Category: Memphis Grizzlies Blog

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Grizzlies sign Ja Morant to contract extension

The Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, July 6 signed guard Ja Morant to a multi-year contract extension.

Morant (6-2 ½, 174) averaged 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.16 steals in 33.1 minutes in 57 games (all starts) last season and helped guide the Grizzlies to the second-best record in the NBA during the regular season (56-26), which tied the single-season franchise record, and the Southwest Division championship, the first division title in franchise history.

The 22-year-old was selected to the 2021-22 All-NBA Second Team and was named the 2021-22 NBA Most Improved Player following his third NBA season, during which he was voted by fans as a starter for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, his first All-Star appearance. He joined Marc Gasol as the only players in franchise history to receive at least All-NBA Second Team honors and Gasol as the only players to be named a starter in the All-Star Game.

Morant, who became the first guard to lead the NBA in points in the paint per game (16.6 points) since play-by-play data was first tracked in 1996-97, became the first player in franchise history to win consecutive Western Conference Player of the Week Awards, earning the first two weekly honors of his NBA career on Jan. 3 and Jan. 10 in the midst of a franchise-record 11-game winning streak (Dec. 26-Jan. 13).

The South Carolina native recorded a single-game franchise record with 52 points on Feb. 28 vs. San Antonio, one of his six performances with at least 40 points last season (a single-season franchise record).

During the 2022 Playoffs, Morant averaged 27.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 9.8 assists in 37.6 minutes to help lead Memphis to the Western Conference Semifinals for the first time since 2015.

Morant was named the 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year and was selected to the 2019-20 NBA All-Rookie First Team after he was selected by Memphis with the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He has started all of his 187 appearances over three seasons with the Grizzlies and has averaged 21.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 32.2 minutes. He holds career postseason averages of 28.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 9.2 assists in 38.6 minutes.

Grizzlies re-sign Tyus Jones

The Memphis Grizzlies yesterday re-signed guard Tyus Jones to a multi-year contract extension.

Jones (6-0 ¼, 196) appeared in 73 games (23 starts) last season, his third with the Grizzlies, and averaged a career-high 8.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 21.2 minutes while shooting 45.1% from the field, a career-best 39.0% from 3-point range and 81.8% from the free throw line. Jones set single-season career highs for field goals made (249) and 3-pointers made (80).

The 26-year-old established a new NBA single-season record with a 7.04 assist-to-turnover ratio last season, eclipsing the previous league record (6.96) he set during the 2018-19 season. Jones has led all qualified players in this category for each of the last four seasons, tying Chris Paul (2012-16) for the longest such streak in NBA history.

A native of Minneapolis, Jones has competed in 208 games (38 starts) for Memphis and has averaged 7.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 19.2 minutes since signing with the Grizzlies as a free agent on July 7, 2019. He has helped guide Memphis to the NBA Playoffs in each of the past two seasons and helped the Grizzlies record the second-best record in the NBA (56-26), tying a franchise record, last season.

Selected with the 24th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Jones has competed in 455 games (72 starts) and has averaged 6.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 18.4 minutes with the Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves. He led Duke to the 2015 NCAA championship as a freshman.

Grizzlies sign rookie Kennedy Chandler

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed 2022 second round draft pick, guard Kennedy Chandler, to a multi-year contract.

A Memphis native, Chandler (6-0, 171) was acquired by the Grizzlies with the No. 38 overall pick pursuant to a draft-night trade with the San Antonio Spurs. The 19-year-old guided the Volunteers to the 2022 SEC Tournament championship last season and became the second player in program history to be named the SEC Tournament MVP, joining Allan Houston (1991).

Chandler started all 34 of his appearances for Tennessee and averaged 13.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.18 steals in 30.8 minutes while shooting 46.4% from the field and 38.3% from 3-point range. He ranked second in the SEC in steals. He was named to the All-SEC Second Team and SEC All-Freshman Team last season.

Grizzlies sign Vince Williams Jr. and Kenneth Lofton Jr. to two-way contracts

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed wing Vince Williams Jr. and forward/center Kenneth Lofton Jr. to two-way contracts.

