Brandon Clarke is entering his seventh NBA season and has been a consistent asset during the 'GrizzNxtGen' era. His constant high motor, defensive versatility, and willingness to do all the dirty work on both ends of the floor have cemented him a role on this team.
However, as time passes, each player’s role must be reevaluated to determine if they are essential to the team's overall success. This happens to everyone in the NBA, and the Grizzlies are no strangers to this, famously trading franchise cornerstone Desmond Bane this offseason.
The best ability is availability!
Let’s look at the facts. Clarke is coming off a year where he had career-low averages in points, blocks, and rebounds. This is also the second year he’s suffered a season-ending lower leg injury, which subsequently kept him out of the playoffs. In March, Clarke suffered a high-grade PCL sprain in his right knee during the March 19 game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
During the 2022-23 season, he tore his left Achilles tendon, which kept him out not only the playoffs but also the majority of the following season, where he only played six games. Fortunately for Clarke, his most recent injury did not require surgery. Shortly after the injury occurred, Memphis announced that he received an orthobiologic injection and is expected to make a full recovery by the start of the 2025-26 regular season.
Nevertheless, Clarke has been unavailable for Memphis’ last two playoff runs. Something essential for core players on a team with championship aspirations. Even when he has been on the floor, his offensive limitations have caused issues in certain lineups for the Grizzlies.
Despite being expected to be healthy going into this season, he will likely need time during the season to play himself into shape and rhythm, to hopefully return to his highest level of play. The question for Memphis is, do they have the patience to wait on Clarke to be the best version of himself for the second time in three seasons?
Another aspect of this situation is that when Clarke was injured, Taylor Jenkins was still the head coach of the Grizzlies. Jenkins and current coach Tuomas Iisalo run two completely different styles. Iisalo runs an offense that is pick-and-roll heavy, which encourages movement and creation for all five guys on the floor.
Clarke doesn’t in particular fit this style. It is yet to be seen what Clarke looks like in Iisalo’s offense. With other forwards/bigs like Santi Aldama, GG Jackson, Cedric Coward, and Jock Landale, who on paper fit Iisalo’s style of play better, it’d be interesting to see how Clarke carves out minutes.
The last piece of this puzzle is Clarke’s contract situation. Currently, Clarke is in his third year of a four-year, $50 million deal. Being that he is set to be an unrestricted free agent after the next season, the question about what to do with his contract will come sooner rather than later.
The combination of injury history, dip in recent production, and overall fit leaves Clarke’s long-term future in question. With injuries to fellow bigs Jaren Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey to start the season, Clarke has the opportunity to find his rhythm and cement himself early. Clarke has to be available when it matters and prove his value this season to continue being a staple in the Grizzlies franchise.