The Memphis Grizzlies are signing two-way guard Scotty Pippen Jr. to a standard, multiyear NBA contract, according to Shams Charania. Pippen, the son of Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, was an undrafted free agent in 2022 after a successful three-year college career at Vanderbilt. He signed a two-way deal with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2022-23 season, but couldn'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 because of all of 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 obvious physical limitations, but he quickly emerged as a turnover-generating machine that averaged 1.7 steals per game.
Last season wasn't typical for the Grizzlies, though. This is a team that expects to contend. With Ja Morant and other veterans presumably healthy once again, Pippen likely won't see the 25 minutes or so per game he played last season. He is 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.
