2. Brandon Clarke
Clark just returned from a torn Achilles but should be a full go next season. The 6’8 forward is coming off a devastating injury and it is too soon to determine what fans should expect. The 27-year-old may be back and better than ever, but there are two worrying signs for his fit in Memphis moving forward.
Clark has made 50 3-pointers in his five NBA seasons and just seven over his last 124 games. He is a non-shooter at this point, which is worrying if the plan is to play him significant minutes next to Ja Morant, Marcus Smart, and Jaren Jackson Jr. moving forward. JJJ has shot just 32.6 percent from three over the last four seasons combined, and that is better than the career averages for Smart and Morant. NBA teams struggle to have two non-shooters in 2024, but four is unworkable.
Beyond that, Clarke has never played more than 24.0 minutes per game over a full season and his career average is 21.3. The Grizzlies owe him $37.5 million over the next three seasons, which feels like a hefty price for a bench big man who struggles to space the floor on a roster with shooting issues.
Brandon Clarke playing well over the final games of the regular season may up his trade stock. It won’t be easy to move him after his Achilles injury, but the Grizzlies should try if they want to get back into contention.