Memphis Grizzlies small forwards Dillon Brooks (thigh) and Ziaire Williams (thigh) are questionable for the team's preseason game against the Detroit Pistons on Monday. Brooks is nursing right thigh soreness, while Williams is dealing with a left thigh contusion. Williams logged 26 minutes in the team's most recent game against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. He shot 2-for-13 from the field and scored six points while adding three assists, two rebounds and three steals. Brooks, meanwhile, has yet to play in a game this preseason, but his injury isn't expected to keep him out once the regular season begins.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks (thigh) isn't in the lineup for Tuesday's matchup against the defending champs. Brooks is dealing with thigh soreness, so the team will take the cautious approach and hold him out. He should be ready to go to begin the 2021 campaign. However, at least against the Bucks, Desmond Bane will fill the void at the three spot and could easily surpass his DFS value.

The Memphis Grizzlies believe they have a great foundation after returning to the playoffs much faster than anyone outside the franchise expected. That makes losing their first-round series to the top-seeded Utah Jazz a little easier to take. “We definitely didn't want our season to end the way it did, but I mean we have a lot to be proud of," guard Ja Morant said after Memphis was eliminated in five games by Utah. "Our fight. We had an unbelievable season. We achieved one of our goals. ... We know what we got to do. Everybody's hungry for more.” Memphis exceeded expectations by finishing 38-34 to reach the NBA's new play-in tournament. The Grizzlies beat San Antonio, then the Golden State Warriors on the road to earn the No. 8 seed and snap a four-year playoff drought. That made the Grizzlies not only the youngest team this postseason but the youngest in the playoffs since Oklahoma City in 2011. They won Game 1 before falling in five games to the team that posted the NBA's best record... [More]

The Memphis Grizzlies believe they have a great foundation after returning to the playoffs much faster than anyone outside the franchise expected. That makes losing their first-round series to the top-seeded Utah Jazz a little easier to take. “We definitely didn't want our season to end the way it did, but I mean we have a lot to be proud of," guard Ja Morant said after Memphis was eliminated in five games by Utah. "Our fight. We had an unbelievable season. We achieved one of our goals. ... We know what we got to do. Everybody's hungry for more.” Memphis exceeded expectations by finishing 38-34 to reach the NBA's new play-in tournament. The Grizzlies beat San Antonio, then the Golden State Warriors on the road to earn the No. 8 seed and snap a four-year playoff drought. That made the Grizzlies not only the youngest team this postseason but the youngest in the playoffs since Oklahoma City in 2011. They won Game 1 before falling in five games to the team that posted the NBA's best record... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James was warned Saturday for violating the NBA's anti-flopping rule after a play in which the superstar appeared to fall dramatically with little or no contact. The league also warned teammate Kyle Kuzma for flopping in the same game, the Los Angeles Lakers' 115-105 victory over Memphis on Friday. James was between two Memphis players when teammate Anthony Davis took a shot from the other side of the court. James fell backward and threw his arms into the air, and a foul was called as the Grizzles players looked on in frustration. Kuzma was defending against Dillon Brooks when he spun all the way around and tumbled across the baseline. Flopping penalties have been infrequent in recent years after the league began cracking down on the act of trying to fool referees into calling fouls by initiating penalties in the 2012-13 season. After a first-time warning, a player is fined $5,000 fine for a second offense. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Ja Morant will have a painful memory from his rookie season to help remind him — and the rest of the NBA — just how far ahead of schedule the Memphis Grizzlies' rebuilding project is.“How close I was to the playoffs,” Morant said Saturday after the Grizzlies' playoff hopes ended in a 126-122 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference's play-in game.“Obviously, now I feel like I kind of know what it takes to make it. We're some games away. I learned a lot through the amount of games I played this whole season. I say people try to put a lot of pressure on me, but I'm a rookie. Just turned 21 a couple days ago. At this point, I'm still learning.”The likely NBA rookie of the year capped off his season by scoring a career-best 35 points despite playing with a broken thumb the final four games of the NBA's restart in Florida. Only three Grizzlies rookies previously scored 35 or more in a regular-season game: Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr.Better yet,... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — CJ McCollum scored 33 points, teaming with Damian Lillard for 11 of Portland's 16 in overtime, and the Trail Blazers pulled out a desperately needed victory to resume their season by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 140-135 on Friday.Lillard finished with 29 points and nine assists as the Trail Blazers boosted their hopes for a seventh consecutive playoff appearance. Carmelo Anthony added 21 points as Portland moved within 2 1/2 games of the Grizzlies for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference.“Everybody knew how important that game was," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “This is playoff basketball from us and we have that pressure and you can’t shy away from it.”McCollum started fast, scoring 19 points in the first half, and finished strong with two crucial 3-pointers in overtime. The first one to open the extra period gave Portland the lead for good, and he added six assists.Jaren Jackson Jr. had 33 points and rookie Ja Morant added 22 points and 11 assists... