SportSpyder - The Latest Memphis Grizzlies News

13 May 2026

• [Defector] - Brandon Clarke Found Dead In California
  Brandon Clarke has died. Paramedics reportedly responded to an emergency call from a home in the San Fernando Valley around dinner time Monday, and declared Clarke dead at the scene. He was 29 years old, and a seven-year NBA veteran who'd played his entire professional career with the Memphis Grizzlies. The call that brought paramedics to the scene of Clarke's death was, in official jargon, for a medical emergency. Subsequent reporting indicates that Clarke's death is being investigated as a possible drug overdose, and that drug paraphernalia was reportedly found "in the home." ABC News reported from sources that investigators found narcotics. This is inevitably drawing renewed attention to an incident from April, when Clarke was arrested in Arkansas and charged with possession of a controlled substance. That substance, per reports, was kratom, a traditional medicine derived from the leaves of a tropical evergreen tree, sold commercially as a powder and used as a stimulant. Clarke was found in possession of 200 grams of kratom, which sounds like a lot but is not: The fine powder, which looks and smells like attic dust, with a soupçon of oolong, is sold in comparable quantities at vape shops, dispensaries, and trendy cafés. A company called Earth Kratom, , distributes a whole range of kratom products in slickly packaged resealable bags, each containing 250 grams of kratom powder. Arkansas, where Clarke was charged, is one of just a handful of states where possession of Kratom is criminalized. Clarke was a very cool basketball player. He was undersized as a power forward, but he had a special, Blake Griffin-esque relationship with gravity, and could hold his own as a rebounder and rim protector. He was a fearsome lob threat, which gave him a kind of floor-warping gravity of his own when operating as the screener in a well-executed pick-and-roll. I liked to watch him with the ball in his hands: Clarke didn't have a ton of moves, but he liked to drive at the cup and by his freshman year in college he'd developed a go-to move, leading with his left hand and then spinning back to his right. He was so quick and light-footed that the spin continued to work against plodding opponents deep into Clarke's professional career: In an earlier era, the makers of NBA Showdown would've coded it in there as his signature move.
• [Daily Memphian] - Cameron Boozer, Caleb Wilson share floor in NBA Draft Combine
  On a sad day for the NBA, the annual NBA Draft Combine continued. Even as news began to spread around the combine of the death of Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, draft prospects continued to conduct measurements and drills at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena.
• [On SI] - Finding the ideal Ja Morant replacement in this draft
  The writing may finally be on the wall for the Memphis Grizzlies. After years of trying to build around Ja Morant, it feels like the franchise could be headed t
• [On SI] - Miami Heat 2026 NBA Mock Draft: Miami Lands High-Upside Wing at No. 13
  The Miami Heat have secured the 13th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. They are expected to go all in this offseason to acquire a star like Giannis Antetokounmpo. If
• [The Commercial Appeal] - Ja Morant, Nike, Kool-Aid reunited for Ja 3 sneaker collaboration
  Nike and Kool-Aid are teaming up with Ja Morant again for a limited release Ja 3 mismatch colorway sneaker.
• [Total Pro Sports] - Spurs Hold Emotional Moment of Silence for Brandon Clarke And Jason Collins Before Game
  Before Game 5, the Spurs held a moment of silence to pay tribute following the sudden deaths of Brandon Clarke and Jason Collins.
• [Locked On Grizzlies] - Remembering Brandon Clarke of the Memphis Grizzlies
  The tragic news of Brandon Clarke's death has shaken Memphis and the Grizzlies organization. Hosts Damichael Cole and Joe Mullinax remember the life and care...
• [Locked On Grizzlies] - Are the Memphis Grizzlies making waves at the NBA Draft Combine?
  The NBA Draft Combine is ongoing in Chicago. The Memphis Grizzlies front office staff holds three picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, including a coveted slot in th...
• [Bluff City Media] - The Daily Grind Ep. 547 || In Remembrance, and Celebration, of Brandon Clarke || May 13, 2026
  On today's show, we take time before getting to the playoffs to remember Brandon Clarke— who tragically passed away at the age of 29—and all that he did for...
• [Bluff City Media] - Penny Hardaway To Leave Memphis' Last Roster Spot Open | On Beat With BCM | May 13, 2026
  Join Memphis Tigers men's basketball beat reporter Roman Cleary and football insider Sam Shoemaker as they dive into the latest surrounding U of M Athletics....