Pippen Jr. sidelined while Jerome nears return, adding much-needed guard depth. Conditioning, not injury, now slows Jerome's Grizzlies comeback.
The Memphis Grizzlies released fresh injury updates Saturday as they continue to navigate an extended stretch without key backcourt pieces.
According to the team’s latest report, Scotty Pippen Jr. remains sidelined as he continues to recover from offseason toe surgery. Pippen has yet to make his season debut, and while Memphis has not attached a return date, his absence has further thinned an already depleted guard rotation.
Pippen appeared in 79 games last season, averaging 9.9 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.3 rebounds in 21.3 minutes per game while providing steady perimeter defense and secondary ball-handling.
However, there was more encouraging news regarding Ty Jerome. Head coach Tuomas Iisalo said Jerome has progressed to live five-on-five work and is nearing a return, with conditioning and workload management now the primary hurdles.
Recently, the Grizzlies PR tweeted about assigning Jerome and Pippen Jr. to the Memphis Hustle.
“The @memgrizz have assigned Ty Jerome and Scotty Pippen Jr. to the @MemphisHustle. Both players will be recalled to the Grizzlies following the Hustle’s practice today,” the tweet read.
That said, the expectation is that Jerome could be available within the next one to two weeks if there are no setbacks. Jerome has also not played this season after suffering a severe calf strain in the preseason, but Memphis is counting on his return to help stabilize the offense.
The 27-year-old guard signed a three-year, $28 million contract with Memphis last summer after a breakout 2024–25 campaign with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 70 games with Cleveland, Jerome averaged 12.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 19.9 minutes per game while shooting 51.6% from the field, 43.9% from three, and 87.2% from the free-throw line. His 64.3 true shooting percentage ranked among the league’s best for high-usage bench guards, and he finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting while providing efficient scoring and secondary playmaking.
The timing, however, is crucial. Memphis has struggled to generate clean possessions without its primary creators for the most part.
The Grizzlies committed 19 turnovers in Friday’s loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, a recurring issue as the team shuffles ball-handling responsibilities night to night.
Those challenges have been compounded by the continued absence of Ja Morant, who has been limited to 20 appearances this season and was recently ruled out for at least three more weeks with a UCL sprain in his elbow.
Memphis has also been without rookie big man Zach Edey for much of the year, further stretching a young roster still searching for stability.
With Jerome trending toward a return and Pippen Jr. still working his way back, the Grizzlies remain in a holding pattern.