The Memphis Grizzlies are giving Brendan Hausen another look after he played well in Summer League action.
As the Memphis Grizzlies announced their decision to waive veteran guard D'Angelo Russell on Friday, they also announced another move: an agreement with sharpshooter Brendan Hausen.
The terms of the deal weren't included in the press release, but it's likely an Exhibit 10 contract, with Memphis potentially envisioning him as a G League candidate.
If so, that's a low-risk way for the Grizzlies to reunite with a player that they got a nice look at during Summer League action.
Hausen went undrafted this year but got an opportunity to play with Memphis in five Summer League games. In three of those games, he received minimal playing time. But in the two games where he was given significant minutes, he looked fantastic.
He saw around 28 minutes of action against the Atlanta Hawks in Salt Lake City in his lone Summer League start. In that matchup, he finished with 21 points on 5-for-13 shooting from the field and 5-for-11 shooting from beyond the arc.
A week later, he came off the bench for about 19 minutes against the Golden State Warriors in Las Vegas. He was arguably even better in that outing, as he dropped 20 points on 7-for-9 shooting from the field and 6-for-8 shooting from deep.
He only made one more Summer League appearance after that and received just a couple minutes of playing time, so he didn't get a chance to prove himself any further. But evidently, his two big performances left an impression on Memphis, with the team now giving him another look.
Hausen also reportedly left a "lasting impression at his pre-draft workout in Memphis" months back, so it seems like he has consistently impressed those within the Grizzlies.
The former college journeyman has taken a unique path to get to this point. After spending two years at Villanova as a bench contributor, he transferred to Kansas State, where he became a starter. He had a career year there, averaging 10.9 points per game while maintaining his reputation as a dangerous 3-point shooter.
But he faced some adversity after transferring to Iowa for his senior year. With the Hawkeyes, he averaged just 10.2 minutes per game across 21 appearances and didn't make a start. His overall production and efficiency also dipped.
He then went undrafted in June, but it could all work out in the end, as he still has a chance to bring his NBA dreams to life. With any luck, the Grizzlies will benefit from betting on the 22-year-old.
