The Memphis Grizzlies can’t catch a break.
Just as the team got Ja Morant back in the mix, their starting power forward, Brandon Clarke, is back on the injury report. According to an official announcement, the Grizzlies will roll without Clarke for at least three weeks.
Via Grizzlies: “The Memphis Grizzlies today provided the following medical update on forward Brandon Clarke: Clarke sustained a Grade 2 right calf strain in the first quarter of the Grizzlies’ home game Saturday against the Washington Wizards. He will be reevaluated in approximately three weeks.”
When the Grizzlies fired up the start of the 2025-2026 NBA season, Clarke was recovering from a knee injury. He underwent surgery for it in the fall, which caused him to miss the first 26 games of the season.
On December 17, Clarke made his season debut with the Grizzlies. He started, but played on a restriction. The Grizzlies trotted Clarke out for 16 minutes. He shot 2-7 from the field, scoring six points. In addition, Clarke came down with three rebounds and snatched up a steal.
In the following game, Clarke appeared in nearly four minutes before going down with a calf injury. He left the court with two points, three rebounds, and a steal.
As the Grizzlies prepare for their Monday night matchup against the dominant Oklahoma City Thunder, Clarke has been ruled out for multiple weeks. The Ja Morant-led squad will attempt to grab its 14th win of the year, closing in on.500 through the first few months of the year.
With Clarke out until mid-January, he’ll miss at least 11 games. Although the plan is to re-evaluate Clarke in three weeks, that doesn’t guarantee he’ll get cleared to make his return for the Grizzlies’ January 15 matchup against the Orlando Magic.
Considering Clarke’s concerning trend of injuries as of late, the Grizzlies are likely to play it as safely as possible in order to avoid any further setbacks beyond this stretch of games.