Category: Memphis Grizzlies Blog

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Grizzlies waive Gorgui Dieng

The Memphis Grizzlies waived center Gorgui Dieng today.

Dieng (6-10, 252) appeared in 39 games (one start) over parts of two seasons in Memphis and averaged 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 17.7 minutes after he was acquired by the Grizzlies from the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 6, 2020.

Selected with the 21st overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, the 31-year-old has competed in 537 regular season games (205 starts) over his eight-year NBA career and has averaged 7.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 21.8 minutes. A native of Senegal, Dieng won the 2013 NCAA Championship as a junior at the University of Louisville.

Bulls vs. Grizzlies game scheduled for January 27, 2021 is postponed

The National Basketball Association game scheduled for this Wednesday, January 27, 2021 between the Chicago Bulls and Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum has been postponed in accordance with the league’s Health and Safety Protocols.

The game is being postponed due to contact tracing within the Grizzlies and the length of time preceding the game during which Memphis will be unable to practice.

Grizzlies games scheduled for January 22, 24 and 25 are postponed

The Memphis Grizzlies’ next three games — Friday, Jan. 22 at Portland and Sunday, Jan. 24 and Monday, Jan. 25 vs. Sacramento — have been postponed in accordance with the NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols.

The games are being postponed due to unavailable players for the Grizzlies and contact tracing for other players on their roster, and in order to ensure the health and safety of players on both teams.

Grizzlies vs. Timberwolves game scheduled for January 15, 2021 is postponed

The NBA game scheduled for tonight between the Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center has been postponed in accordance with the league’s Health and Safety Protocols.

Because of ongoing contact tracing within the Timberwolves, the team does not have the league-required eight available players to proceed with tonight’s game against the Grizzlies.

Grizzlies sign guard Tim Frazier

The Memphis Grizzlies signed guard Tim Frazier today, thanks to the NBA’s hardship roster rules regarding player injuries.

Frazier (6-1, 170) has appeared in 272 regular season games (81 starts) for six different franchises and holds career averages of 5.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 17.7 minutes in six NBA seasons (2014-20). The 30-year-old competed in 27 games (11 starts) for the Detroit Pistons last season and averaged 3.6 points, 1.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 13.1 minutes.

A native of Houston, Frazier began his professional career with the NBA G League’s Maine Red Claws, where he averaged 16.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 9.5 assists and 1.66 steals in 35.6 minutes in 41 games (40 starts) during the 2014-15 season. Frazier was named the 2014-15 NBA G League Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year and was selected to the All-NBA G League First Team and NBA G League All-Star squad. He played eight more games for the Red Claws during the 2015-16 season.

Frazier is the all-time leader in assists at Penn State University, where he received All-Big Ten First Team and All-Big Ten Defensive Team honors as a junior in 2012. He went unselected in the 2014 NBA Draft following his redshirt senior year.

Four Memphis restaurants approved for NBA team dining

Here’s the Memphis Commercial Appeal with some insight on safety precautions that the league and individual teams are taking:

Wonder where NBA players eat out? Well, the secret is out.

The NBA just released a list of restaurants approved for NBA team dinners. On the nationwide list are Memphis restaurants Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, Catherine & Mary’s, Bishop and Chef Tam’s Underground Cafe.

Team dinners are a post-game tradition. The NBA worked with restaurants across the country to find a way teams could safely host these gatherings.

Full article

Grizzlies exercise contract options on Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke and Grayson Allen

The Memphis Grizzlies have exercised their 2021-22 contract options on guard Ja Morant, forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr., forward Brandon Clarke and guard Grayson Allen.

For in the 2021-22 season, Morant will reportedly make around $9.6 million, Jackson around $9.18 million, Clarke around $2.73 million, and Allen around $4 million.

Morant was named the 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year and received 2019-20 NBA All-Rookie First Team honors after averaging 17.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 7.3 assists in 31.0 minutes in 67 games (all starts) last season. Selected by the Grizzlies with the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the 21-year-old was chosen for the 2020 NBA Rising Stars as part of NBA All-Star Weekend 2020 alongside Jackson Jr. and Clarke.

