Kofi Inkoom
The Memphis Grizzlies are set to ink deals with guards Shaq Harrison and Jaylen Nowell through recently granted 10-day hardship contracts.
The NBA greenlit these roster adjustments following Memphis’ unfortunate scenario of five players sidelined for the next couple of weeks, as per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The previously mentioned quintet facing setbacks consists of Steven Adams (sidelined for the season due to knee surgery), Brandon Clarke (dealing with a torn Achilles tendon), Marcus Smart (recovering from a sprained left foot), Jake LaRavia (undergoing eye surgery), and Luke Kennard (nursing a left knee bone bruise).
There’s a potential for the Grizzlies to secure a third hardship provision, contingent on the recovery timeline of big man Xavier Tillman, currently listed as week-to-week with a left knee injury. With Ja Morant on the suspended list, Memphis is already carrying an extra player on its standard roster.
Shaq Harrison, who had a stint in the Grizzlies’ training camp and preseason this fall through an Exhibit 10 contract, is now back with the team after being waived before the season began.
Speculation arose regarding Harrison filling the initial extra roster spot during Morant’s absence, but it ultimately went to center Bismack Biyombo when Adams was ruled out for the season.
In his seventh NBA season, Harrison has accumulated experience with Phoenix, Chicago, Utah, Denver, Brooklyn, and Portland, boasting career averages of 5.3 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.7 APG, and 1.0 SPG in 15.4 MPG.
Jaylen Nowell, on the other hand, contributed 10.8 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 2.0 APG in 19.3 MPG across 65 appearances in the ’22/23 season as a consistent part of the Timberwolves’ rotation.
Despite his performance, he faced an extended period on the free-agent market after becoming unrestricted. Nowell eventually accepted an Exhibit 10 contract with Sacramento, only to be waived by the Kings last month before the season commenced.
At 24 years old, Nowell, the 43rd pick of the 2019 draft, spent his initial four seasons with Minnesota, averaging 9.1 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and 1.9 APG in 184 regular-season games.