he’s giving it to the younger generation.” Irving has a guaranteed $39.5MM contract for 2026/27 with a $42.4MM player option for ’27/28.
- While it hasn’t been a successful season overall for the Pelicans, the development of their rookies has been a silver lining. Jeremiah Fears provided a reminder of that in the team’s home finale on Tuesday, setting a new career high and a new franchise rookie record by scoring 40 points in a victory over Utah, according to Rod Walker of NOLA.com (subscription required). “I’m really just proud of his growth,” interim head coach James Borrego said. “From training camp to where he’s at today, he’s taken a massive step. This franchise is in a really good place because of players like him. Fantastic.”
- The Rockets have a $180MM renovation plan for Toyota Center in the works, according to Houston mayor John Whitmire, who said on Wednesday that the state is expected to contribute $95MM to the project, with Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta funding the rest. Matt Young of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required) has the details.
Santi Aldama Undergoes Knee Procedure, Out For Remainder Of Season
The Grizzlies have ruled out big man Santi Aldama for the remainder of the season, the team announced (Twitter link).
Aldama underwent an arthroscopic procedure and received an orthobiologic injection on Tuesday to address discomfort in the trochlear compartment of his right knee. He is expected to make a full recovery prior to the start of next season.
The team revealed on Sunday that Aldama would undergo the procedure.
Aldama hasn’t played since February 4 due to ongoing knee pain. He averaged a career-high 14.0 points and 6.7 rebounds in 27.9 minutes per game in 43 appearances for Memphis this season after signing a three-year, $52.5MM contract in restricted free agency last summer. He shot 47.9% from the floor and 35.0% from beyond the three-point line, both above his career rates.
Earlier on Tuesday, the team announced that Scotty Pippen Jr. underwent toe surgery and would sit out the rest of the season.
The Grizzlies’ training room has been busy all season. Ty Jerome, Zach Edey, Brandon Clarke and Ja Morant have all missing significant chunks of action. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was ruled out for the remainder of ’25/26 last month after undergoing finger surgery.
Santi Aldama Undergoing Arthroscopic Procedure On Knee, Out Indefinitely
Santi Aldama is undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee, the Grizzlies announced today (Twitter link). As part of the procedure, he’ll receive an orthobiologic injection meant to reduce discomfort in the trochlear compartment of his knee, according to the team.
Aldama hasn’t played since February 4 due to ongoing knee pain. The veteran power forward has averaged a career-high 14.0 points and 6.7 rebounds in 27.9 minutes per game in 43 appearances for Memphis this season after signing a three-year, $52.5MM contract in restricted free agency last summer. He has shot 47.9% from the floor and 35.0% from beyond the three-point line, both above his career rates.
According to the Grizzlies’ press release, Aldama is expected to make a full recovery. A more specific timeline will be provided after he undergoes the procedure.
Aldama joins a long list of injured Grizzlies, as Ja Morant, Scotty Pippen Jr., Walter Clayton, Zach Edey, Brandon Clarke, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are all listed as out for Monday’s game.
Grizzlies Add Tyler Burton On 10-Day Hardship Deal
12:08pm: The signing is official, the team tweets.
11:15am: The injury-riddled Grizzlies are signing wing Tyler Burton to a 10-day hardship exception, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
Burton has averaged 19.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game in 43 appearances with the NBA G League’s Memphis Hustle, shooting 45% overall and 38.6% from three-point range. He had a 31-point game against the Iowa Wolves on Sunday.
Burton, 26, went undrafted out of Villanova in 2024. He spent some time with the Grizzlies during training camp last fall on an Exhibit 10 contract before he was waived.
Burton was signed to a camp deal in early September. He also spent last season with the Hustle, appearing in eight games and averaging 2.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 12 minutes per night. He had a lengthy college career, as he played three seasons at Richmond and two at Villanova.
The Grizzlies are in need of bodies, as their injury report (Twitter link) suggests. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (finger) and Zach Edey (ankle) are out for the season after undergoing surgeries.
Ja Morant (elbow), Brandon Clarke (calf), Santi Aldama (knee) and Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe) are also listed as out for tonight’s game against Dallas. Ty Jerome (calf), Walter Clayton (ankle), Cedric Coward (knee) and Taj Gibson (reconditioning) are considered doubtful, while Cam Spencer (back) is listed as questionable.
A hardship exception allows a team to temporarily exceed the usual 15-man standard roster limit. The exception is granted when a club has at least four players who have missed three or more games and are expected to miss at least two more weeks due to an injury or illness.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Finger Surgery) Out For Season
Veteran wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will miss the remainder of the 2025/26 season after undergoing surgery on Thursday to address a misalignment of his right pinky finger, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter).
The news doesn’t come as a surprise, as Memphis revealed on Wednesday that Caldwell-Pope would have the procedure. The shooting guard is expected to make a full recovery before next season begins, per the team.
Caldwell-Pope, who was acquired from Orlando last summer in the Desmond Bane trade, made 51 appearances in ’25/26 for the Grizzlies, averaging 8.4 points, 2.7 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 21.3 minutes per game. His shooting line was .410/.316/.913.
The 33-year-old was a quality three-and-D contributor for several years, winning a pair of championships (with the Lakers in 2020 and the Nuggets in 2023) as a key role player. However, his production has fallen off the past two seasons, particularly from behind the arc — he shot 38.9% from three-point range in the seven seasons leading up to 2024/25, but has converted just 33.3% of his outside looks since.
Caldwell-Pope has been remarkably durable throughout his career, never missing more than eight games in a season until now. He holds a $21.6MM player option for ’26/27 that he’s essentially a lock to exercise.
The Grizzlies, who have been hit hard by injuries all season long, will likely only have nine players active for Friday’s game at Utah (Twitter link).
Caldwell-Pope, Ja Morant (left elbow UCL sprain), Santi Aldama (right knee injury management), Brandon Clarke (right calf strain), Zach Edey (left ankle stress reaction), Cedric Coward (hyperextended right knee), Ty Jerome (right calf injury management) and Scotty Pippen Jr. (left great toe injury management) are all out, while rookie guard Walter Clayton is doubtful to suit up due to a right calf contusion.
As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes (subscriber link), head coach Tuomas Iisaslo provided injury updates on Coward and Aldama on Wednesday. Neither player was able to practice yesterday, and while Coward is said to be making progress, the prognosis for Aldama — who missed eight of the team’s last nine games leading up to the All-Star break — is murky.
“We want to get it to a baseline,” Iisalo said of Aldama’s right knee issue. “We spent those few games trying to go a little bit back and forth and it flared up every time.”