The Memphis Grizzlies will sign two-way guard Scotty Pippen Jr. to a standard, multiyear NBA contract per Shams Charania. Pippen, son of Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen went undrafted in 2022 after a fruitful three-year college stint with Vanderbilt. He signed a two-way deal with the Los Angeles Lakers for last season, but didn’t impress the team enough to earn real opportunities at the NBA level.
In January of 2024, though, he signed a two-way deal with the Grizzlies, and with all the injuries they suffered last season, he got plenty of playing time down the stretch. He made the most of it, averaging 12.9 points on nearly 50% shooting and almost 42% from 3-point range. His defense, at least at his size, also stood out. Pippen is a small point guard with clear physical limitations, yet quickly emerged as an absolute machine in the art of generating turnovers, with an NBA-leading 1.7 steals per game.
But last season wasn’t typical for the Grizzlies. This is a team that expects to contend. With Ja Morant and other vets presumably healthy once again, Pippen likely won’t see the 25 or so minutes per game he played last season. He’s now going to have to settle into a smaller reserve role.
But one of the benefits of last season’s issues for Memphis was that they gave the Grizzlies time to evaluate possible long-term fits. Pippen, GG Jackson and Vince Williams all emerged as viable role players who have since received NBA contracts. With Morant back and the Grizzlies back in the playoff picture, those youngsters are going to provide valuable and cheap depth for a possible contender.
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