Williams Jr. (6-6, 205), the No. 47 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, was selected to the 2021-22 All-Atlantic 10 First Team after averaging 14.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.60 steals and 1.07 blocks in 32.5 minutes while shooting 47.7% from the field and 38.7% from 3-point range during his senior year at VCU. The 21-year-old Ohio native averaged at least one steal per game in all four seasons with the Rams.

Lofton Jr. (6-8, 275) was named to the 2021-22 All-Conference USA First Team after averaging 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.15 steals in 27.0 minutes while shooting 53.9% from the field in 33 games during his sophomore year at Louisiana Tech. Unselected in the 2022 NBA Draft, the 19-year-old Texas native led Conference USA in rebounds per game, total rebounds (347), offensive rebounds (108), defensive rebounds (239) and double-doubles (17) last season.

Grizzlies sign rookies Jake LaRavia and David Roddy

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed 2022 first round draft picks, forwards Jake LaRavia and David Roddy, to multi-year contracts.

LaRavia (6-7, 235) was acquired by Memphis with the No. 19 overall pick pursuant to a draft-night trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 20-year-old California native was selected to the 2021-22 All-ACC Second Team after averaging 14.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.67 steals in 34.1 minutes while shooting 55.9% from the field and 38.4% from 3-point range in 33 games as a junior for Wake Forest.

Roddy (6-5, 255) was acquired by the Grizzlies with the No. 23 overall pick pursuant to a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers that was completed on June 24. The 21-year-old Minnesota native was named the 2021-22 Mountain West Player of the Year after averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.16 steals and 1.06 blocks while shooting a conference-best 57.1% from the field and 43.8% from 3-point range as a junior at Colorado State.

Ja Morant to sign huge Grizzlies contract extension

Via ESPN.com:

Memphis Grizzlies All-NBA guard Ja Morant has agreed to a five-year designated rookie extension that’ll likely be worth $231 million, his agent, Jim Tanner of Tandem/YouFirst Sports, told ESPN.

Morant, who made All-NBA Second Team, is guaranteed $193 million and will trigger supermax escalators to take the deal to $231 million upon again landing on one of the league’s three All-NBA teams.

The deal also includes a 15% trade kicker, Tanner said.

Sixers trade Danny Green, David Roddy to Grizzlies for De’Anthony Melton

Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey announced today that the team has acquired De’Anthony Melton in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies.

In the trade, Philadelphia sent draft rights to the No. 23 selection in the 2022 NBA Draft (David Roddy) and Danny Green to Memphis.

“First and foremost, I want to thank Danny Green for everything he gave the Sixers organization over the last two seasons. He was a veteran leader, consummate professional on and off the court, and made us all better. I wish him continued success in his recovery and look forward to seeing him back on the court.

Heading into the draft, we had a goal of strengthening our rotation and believe we accomplished that by acquiring De’Anthony Melton. He is a young, tough and talented two-way player who can impact the game on multiple levels. We think he will thrive here and we’re excited to add him to our roster,” Morey said following the trade.

Last season with Memphis, Melton averaged career highs across the board with 10.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals in 22.7 minutes per game. His average of 1.4 takeaways per contest led the NBA among players who played in 25-or-fewer minutes per game and also ranked within the league’s top-15 overall. Over the past two seasons, Melton has raised his three-point shooting percentage to .388, a significant jump from the .294 mark he posted in his first two career campaigns.

Melton has seen action in 235 career games with Memphis and Phoenix, averaging 8.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 20.7 minutes per contest. Since his NBA debut in 2018-19, Melton has 309 steals, making him one of two players with at least 300 steals in fewer than 6,000 minutes over that span.

Originally selected by Houston with the No. 46 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Melton was traded to Phoenix prior to the start of the 2018-19 season. He spent his lone collegiate season in his home state with the University of Southern California and posted 8.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals in 27.0 minutes per game. The Trojans posted a 26-10 regular season record in Melton’s time with the program, earning an appearance in the 2017 NCAA Tournament and reaching the second round.

