Not much has gone right for the Memphis Grizzlies to begin the 2025-26 season. Aside from drama surrounding Ja Morant and head coach Tuomas Iisalo, the Grizzlies have been dealing with multiple injuries behind the scenes, one of which involves key big man Brandon Clarke.
The 29-year-old power forward has battled a lot of injuries through the years, and he saw his 2024-25 season cut short in March due to a PCL sprain in his right knee. While Clarke was expected to be ready for the start of the 2025-26 season and provide key depth in the frontcourt alongside Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies' big man underwent another procedure in September.
However, this arthroscopic procedure was not to address his PCL injury, which had fully healed. Instead, it was to address right knee synovitis. Originally, the Grizzlies said Clarke would be re-evaluated in 4-6 weeks and is expected to make a full recovery.
About seven weeks later, an update has been given on Clarke's status, but it isn't one that Grizzlies fans want to hear.
The Grizzlies said on Tuesday that Clarke is making “good progress” right knee rehab and has been cleared to begin ramping up his basketball activities. The bad news is that Clarke still has several weeks in front of him before having a chance to actually play, as Memphis says he is expected to return to the court in 6-9 weeks.
This is both good and bad news for the Grizzlies.
On one hand, the good news is that Clarke hasn't suffered a setback and continues to be on track to return by the end of December at the earliest. Then again, the Grizzlies have started the year with a 4-7 record and desperately need someone like Clarke to help out in their frontcourt, especially with second-year center Zach Edey injured.
Whether or not Clarke's multiple knee injuries will impact his future with the Grizzlies is yet to be seen. While the organization says he will make a full recovery and has been cleared from his PCL injury from last season, his availability has been a concern for the Grizzlies.
In six seasons with Memphis, Clarke has averaged 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 60.6 percent from the floor. When he's available, Clarke has been an impactful player for the Grizzlies. The only problem is that he has missed 105 games since the start of the 2023-24 season, including Memphis' first 11 games this season.
The Grizzlies or head coach Tuomas Iisalo will likely give an update on Clarke's status and potential return to practice at some point in December.