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Memphis Grizzlies' rebuilding plan is ahead of even the most optimistic schedule,They have won more games before the All-Star break than predicted and currently hold the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference standings.“We had high hopes for what this group could become, and I think it's fair to say that this group has already exceeded I think any realistic expectations that anyone had internally or externally,” Memphis general manager Zach Kleiman said Monday. Kleiman talked to reporters Monday for the first time since the trade deadline. The Grizzlies are 3-1 in February and have won 14 of their last 18 and are 27-26 overall — a game above what most sports books expected this season.It's a quick turnaround from just over a year ago when Memphis was breaking up the final pieces of a group that set a franchise record with seven straight playoff appearances that ended in 2017.The Grizzlies traded center Marc Gasol to Toronto. Then controlling owner Robert Pera shook... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Each of the last nine NBA Finals have included either the Miami Heat or Andre Iguodala.They’d like to go there together now.Iguodala is about to get back on the floor, and the Heat are hoping that they’re closer to becoming legitimate contenders again. The trade sending Iguodala to Miami is official, finally getting completed on Thursday with league approval one day after the Heat struck a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies to land the 2015 NBA Finals MVP.“He won, what, three championship rings?” Heat guard Goran Dragic said in Los Angeles after the deal was agreed upon. “Happy to have him. Can't wait to pick his brain. He's going to do great things for us.”It ended up as a three-team deal: Miami sent Justise Winslow, James Johnson and Dion Waiters to Memphis, with the Grizzlies sending Iguodala, Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill to the Heat. The Grizzlies then flipped Johnson to Minnesota for Gorgui Dieng. The Grizzlies were also working on either waiving or buying out Waiters.Before... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Andre Iguodala's trade to Miami was getting closer to the finish line Thursday after the Heat and Memphis Grizzlies agreed to terms on a six-player trade, according to two people with direct knowledge of the terms.The portion of the trade involving Iguodala was agreed upon Wednesday night, as was the 2015 NBA Finals MVP agreeing to a two-year extension with Miami that will be formalized when the totality of the deal actually gets approved by the league sometime Thursday.Justise Winslow knew he was leaving Miami for Memphis on Wednesday night, as evidenced by some social-media posts and a late-night visit to his now-former locker room to pack up his belongings and wish a security guard well. Also in the deal: Dion Waiters and James Johnson leaving Miami for Memphis, with Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill leaving the Grizzlies for the Heat.Miami and Memphis were also working on a third component, that being adding Oklahoma City in what could have brought Danilo Gallinari to the Heat.... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations says Andre Iguodala is headed to Miami after the Heat and Memphis Grizzlies agreed Wednesday night on his long-awaited trade.As part of the deal, Iguodala agreed to a two-year extension, with the second of those years being a team option, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade has not been finalized.The person also said Miami and Memphis were still working to complete terms of what the Heat are giving up in the deal, and that a third team — Oklahoma City, in a package that would include Danilo Gallinari potentially headed to the Heat — was still in play. Oft-injured forward Justise Winslow said he was part of the deal and was headed to Memphis, the former Heat starter reaching out to fellow former Duke players Tyus Jones and Grayson Allen with a message.Jones and Allen are both members of the Grizzlies. Winslow has missed much of this season with a bone bruise in his back.Iguodala,... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations says Andre Iguodala is headed to Miami after the Heat and Memphis Grizzlies agreed Wednesday night on his long-awaited trade.As part of the deal, Iguodala agreed to a two-year extension, with the second of those years being a team option, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade has not been finalized.The person also said Miami and Memphis were still working to complete terms of what the Heat are giving up in the deal, and that a third team — Oklahoma City, in a package that would include Danilo Gallinari potentially headed to the Heat — was still in play. Oft-injured forward Justise Winslow said he was part of the deal and was headed to Memphis, the former Heat starter reaching out to fellow former Duke players Tyus Jones and Grayson Allen with a message.Jones and Allen are both members of the Grizzlies. Winslow has missed much of this season with a bone bruise in his back.Iguodala,... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The remaking of the Memphis Grizzlies began the day after last season ended for them in April. That's when a new front office staff began making moves at an almost dizzying pace.Shipping off the popular and well-paid Mike Conley to Utah was the biggest of the seven trades Memphis made to overhaul the roster, stockpile draft picks and start creating salary cap space."Who knew you could make so many trades?" Zach Kleiman, the executive vice president of basketball operations, asked rhetorically Monday during the Grizzlies' media day.And Kleiman is not done yet.The Andre Iguodala situation has to be resolved. He is technically on the Grizzlies' roster, even though both Memphis and Iguodala have agreed he will stay away during training camp.The Grizzlies now are much younger with their future in the hands of Jaren Jackson Jr., the No. 4 pick overall of 2018; Ja Morant, the second overall pick in June; and first-time head coach Taylor Jenkins who led Memphis to the Summer... [More]

