Scotty

Pippen

Neither player has appeared for the Grizzlies this season, but both are nearing a return. It’s possible they won’t take the court until after the All-Star break, and they’ll likely need significant time to ramp up after such a long time on the sideline. Until then, Cam Spencer should see big minutes filling in for the injured Ja Morant.

Pippen Jr. has yet to make his season debut, and he’ll likely be on a minutes restriction when he does. He’s not a player to monitor on fantasy basketball waiver wires.

Jerome injured his right calf four minutes into Friday’s preseason finale against the Heat. According to the Grizzlies, the guard has been diagnosed with a high-grade calf strain and will be re-evaluated in four weeks. With Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe) out indefinitely and Ja Morant (ankle) working his way back after missing the entire preseason, rotation minutes may be available to rookie Javon Small. While solid during the preseason, Small is a deep-league streamer at best.

The Grizzlies announced Saturday that Pippen will need to undergo a sesamoidectomy to address discomfort in his left big toe. While the team has officially released no timeline, as Pippen has yet to undergo the procedure, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the guard could be out for at least 12 weeks. Given the sprained ankle that sidelined starter Ja Morant during the preseason, not to mention his injury history, the Grizzlies are in trouble at point guard. While Morant is “progressing well” in his recovery, according to head coach Tuomas Iisola, it isn’t guaranteed that he’ll be available when the regular season begins next week. Ty Jerome, whose fantasy value would have increased with Saturday’s news, injured his calf during Friday’s preseason finale.

The Grizzlies announced on Monday that Ja Morant was week-to-week with a sprained ankle. It’s possible that Memphis will begin the regular season without its starting point guard. Scotty Pippen Jr. emerged as a valuable streaming option last season, and Jerome could do the same in 2025-26 due to Morant’s injury history. In his first preseason game since signing with Memphis in free agency, Jerome started and was productive as a scorer and playmaker in his 19 minutes. Pippen played 20 minutes off the bench, finishing with 13 points, two rebounds, three assists, one steal and one three-pointer. Whichever guard wins that competition during the preseason will be worth having, especially in deeper leagues. And if Morant is not ready for the regular season, both will have value, similar to Indiana’s guard tandem of Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell.

It was a left ankle injury for Morant, who joins a long list of injured Grizzlies. With the start of the regular season a little over two weeks away, Morant’s status for opening night is certainly in question, and it would be surprising if he played much, if at all, during the preseason. Ty Jerome and Scotty Pippen Jr. would occupy the point guard minutes in Morant’s absence.

Memphis and Orlando have reportedly made a significant trade, with the former bidding farewell to a key member of its core. Anthony is one of the players the Grizzlies have received in exchange for Bane, adding another point guard to the mix. And a change of scenery may be what the doctor ordered for Anthony, as the 2024-25 campaign was the worst of his NBA career to date. In 67 appearances, the 2020 first-round pick averaged 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.1 three-pointers in 18.4 minutes. Even when the Magic were without Jalen Suggs, Anthony was not productive enough to merit being a consistent fantasy streamer. At best, he’ll back up Ja Morant in Memphis, and the Grizzlies also have Scotty Pippen Jr. under contract for the 2025-26 season.

Due to Ja Morant (hip) being unavailable, more was needed from Pippen, even if he was already in the starting lineup. He undoubtedly answered the call, matching his career-high point total, and the rebound tally was the best of his NBA career. Having entered the 2024-25 season as a fantasy afterthought, Pippen finished as a 12th-round player in eight-cat formats. He’s on a guaranteed contract for next season and, regardless of who’s hired as the next head coach, will be worth grabbing with a late-round pick in 12-team leagues. In addition to Pippen’s production, Morant’s injury history makes this a worthwhile dice roll.

Morant exited early from Game 3 after a scary fall while attempting a layup. Memphis had a large lead when he exited, but they weren’t able to hold on, and they’ll now enter Game 4 without their star point guard and trailing 0-3 in the series. Scotty Pippen Jr. should take over point guard duties, while Luke Kennard will likely replace Morant in the starting unit after starting the second half in his place.

After totaling 15 points on 5-of-21 shooting in the first two games of this series, Pippen recorded one of his best stat lines of the season in Game 3. However, much of his offensive production occurred before halftime, as Memphis was on a roll. Pippen shot 7-of-10 from the field in the first half, but the Grizzlies’ offense would grind to a halt once Ja Morant exited with a hip injury. Pippen’s final stat line was impressive, and he’ll need a similar effort in Saturday’s Game 4, especially if Morant is unable to play.