Memphis Grizzlies Appear Uncertain on Future of Ivan Rabb

As the Memphis Grizzlies announced their NBA Summer League roster on Friday, all eyes now fall on Ivan Rabb.

NBA Summer League action is just hours away. The Memphis Grizzlies will participate in the Salt Lake City Summer League, which begins on July 1st, before they head out to Las Vegas for the larger summer league battlefield. As the Grizzlies announced their roster on Friday, one unexpected participant — Ivan Rabb — headlines the field hailing from Memphis.

When you look at the Grizzlies’ summer league roster, you will see that Rabb has far more NBA experience than anyone else. Outside of a few NBA sophomores-to-be such as Jevon Carter and Yuta Watanabe, the majority of guys have not received regular season NBA minutes…yet.

As Ivan Rabb continues to be placed into summer league play for further evaluation, you have to believe the Grizzlies are on the fence with the idea of 6’10” power forward/center returning for his third season in Memphis.

If this is their stance, it should come as a surprise. Though Rabb held a third-string role for much of the 2018-19 NBA season, he produced when given ample opportunity. In the 15 games in which he received 20+ minutes, Rabb logged 10 double figure scoring performances as well as 11 performances of eight or more rebounds.

This is impressive for a player who was not a priority in former Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff‘s frontcourt rotation. Additionally, Rabb began to display another improvement in his game. Passing at the five position. Ivan logged seven games of three or more assists in those 15 games of 20+ minutes, including a six-assist outing in a season-ending victory over the Golden State Warriors.

This summer, Rabb is taking the summer league roster spot of perhaps a raw frontcourt prospect. The Grizzlies should already know what they have in Rabb, but they have not properly prioritized the big man over the past 12 months. This would be the perfect season to promote him to the first backup center position, but all of that could hinge upon how well he stands out from the competition this upcoming July.

If Jonas Valanciunas returns to the Grizzlies via NBA Free Agency, Memphis likely will not have much money to spend on other pieces for their 2019-20 roster. As Joakim Noah should deservingly become courted by contending NBA teams in Free Agency, too, further opportunity presents itself for Ivan Rabb in Memphis — assuming he makes it to the regular season.

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More than anything, summer league action for Rabb could serve as a confirmation of sorts to the Grizzlies’ Front Office that he does in fact belong. It is new management with a new approach to player development, so it is part of their due diligence to assess the counterparts in which they were dealt. However, if Rabb does not stand out this summer, his future with Memphis could be in jeopardy.

It was not too long ago that a similar scenario took place with former Grizzlies center Deyonta Davis one year ago. Davis had struggled in his first two professional seasons, largely in part of limited opportunity. Memphis decided to place Davis in summer league action ahead of his third year, and after he did not overly impress, he was waived ahead of the regular season.

This story could predict Rabb’s fate if he does not stand above the competition over the next couple of weeks. It will certainly be a situation to watch, especially if the Grizzlies land in NBA Free Agency rumors involving potential backup centers.