Isaiah Stewart’s first night in a Grizzlies uniform barely lasted longer than a blink.
He checked into Memphis’ preseason opener against Atlanta with 6:49 left in the first quarter, then was back out at 4:42. Just 2 minutes and 7 seconds into his debut, the night was over. Stewart went up to challenge a shot, came down on Hawks forward Jalen Johnson’s right leg, and his ankle gave way as he hit the floor.
It was a rough scene for a team that has already spent years fighting through injuries. Last season, Memphis lost 564 man-games to injury and illness, an NBA record. The Grizzlies also led the league in different starting lineups with 48, set an NBA record with 29 players starting a game, tied the NBA record with 33 players appearing in a game, and added nine new players this offseason.
The injury issue hasn’t eased up in preseason, either. Zach Edey missed the opener and will not play again Wednesday against Orlando.
He’s still recovering from a second ankle surgery and a left elbow procedure in March after a 2025-26 season that was cut down to 11 games. The plan remains for him to return at the start of the regular season, with a preseason appearance described as “murky at best.”
Without Edey, Quinten Post started at center against Atlanta, while Stewart came off the bench in his Memphis debut. Stewart’s presence was immediate before the ankle problem stopped everything in its tracks. Memphis was down 11-20 when he entered, and by the time he left, the Grizzlies had trimmed the deficit to 19-24.
After the game, Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo said Stewart would sit out Wednesday’s home preseason game against Orlando.
"He is still being evaluated," Iisalo said. "He obviously tweaked that ankle, didn't practice today, is not going to play tomorrow. But still under further evaluation."
For Memphis, the concern goes beyond one preseason night. Stewart’s ankle has been an issue before, dating back to 2021.
He suffered a left ankle sprain in November 2025, and before that a left ankle sprain in January 2024 cost him eight games. That came shortly before his suspension after an altercation with Suns center Drew Eubanks.
Stewart has been trying to bring a tougher identity to Memphis, and at media day he said, "You gotta have heart, and you gotta be okay with putting your body on the line."
That line hit differently after what happened Monday.
Stewart was able to limp off under his own power and later went to the locker room. He finished with one rebound in the brief appearance. Memphis still has three preseason games left, including Wednesday’s matchup with Orlando, and the bigger question now is how long the Grizzlies can keep both of their top centers available once the games start counting for real.
In Other News...
Zach Edey Faces The Season That Could Shape Memphis Future
Zach Edey has already shown why Memphis views him as such an important part of its long-term plan. When he has been on the court, the young big man has been highly impactful, giving the Grizzlies a glimpse of the kind of interior presence that can matter in a rebuild. The challenge, as it has been throughout his early career, is getting enough uninterrupted time to make that promise real.
Memphis is planning for Edey to be ready when the regular season begins, with his availability and production carrying real weight beyond just this years rotation. The Grizzlies also have a bigger benchmark in mind, since his path to award eligibility depends on reaching 65 games, and another injury would only make the teams future contract decisions more complicated. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies Get An Early Test Of The Style Theyre Trying To Build
The Grizzlies are still early in preseason, but Mondays showing offered a useful glimpse at the style they want to sharpen before games start to count. Memphis is set to host Orlando on Oct. 7 at FedExForum, and the recent tune-up against Atlanta gave the roster another chance to settle into the faster, more aggressive pace this staff is looking to build.
Ty Jerome said the group settled in after the opening minutes and began to look more like itself as the game moved along. He pointed to the need for cleaner possessions as the next step, noting there were still stretches when Memphis gave away too much with sloppy play, including a few miscues from him that the team will want to tighten up before the preseason winds down. [Read more 🡒]