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Brandan Wright Commits to Memphis Grizzlies

By Christian Dudley

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Apr 16, 2014; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph (50) drives to the basket against Dallas Mavericks forward Brandan Wright (34) during the game at FedExForum. Memphis Grizzlies beat the Dallas Mavericks in overtime 106 – 105. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

The Memphis Grizzlies struck gold on their first commitment of Free-Agency with big man Brandan Wright.

This evening, the Memphis Grizzlies finally made NBA headlines by striking their first commitment on the first day of Free-Agency 2015. It surprisingly did not come from Marc Gasol, although that could eventually come to fruition on Thursday. This addition, however, came in the form of Brandan Wright–a power forward/center that is known for his athleticism, shot blocking, and thunderous dunks.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports had the very first report:

Brandan Wright’s intent to join the Memphis Grizzlies is only a verbal commitment for now, being as Free-Agency just opened and it still the moratorium period. Wright will be able to officially sign his new contract with the Grizz on July 8th, 2015.

The Grizzlies were able to sign Wright for the Mid-Level Exception that they have owned. They could not have used it much wiser than by putting it towards Brandan Wright. With Kosta Koufos likely receiving a massive payday in his very own free-agency, Memphis absolutely needed to grab a quality center to bolster their bench. Brandan was the “Wright” fit to say the least!

Koufos will most likely fetch more than $10 million in the coming days because he is a stellar defenseman and he is a true 7’0″ center. He deserves to play starter’s minutes. Being as Marc Gasol is expected to commit to a long-term deal with the Grizzlies at any moment, “Rolla Kosta” was not going to find many more minutes by staying with the Grizz. We should now be seeing other teams swarm in on Koufos shortly–a bidding war perhaps. As for the Grizzlies, they got a very good deal on Brandan Wright. He has stated that he took lesser cash in order to chase a championship while returning to his home state.

Do you not know much about Brandan Wright? Beale Street Bears will catch you up to speed.

April 2, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut (12) shoots the basketball against Phoenix Suns forward Brandan Wright (32) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Suns 107-106. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The 6’9″ power forward/center is incredibly lengthy. He may not necessarily have the height that a team would typically wish for a quality center to own, but his length and wingspan more than makes up for it. He also weights in at 205 pounds, so you know that he is springy and exceptionally athletic in order to block opponents’ shots left and “Wright.”

Wright is 27 years old and was drafted eighth overall in the 2007 NBA Draft. For his career, he has posted averages of 7.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game. He has produced a whopping 60.9 field goal percentage! He has never connected on a three-point attempt during his NBA career, but thankfully that is because he has only ever attempted a few. The big man owns a 68.3% cumulative mark from the charity stripe.

Do not expect Brandan to take many jumpers except for an occasional free-throw being as he loves to get his points off dunks, put-backs, lobs, and alley-oops. He loves to punish the rim for two points. Most importantly, he prides himself on his defense. He will be more of a rim-protecting and shot-blocking threat than the Memphis Grizzlies saw from Kosta Koufos.

Wright has been in the association for eight seasons now, although he missed the entirety of 2009-10 due to a shoulder injury. This last season, 2014-15, he suited up for three different teams–Dallas, Boston, and Phoenix. In the latest season, he posted averages of 7.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks on an astounding 64.2 field goal percentage. What is even more incredible is that in 27 games with the Dallas Mavericks in 2014-15, he registered a 74.8 field goal percentage. BW is efficiency at its finest! However, he is primarily a defender and seldom looks to generate offense.

You can follow Brandan Wright on Twitter here, but only after checking out this hilariously nostalgic photo of Wright and Big Spain from their high school days in the state of Tennessee!

Here are a couple of excellent looks from Wright’s better games of the 2014-15 season as a member of the Phoenix Suns.

Welcome to Grizz Nation, B-Wright! Prepare to grit ‘n’ grind!

Grizz Nation, what do you think of the Brandan Wright addition? Let us know your thoughts!

Continue to check with Beale Street Bears for the latest news and rumors of the offseason regarding your Memphis Grizzlies!

Go Grizz!

Next: Is Nick Calathes still in play for the Grizzlies?

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