Memphis Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo called signing Tyler Burton a "no-brainer" before the undrafted guard shot 1-of-9 in his NBA debut against the Dallas Mavericks.
Tyler Burton provided a lackluster NBA debut for the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday. Across 29 minutes, he scored three points and shot 1-of-9 overall and 1-of-7 on three-pointers in a 120-112 loss against the Dallas Mavericks at FedEx Forum.
Burton's performance was well below his production with the Memphis Hustle this season. Across 43 G League games played this season, he has averaged 19.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He has shot 45.0% from the floor and 38.6% from the perimeter. He recorded 31 points against the Iowa Wolves on Sunday.
Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo shared positive feedback from what Burton provided the organization during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas before training camp. Signing Burton to a 10-day deal was a "no-brainer."
"We saw Tyler already during the summer with us in the Summer League," Iisalo said. "He made a very good impression, and that's why he was one of our E-10s heading into training camp and also did well there. It was a no-brainer for us, as a guy who has the basics down after having played with the Hustle."
Burton, 26, went undrafted out of Villanova in 2024 after a college career spanning three seasons at Richmond and two at Villanova. He signed with Memphis on an Exhibit 10 contract last September before being waived. Last season, he appeared in eight games with the Hustle, averaging 2.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 12 minutes per game before breaking out this year.
The Grizzlies have dealt with a significant number of injuries to starters and regular rotation players. Memphis is without Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Zach Edey, and Scotty Pippen Jr. for the season following surgeries. Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke, and Santi Aldama are also listed as out. Ty Jerome, Walter Clayton Jr., Cedric Coward, and Taj Gibson were doubtful, while Cam Spencer was questionable. None of them played against Dallas.
The Grizzlies signed Burton using a hardship exception, which allows a team to temporarily exceed the standard 15-man roster limit when four or more players have missed three or more games and are expected to miss at least two more weeks. Memphis expects to deal with continued injury concerns for the foreseeable future.
With so many players sidelined, the Grizzlies will get a chance to evaluate Burton in games. After his first game featured poor shooting, he will need to bounce back quickly before his 10-day deal expires.