After finishing with the second-best record in the Western Conference last season, the Memphis Grizzlies had relatively high hopes for this season, even after star guard Ja Morant was suspended for the first 25 games of the year.
But shortly after Morant returned, he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, and thus, the Grizzlies have one of the worst records in the NBA.
They have been hit by other key injuries as well, such as the ones that have sidelined big man Brandon Clarke and Steven Adams.
To that end, the Grizzlies have reportedly agreed to a 10-day contract with Wenyen Gabriel in order to supply their frontcourt with some depth, per Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype.
The Memphis Grizzlies have agreed to a 10-day contract with Wenyen Gabriel, league sources told @hoopshype. Gabriel spent time with the Wisconsin Herd this season in the G League and previously appeared in the NBA with the Lakers during the 2022-23 season. pic.twitter.com/TIo3lDYwcF
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) March 7, 2024
Gabriel is a 6-foot-9 power forward who can also play the center position, and although he’s undersized at 205 pounds, he plays hard and always gives 100 percent.
He spent last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he averaged 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds in 15.1 minutes a game.
Memphis has seemingly nothing to play for, other than possibly extra ping-pong balls in May’s draft lottery, and they’re 11.5 games out of 10th place in the West, which means they have no real shot at reaching the play-in tournament.
But moving forward, they should be competitive next season if they’re healthy.
Morant may be a bit troubled off the court, but he’s one of the NBA’s most explosive players, and backcourt starting mate Desmond Bane has become an All-Star-caliber player.
Last year, Memphis was one of basketball’s best defensive teams, and the arrival of former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart should help in that department next year.
NEXT: Grizzlies Share Concerning Injury Update On 2 Key Players