Roddy (6-5, 255) was named the 2021-22 Mountain West Player of the Year and USBWA District VIII Player of the Year after averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.16 steals and 1.06 blocks in 31 games while shooting a conference-best 57.1% from the field and 43.8% from 3-point range during his junior year at Colorado State. The 21-year-old Minneapolis native helped lead the Rams to its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2013 and the highest seed (No. 6) in program history.

Green (6-6, 220) has competed in 819 regular season games (709 starts) and has averaged 8.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 25.3 minutes while shooting 42.1% from the field and 39.9% from 3-point range in his 13-year NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers. The 34-year-old has won NBA championships with the Spurs (2014), Raptors (2019) and Lakers (2020) since he was selected with the No. 46 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft out of North Carolina.

Memphis Grizzlies sign head coach Taylor Jenkins to contract extension

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed head coach Taylor Jenkins to a multi-year contract extension.

“Taylor has done an outstanding job leading our team and this extension is well-deserved,” said Grizzlies EVP of Basketball Operations and General Manager Zachary Z. Kleiman. “The year-over-year progress under Taylor speaks for itself, but his growth-oriented, selfless and competitive approach has been a driving force in the establishment of a sustainable culture. We have full confidence that Taylor will steer us to Memphis’ first championship.”

Last season, his third season as head coach, Jenkins guided the Grizzlies to a 56-26 record, the second-best record in the NBA and tied for the best single-season record in franchise history. Memphis earned the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs, a franchise best, and advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals for the first time since 2015. The Grizzlies also captured the Southwest Division championship during the regular season, the first division title in franchise history.

Per the Memphis Commercial Appeal, “the Grizzlies had the second youngest roster in the NBA and have already taking steps to keeping their core in tact. Jaren Jackson Jr. signed a contract extension in October 2021, and all signs point to Ja Morant joining him in July.

Jenkins finished second in the voting for the 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year award and received Western Conference Coach of the Month honors for December 2021. The Grizzlies were one of two NBA teams (Phoenix Suns) to rank inside the Top 6 in both offensive rating (114.3) and defensive rating (108.9) during the season, accomplishing the feat with the second-youngest roster in the league.

More from the Commercial Appeal: “Jenkins has brought an up-tempo style of basketball to Memphis with a focus on the defensive tenacity that fans have seen since the Grit and Grind days. The Grizzlies led the NBA in steals, blocks, rebounding and transition points this season.”

Memphis also led the NBA last season in rebounds (49.2), offensive rebounds (14.1), steals (9.8), blocks (6.5), points in the paint (57.6), second chance points (18.7) and fast break points (17.7), setting franchise records in every category except blocks. The Grizzlies became the first team to lead the NBA in rebounds, steals and blocks since steals and blocks became official statistics in 1973-74.

In addition, the Grizzlies won a franchise-record 11 consecutive games from Dec. 26-Jan. 13 and set franchise records for road wins (26), Western Conference wins (36) and Southwest Division wins (11) last season.

Hired as head coach on June 11, 2019, Jenkins has compiled a career regular season record of 128-99 (.564) and has guided Memphis to the NBA Playoffs in each of the last two seasons. The Grizzlies have established a new franchise record for scoring average in each of Jenkins’ three seasons on the sidelines, averaging 115.6 points in 2021-22.

On the Grizzlies and the 2022 NBA Draft

Here’s the Memphis Commercial Appeal on the Grizzlies heading into the 2022 NBA Draft, which is now less than one month away:

The Memphis Grizzlies are loaded with one of the best young rosters in the NBA, and they have the potential to add more in the 2022 NBA Draft.

The Grizzlies have three picks, including the 22nd and 29th overall selections in the first round. Picks at the back end of the first round are less likely to be home runs, but the Grizzlies have recently struck gold. They selected Desmond Bane with the 30th overall pick in 2020 and Brandon Clarke 21st in 2019.

Tyus Jones and Kyle Anderson are headed for free agency. If they’re not in the franchise’s future plans, Memphis could draft their replacements or it can bolster depth at other spots.

Either way, the 2022 NBA Draft on June 23 figures to be one in which the Grizzlies can maneuver around the board, be creative or stay put and strengthen the young core.