Scotty Pippen Jr. signs two-year, two-way deal with Grizzlies amid team's injury woes
The Grizzlies have lost several key players to injuries, including star Ja Morant, this season
Scotty Pippen Jr. is headed to the Memphis Grizzlies organization.
Pippen, the son of Chicago Bulls legend and Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Grizzlies' organization this week, the team announced Tuesday.
Pippen went undrafted out of Vanderbilt in 2022, though he briefly spent time with the Los Angeles Lakers during his rookie season. He averaged 2.3 points and just more than five minutes per game in six contests with the Lakers in that campaign.
The 23-year-old has been with the South Bay Lakers in the G League ever since. He averaged 21.4 points and 5.6 assists per game with the team last year and put up 18.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in five games with the team this season.
Specifics of the deal with the Grizzlies are not known. When Pippen is not with the Grizzlies, he’ll play with their G League team, the Memphis Hustle.
Although it’s not a full deal, Pippen’s presence in Memphis is much-needed. The Grizzlies have lost several key players to injuries already this season, most notably Ja Morant — who is out for the season due to a shoulder injury he sustained shortly after returning from his 25-game suspension to start the season. Morant played in just nine games for Memphis this season. Both Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane, who are dealing with a finger injury and an ankle injury, respectively, will be sidelined for at least another month, too. Pippen should get a chance to make an impact fairly quickly, which could result in another true shot in the league if things go well.
The Grizzlies, despite the injuries, beat the Golden State Warriors 116-107 on Monday at FedExForum. They’ve won four of their past six games and hold a 15-25 record headed into Wednesday’s game against the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves.
