The Memphis Grizzlies have managed to steady the ship to an extent after a disastrous start to the 2025-26 season, but things are still not getting much better on the injury front. The Grizzlies will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center on Monday, and to say the injury report for this one is long would be an understatement.
The Grizzlies have listed Brandon Clarke (right calf strain), Zach Edey (left ankle stress reaction), Ty Jerome (right calf strain), John Konchar (left thumb UCL surgery recovery), Ja Morant (left ankle sprain), Scotty Pippen Jr. (left great toe surgery recovery), Javon Small (left toe turf toe), Vince Williams Jr. (left knee soreness) as out.
Morant is the most notable absentee of the eight. He had returned from a 10-game absence due to a right calf strain against the Utah Jazz on Dec. 12, but it wasn’t long before he had to head back to the treatment table.
Morant, who is averaging 17.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game in 2025-26, sprained his ankle against the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 15. This will be the third straight game he’ll miss with this latest problem, and it’s unclear when he’ll be back.
Speaking of players returning to the treatment table not long after getting off it, Clarke is another who falls in that category. He missed the first 26 games of the season with a knee injury and is now out again. Saturday’s contest against the Washington Wizards was just Clarke’s second game back, and he was forced to leave in the first quarter due to his calf strain.
While Clarke has at least managed to play a couple of games, we have yet to see Jerome and Pippen suit up for the Grizzlies this season. The team had stated in November that Jerome would make his season debut in six to nine weeks. As for Pippen, it was announced back in October that he would be reevaluated in 12 weeks.
The absences of Morant, Jerome, and Pippen had led to Williams getting an extended run at point guard. He then missed the game against the Wizards and is out against the Thunder as well.
Rookie Javon Small is another point guard option who is on the sidelines, and the Grizzlies announced on Dec. 11 that he will miss at least three more weeks. As for veteran guard John Konchar, the team stated on Dec. 15 that he will be reevaluated in three weeks after undergoing a successful procedure.
Lastly, we get to Edey. The Canadian missed the first 13 games of the campaign after undergoing offseason surgery for a left ankle sprain. Edey then managed to play in 11 straight games, but then had a stress reaction in that ankle. NBA insider Shams Charania reported on Dec. 11 that he will be reevaluated in four weeks.
It’s somewhat of a miracle that despite all these injuries, the Grizzlies recovered from a 4-11 start and are currently 13-15. You wonder how much better their record would be if they were a bit more fortunate.
As for the 25-3 Thunder, they, too, could be without a lot of players here.
Ousmane Dieng (right calf strain), Isaiah Hartenstein (right soleus soreness), Thomas Sorber (right ACL surgical recovery), Nikola Topic (surgical recovery), and Jaylin Williams (right heel bursitis) are out. To go with them, Alex Caruso (right middle finger sprain), Chet Holmgren (low back spasms), and Aaron Wiggins (right adductor soreness) are questionable.