Jackson Jr. has averaged 15.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.51 blocks in 27.3 minutes in 115 games (113 starts) over two seasons since he was selected by Memphis with the fourth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. The 21-year-old, who received 2018-19 NBA All-Rookie First Team accolades, averaged 17.4 points and 1.61 blocks (10th in the NBA) during the 2019-20 campaign, scoring a career-high 43 points on Dec. 13, 2019, against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Clarke appeared in 58 games (four starts) as a rookie last season and averaged 12.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 22.4 minutes while shooting an NBA rookie-record 61.8 percent from the field (fourth in the NBA). Clarke, who was selected 21st overall in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft, was named to the 2019-20 NBA All-Rookie First Team alongside Morant and finished fourth in the 2019-20 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year voting.

Allen has competed in 76 games (two starts) and has averaged 7.1 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 14.9 minutes for the Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies. Selected by Utah with the 21st overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft, Allen appeared in 38 games as a reserve and averaged 8.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 18.9 minutes while shooting 40.4 percent from 3-point range last season, his first with the Grizzlies.

Grizzlies sign Zhaire Smith and Bennie Boatwright, waive Jahlil Tripp and Marko Guduric

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed guard Zhaire Smith and forward Bennie Boatwright.

At the same time, the team waived guards Jahlil Tripp and Marko Guduric.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 205 lbs,. Smith over the course of two NBA seasons has appeared in 13 games (two starts) with the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 3.7 points and 1.2 rebounds in 11.0 minutes per game.

He’s also played in the G League, where for the Delaware Blue Coats he averaged 11.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 28.2 minutes per outing.

The 21-year-old was traded by the 76ers to the Pistons on November 23, and was waived by the Pistons on Dec. 2.

he played college hoops at Texas Tech University, and is from Garland, Texas.

Boatwright (6-10, 235) spent the 2019-20 season with the Memphis Hustle but did not play due to injury. The 24-year-old played four seasons at the University of Southern California, where he was selected 2018-19 All-Pac 12 First Team after appearing in 31 games (28 starts) and averaging 18.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 33.5 minutes while shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from 3-point range (90-210 3P) during his senior year.

A native of California, Boatwright went unselected in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Tripp (6-5, 215) appeared in two preseason games and averaged 3.0 points in 3.6 minutes after signing with the Grizzlies on Nov. 28. Undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft, the 23-year-old Brooklyn native was named the 2019-20 West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year and selected All-WCC First Team as a senior at Pacific University.

Guduric (6-6, 201) appeared in 44 games as a rookie last season and averaged 3.9 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 11.0 minutes. The 25-year-old Serbia native played for KK Crvena Zvezda before going unselected in the 2017 NBA Draft and competed with Fenerbahçe in Turkey before joining the NBA.

Grizzlies sign Ahmad Caver, waive Mario Hezonja

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed guard Ahmad Caver.

In addition, the team waived forward Mario Hezonja.

Caver (6-2, 175) appeared in 39 games (two starts) and averaged 9.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.28 steals in 24.4 minutes last season for the NBA G League’s Memphis Hustle. Unselected in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Atlanta native was named to the 2018-19 All-Conference USA First Team as a senior at Old Dominion and led the Big Blue to the 2019 C-USA Championship.

Hezonja (6-8, 220) has appeared in 330 games (69 starts) and has averaged 6.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 18.5 minutes over five NBA seasons (2015-20) with the Orlando Magic, New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers. Memphis acquired the 30th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft from the Boston Celtics to select Desmond Bane and acquired Hezonja from the Trail Blazers as part of a three-team trade on Nov. 20.

Grizzlies sign rookie forward Xavier Tillman

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed 2020 second round draft pick Xavier Tillman Sr. to a multi-year contract.

Tillman Sr. (6-8, 245) was selected with the 35th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and acquired by the Grizzlies from the Sacramento Kings.

A native of Grand Rapids, Mich., Tillman Sr. was named the 2019-20 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and selected to the 2019-20 All-Big Ten Second Team last season as a junior at Michigan State University. The 21-year-old started all 31 games for the Spartans last season and averaged 13.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.19 steals and 2.10 blocks in 32.1 minutes.

Tillman Sr., who teamed with Grizzlies forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. when both were freshman at Michigan State (2017-18), finished his collegiate career as Michigan State’s all-time leader in blocks (153).