The Memphis Grizzlies moved on from D’Angelo Russell before he ever put on their uniform, waiving the veteran guard ahead of Monday’s media day and the start of training camp Tuesday in Nashville.
Russell had been acquired in early July from the Washington Wizards along with a second-round pick and a second-round draft swap, but the draft assets were always the real prize for Memphis. At 30, Russell no longer fit the timeline of a team in transition, especially one with no shortage of guards already in the mix.
That backcourt crowd is part of why the decision made so much sense. Even after Ja Morant was dealt to Portland, the Grizzlies still have Ty Jerome, who flashed as a high-volume scorer after returning from injury late last season, defensive-minded Scotty Pippen Jr., shooter Cam Spencer and Walter Clayton, Jr., the former first-round pick acquired from Utah in the Jaren Jackson Jr. deal. Javon Small, a rookie find last season, showed enough in summer league to earn a longer look, and Jordan Hawkins, recently brought in from New Orleans, could get a shot too.
The list does not stop there. Jaylen Wells and Cedric Coward could also spend time in the backcourt in bigger lineups, with Zach Edey back at center and rookie Cameron Boozer plus veteran Jerami Grant joining the front line. With that many bodies on hand, Russell was never an obvious fit.
The 2015 No. 2 overall pick has now played for five teams, and he should land somewhere else. But a starting job for a contender looks hard to picture at this stage.
His last two seasons have been rough from deep, with his three-point shooting dipping closer to 30 percent in more limited minutes rather than the near-40 percent range he once flirted with. The defense has not come along enough to make him a reliable closer, either.
Teams such as Miami or Orlando could see him as a source of quick offense off the bench, while Detroit could use another scoring option behind its main pieces. Memphis, though, is headed in a different direction, trying to build around Boozer on offense, Edey on defense, and a young guard group that still needs sorting out.
In Other News...
Grizzlies Just Made A Sharp Backcourt Call Before Opening Night
Memphis kept its backcourt moving this week as it continued to sort out the roster ahead of opening night. DAngelo Russell arrived as part of a recent six-team trade, but the Grizzlies are still working through the practical side of that deal while balancing their guard rotation and cap situation before the season begins.
Brendan Hausen is the latest addition, giving Memphis another young guard look after the team brought him in as an undrafted rookie. The Grizzlies remain responsible for Russells fully guaranteed expiring salary, so this was as much about roster management as it was about the on-court picture, and the bigger question now is how the final guard group settles once the regular season gets underway. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies Camp Opens With A Roster Crunch Fans Can't Ignore
Training camp opens in Nashville on Sept. 29, and the Grizzlies are already facing the kind of roster squeeze that tends to shape the rest of the preseason. Memphis has 19 players on standard contracts, so the next few weeks are going to be about more than just reps and conditioning. The staff has to sort through possible starting lineups, figure out how the bench should settle in, and begin narrowing the group toward the 15-man roster the team must carry once camp dust clears.
One of the more watchable decisions is at small forward, where the depth chart is not exactly settled and the options carry very different long-term implications. The front office also has a few names that loom over the trim-down process as it works through the back end of the roster, with a handful of young players in position to fight for what could be the final places. By the time Memphis leaves Nashville, the answers there may tell as much about the season ahead as anything the starting five does. [Read more 🡒]