The Memphis Grizzlies finally filled their coaching vacancy by hiring Milwaukee Bucks assistant Taylor Jenkins.The Grizzlies will introduce Jenkins at news conference on Wednesday."Taylor has an excellent coaching pedigree, and we are confident he will lay the groundwork of developing the young players on our roster while having the elite basketball acumen and forward-thinking positive vision to be a high-level NBA head coach," Zachary Z. Kleiman, the Grizzlies' executive vice president of basketball operations, said in a statement Tuesday.Memphis became the sixth and final NBA team to hire a new coach after firing J.B. Bickerstaff following the end of the season in April.Jenkins, 34, was Mike Budenholzer's assistant in Milwaukee this season and in Atlanta for five seasons. Jenkins becomes Memphis' fourth head coach since the Grizzlies chose not to renew Lionel Hollins' contract in 2013 after he led them to their lone Western Conference final appearance.The new Grizzlies coach started in... [More]

The Memphis Grizzlies finally filled their coaching vacancy by hiring Milwaukee Bucks assistant Taylor Jenkins.Jenkins is expected to be introduced at news conference on Wednesday, a person told The Associated Press Tuesday on condition of anonymity because Memphis has not publicly announced the hiring.The Grizzlies have been looking for a new coach since firing J.B. Bickerstaff the day after the season ended in April. Jenkins, 34, was Mike Budenholzer's assistant in Milwaukee this season and in Atlanta for five seasons. Jenkins becomes Memphis' fourth head coach since the Grizzlies chose not to renew Lionel Hollins' contract after leading them to their lone Western Conference final appearance in 2013.ESPN.com first reported the Jenkins' hiring.Jenkins started in the NBA as an intern with the San Antonio Spurs' basketball operations department during the 2007-08 season. He then was an assistant coach with the Spurs' G League team, the Toros, and worked under both Quin Snyder, now head coach... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Memphis Grizzlies started the offseason Thursday with plenty of questions to answer, then controlling owner Robert Pera added to the to-do list by firing coach J.B. Bickerstaff as part of a front-office shake-up that demoted general manager Chris Wallace to scout.The Grizzlies announced the moves after both Bickerstaff and Wallace spoke to reporters following a second straight season outside the playoffs. After a 12-5 start, Memphis plummeted and finished 33-49, tied with New Orleans and Dallas.Wallace had said earlier that Bickerstaff would be returning after doing a "terrific job." But Pera didn't agree and restructured the front office a few hours later."In order to put our team on the path to sustainable success, it was necessary to change our approach to basketball operations," Pera said in a statement. "I look forward to a re-energized front office and fresh approach to Memphis Grizzlies basketball under new leadership, while retaining the identity and values... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies guard/forward Dillon Brooks is expected to miss the remainder of the season because of a ruptured ligament in his right big toe.The Grizzlies announced that Brooks underwent surgery Friday. The Grizzlies said Brooks should have a full recovery in time for the 2019-20 training camp.Brooks, 22, appeared in 18 games this season off the bench and averaged 7.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 18.3 minutes.The 6-foot-6, 220-pound Brooks, a former second-round pick from Oregon, was the only Memphis player to play in all 82 games last season. The Grizzlies acquired Brooks immediately after the Houston Rockets selected him with the 45th overall selection in the 2017 draft.Brooks made 74 starts his rookie year and averaged 11 points, 3.1 rebounds and 28.7 minutes.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Grizzlies guard/forward Dillon Brooks will have surgery on a ruptured ligament in his right big toe hurt during a loss in San Antonio.The Grizzlies disclosed Brooks' injury Wednesday, saying the team will update his status after surgery later this week. The announcement followed a report that Brooks will miss the rest of the season.Brooks was hurt in his seventh game back, a 108-88 loss to the Spurs last weekend, after a sprained left knee in early November cost him 21 games.The 6-foot-6, 220-pound Brooks was the only Memphis player to play in all 82 games last season as a rookie after the Grizzlies traded for the 45th pick overall by Houston.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — After a three-way trade fell apart over mistaken identity, the Wizards are getting Trevor Ariza after all.Washington agreed in principle Saturday to acquire Ariza from the Phoenix Suns for Kelly Oubre Jr. and Austin Rivers, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it had not been announced by either team.This Ariza trade came together hours after a potential three-way deal involving the Grizzlies fell apart late Friday night over whether Memphis was including Dillon Brooks or MarShon Brooks. The saga included general managers informing players they'd been traded, awkward conversations to explain they weren't and finally the talks coming to an end.Wizards players went through the emotional roller coaster of the failed trade after their loss at Brooklyn as Oubre and Rivers were still on the team bus to the airport and the flight home."We all understand it's a business," guard John Wall said after... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — After a three-way trade fell apart over mistaken identity, the Wizards are getting Trevor Ariza after all.Washington agreed in principle Saturday to acquire Ariza from the Phoenix Suns for Kelly Oubre Jr. and Austin Rivers, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it had not been announced by either team.This Ariza trade came together hours after a potential three-way deal involving the Grizzlies fell apart late Friday night over whether Memphis was including Dillon Brooks or MarShon Brooks. The saga included general managers informing players they'd been traded, awkward conversations to explain they weren't and finally the talks coming to an end.Wizards players went through the emotional roller coaster of the failed trade after their loss at Brooklyn as Oubre and Rivers were still on the team bus to the airport and the flight home."We all understand it's a business," guard John Wall said after... [More]