It can be very easy to ignore 10-day contract signings and not expect them to have a long-term impact. Even though the month of March was brutal for the Grizzlies, Tyler Burton is finding an offensive rhythm and taking advantage of his opportunities in Memphis.
Tyler Burton played most of his college basketball at Richmond before spending his last season at Villanova. Burton went undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft before ending up with the Memphis Hustle. Burton was a productive player for the Hustle and had previously spent time in the Grizzlies' training camp last fall.
Given how injured the Grizzlies are right now, Tyler Burton was given a 10-day contract earlier this month using the hardship exception. Just a few days ago, Burton was given another 10-day contract alongside DeJon Jarreau, and Burton has given the Grizzlies a surprising scoring punch.
Burton is growing in confidence offensively
Tyler Burton struggled immensely in the first few games he played in a Grizzlies jersey. In his first three games, Burton was a combined 4 of 19 from the field and made only 2 of his first 11 three-point attempts. It was looking like Burton was not going to be able to make an offensive impact the rest of the season for the Grizzlies.
While the Grizzlies' main priority is improving their 2026 NBA Draft positioning, that does not mean that guys will automatically stop fighting for roster spots. So far, Burton is building a case to earn a roster spot somewhere in the league, even if it is not in Memphis. Burton has hit double-digit scoring in five of his seven games, with multiple games being against teams above .500.
Despite losing to the Celtics on March 20, Burton scored 23 points on 7 of 13 shooting and managed to make five three-point shots in the process. It seems like the performance of the Celtics gave him a significant boost in confidence offensively. Burton is currently averaging 10.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.4 stocks in the 11 games he's played for the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies have developed well since the trade deadline
The truth of the matter is that the Grizzlies already have a very talented group of young forwards and could still look to add one in the draft. Despite Tyler Burton's strong performances on offense lately, it is possible that he could be the odd man out. However, it speaks volumes to the developmental success that Tuomas Iisalo has helped to lead since the trade deadline.
The last month of the season should be an exciting opportunity for Tyler Burton to keep raising his stock as a player. The Grizzlies have a brutal schedule to end the month. However, this is still a great opportunity for players to get more reps and boost their development beyond this season.
For now, Tyler Burton has been a huge standout for the Grizzlies as of late and has been a great bench spark offensively.