The Memphis Grizzlies used a very different group in their final Salt Lake City Summer League game on July 7, and the result followed the script: a 96-82 loss to the Atlanta Hawks at Jon M. Huntsman Center.
Memphis sat Cam Boozer, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Javon Small, Jahmai Mashack and Cedric Coward after all five had played in the first two games. Karim Lopez and Walter Clayton Jr. were also out again after missing the previous two summer league contests. Atlanta held several of its own top players out, too, but the Grizzlies spent most of the night chasing.
Brendan Hausen provided the scoring punch for Memphis, finishing with 18 points and four made 3-pointers.
Taylor Hendricks was back in the starting lineup after missing the July 6 game against the Utah Jazz. He had opened the event with 15 first-half points before leaving early in the third quarter because of a hard fall, and with Memphis resting so many regular contributors, he got a much bigger offensive runway against Atlanta.
The shot-making never really came around. Hendricks scored 11 points on 3-of-14 shooting and went 1-of-8 from deep, but he still made his presence felt on the defensive end with three blocks. That rim protection continued to stand out even on a rough shooting night.
Carson Cooper also took advantage of the extra run. Reportedly agreeing to a two-way contract with the Grizzlies, he showed why his size and athleticism could matter for Memphis’ frontcourt depth. Cooper finished with 13 points and four rebounds, added a block and knocked down 1 of 2 from 3-point range.
If he can pair that kind of floor-stretching with consistent rim protection, he’ll have a real case for earning a spot in the rotation picture.
Now Memphis heads to NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where it has four scheduled games starting July 10 against the Chicago Bulls. Boozer, Prosper, Coward, Small and Mashack are expected back in the lineup after sitting against Atlanta.
Lopez and Clayton Jr. will be re-evaluated before the opener against Chicago and could make their summer league debuts.
One of the biggest matchups to watch in Las Vegas will be Boozer against Chicago forward Caleb Wilson, the No. 4 overall pick. Boozer went No. 3 overall, and their meeting could offer an early look at two of the top forwards from the 2026 draft class.
In Other News...
Grizzlies Fans Have One Big Question About Memphis Latest Trade
Khris Middletons move to Washington is only part of a sprawling sign-and-trade that has tied together the Wizards, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Pistons, Clippers and Bucks, and Memphis is right in the middle of it. For Grizzlies fans, the headline is less about where Middleton ended up and more about what the team chose to take back in the shuffle, since the franchise used a complicated multi-team deal to add another layer to its offseason work.
The real question now is how Memphis plans to handle the incoming guard piece and the draft capital attached to the trade. The Grizzlies have been active in reshaping the roster around their core, and this kind of move usually signals flexibility as much as it does a clear long-term fit, which is why the next step here matters almost as much as the trade itself. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies Just Made Their Riskiest Frontcourt Bet Yet
The frontcourt shuffle in Memphis took another turn after the Grizzlies sent Santi Aldama to Dallas in a deal that brought back AJ Johnson, a protected 2030 first-round pick and two future second-round picks, along with the draft rights to EuroLeague forward Tarik Biberovi going to the Mavericks. Aldama had become a useful piece for Memphis before a knee injury interrupted his momentum, and moving him now signals the Grizzlies are willing to rework that part of the roster rather than simply wait for it to heal itself.
Quinten Post is the next name to watch, with Memphis moving quickly to a three-year offer sheet for the restricted free agent. Golden State now has the chance to decide whether to keep him, and that waiting period leaves the Grizzlies in a familiar spot for a team trying to patch together size and spacing on the fly. If the Warriors pass, Memphis may have found a way to soften the blow of losing Aldama. If they do not, the risk in this frontcourt bet gets even harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]