Trey

Jemison

The Grizzlies waived Jemison on Wednesday, as the team needed to free up a two-way contract slot for Jay Huff. He is reportedly headed to New Orleans on an unspecified deal two days later. Whether or not Jemison can become relevant to fantasy basketball remains to be seen, but there may be an opportunity to compete for minutes. After losing Jonas Valanciunas in free agency, the Pelicans signed Daniel Theis and Karlo Matkovic. The team also selected Yves Missi in the first round of the June draft, and all three are expected to compete for the right to start.

The 7-foot-1 Huff is on the move after spending last season with the Nuggets on a two-way contract. He’s appeared in 31 NBA games for the Nuggets, Wizards, and Lakers, with the majority of his minutes coming in the G League. Huff’s addition will not impact fantasy basketball, as the Grizzlies have Jaren Jackson Jr., Zach Edey, and Brandon Clarke among their frontcourt options. To make room for Huff, the Grizzlies waived Trey Jemison.

Jemison made 25 appearances for the Grizzlies last season, where he averaged 6.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. With Memphis healthier heading into next season, Jemison likely won’t play as often as he did during his rookie year. However, if he continues to play like he did in this game, he may creep into the rotation to provide center depth behind Zach Edey, who sat out this game.

Clarke’s production was modest outside of the point total, but the fact that he was in the starting lineup is more noteworthy. Tuesday’s game was his first start since returning from a ruptured Achilles tendon, and the Grizzlies’ many injury-related absences are why the opportunity presented itself. With Memphis scheduled to visit Cleveland on Wednesday, Clarke may sit out that contest for injury management reasons. Trey Jemison (14/9/2/1/1 in 30 minutes) and GG Jackson (11/4/2/0/1 with two 3-pointers in 28 minutes) will continue to log starters’ minutes for the rest of the season.

Jackson and Aldama remain sidelined, which boosts the values of players such as GG Jackson and Trey Jemison. Expect to see a lot of those guys during the final week of the regular season, as the Grizzlies are playing for draft lottery odds.

With Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama sidelined, Jemison flourished against the Pistons. He dropped his first career double-double and established a new career-high with 13 rebounds. Jemison’s value for the Grizzlies’ final game of Week 23, Saturday against Philadelphia, depends on Jackson and Aldama’s availability. He’s worth the risk if they remain sidelined, even though Jemison would likely have to deal with Joel Embiid.

Aldama has initially been listed as a starter, and it wasn’t until 10 minutes after the scheduled tipoff that he was ruled out. It’s another frustrating issue of injury reporting that has been all too common this season. It has been a few weeks since Jemison started, but he has played well as part of the opening group this season.

Bane, GG and Jackson Jr. are in the starting unit for this game, replacing Scotty Pippen Jr. (shin), Trey Jemison (G-League) and John Konchar (bench). This is the healthiest that Memphis has been in a long time, and this will be Bane’s first game since January 12th. Despite being pushed to the bench, Konchar should still play a significant role.

Jackson did not provide any assists or defensive stats, but fantasy managers familiar with his game are not surprised. However, the points and 3-pointers were present, which makes him well worth the risk in standard leagues. Memphis was without Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama, which freed up starting roles for Jackson and Trey Jemison. The latter did not go off as he did in Tuesday’s win over Washington, but he did produce a solid line of 14 points, six rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two blocks in 32 minutes. While GG will be a valuable fantasy option regardless of who’s available, Jemison depends on Jaren Jr.'s status.

Bane is reportedly close to a return, but fantasy managers will have to wait at least one more game for his return. With JJJ out, Trey Jemison will likely draw another start after he dropped a career-high 24 points in his last game out. Memphis’ numerous injuries should open up opportunities for the likes of Jordan Goodwin, Luke Kennard, Santi Aldama (elbow) and Jake LaRavia.