Isaiah Stewart’s first season in Memphis has hit an early snag.
The Grizzlies announced that the big man suffered a moderate left ankle sprain in the first quarter of Monday’s preseason game in Atlanta and will be reevaluated in two weeks. That timeline means Stewart is set to miss the rest of the preseason and likely the opening stretch of the regular season as well. Memphis opens Oct. 21, then plays again Oct. 23 - exactly two weeks from today.
Stewart came to the Grizzlies in July in a six-team trade with Detroit. The 16th overall pick in 2020 is entering his seventh NBA season and his first outside of the Pistons organization.
Last season, the 25-year-old center/forward averaged 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks across 58 regular-season games, logging 22.7 minutes per night. He’s also built a reputation as one of the league’s better rim protectors, with opponents shooting just 40.1% near the basket against him last season.
Stewart told reporters last month he was “excited” to join a young Memphis group after helping the Pistons climb up the standings over the past two seasons.
“It’s an experience I can bring here to this group,” Stewart said. “And also just letting them know it’s about patience.
We have to stack days. It doesn’t happen overnight.”
With Stewart out and Memphis already navigating a roster crunch, the Grizzlies could lean more heavily on their frontcourt depth. Cameron Boozer, Zach Edey, Quinten Post and Taylor Hendricks are among the players who may see expanded roles.
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Paolo Banchero Just Weighed In On Cameron Boozers Early NBA Impression
Cameron Boozers first preseason look against Orlando offered a useful early snapshot for Memphis, and it came with some encouragement from the other side. In a matchup with the Magic, the Grizzlies rookie scored 16 points as he shared the floor with Paolo Banchero, giving Memphis a glimpse of how his game can translate against NBA-level size and pace before the season begins.
Banchero also came away impressed after seeing Boozer during Orlandos training camp, pointing to the rookies poise and the way he carried himself in a pro setting. For the Grizzlies, that kind of early praise matters because it fits the profile they were hoping for when they added him, with the bigger question now being how quickly that calm, efficient approach can turn into a real rotation role. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies Get An Edey Boost As Frontcourt Questions Still Linger
Zach Edey is set for another preseason run when Memphis faces the Chicago Bulls, and this time the Grizzlies expect him to handle a larger workload than he did in his first exhibition appearance. Tuomas Iisalo confirmed the plan as Memphis continues sorting out its frontcourt mix ahead of the regular season, with every minute in these games carrying a little more weight as the rotation takes shape.
The injury picture around the front line is still not fully settled, though. Isaiah Stewart is dealing with a moderate left ankle sprain and will be reevaluated in two weeks, leaving Memphis to keep tabs on his progress while it waits for more clarity on how the big-man group will look once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies Ended Up On The Wrong Side Of Caleb Wilsons Viral Night
Caleb Wilson made sure the preseason matchup in Memphis had a little extra buzz, even in a game the Grizzlies eventually won 104-100. The first-round pick for Chicago was one of the nights biggest draw, sharing the stage with fellow first-rounder Cameron Boozer and steadily taking over after halftime, when Wilson poured in 20 of his 21 points.
The sequence that traveled fastest on social media came when Wilson created separation on a made three after his defender went down, turning a routine preseason possession into the kind of clip that gets replayed immediately. Wilson then had a chance to tilt the game late with another three-point try in the final seconds, but it stayed out, leaving Memphis with the result and Wilson with a performance that was equal parts highlight reel and near-miss. [Read more 🡒]