When the Memphis Grizzlies picked up sharpshooter Brendan Hausen last month with the intention of giving him some Summer League reps, the deal was probably overlooked by many.
When the Memphis Grizzlies picked up sharpshooter Brendan Hausen last month with the intention of giving him some Summer League reps, the deal was probably overlooked by many.
After all, Hausen didn't start a single game at Iowa in the 2025-26 season, and his agreement with Memphis was simply described as a Summer League deal, indicating a very low level of commitment.
But draft expert Jon Chepkevich, who reported the deal between Hausen and the Grizzlies, noted that the rookie left a "lasting impression at his pre-draft workout in Memphis," so clearly, the team saw something in him that it wanted to explore this summer.
The returns have been better than anyone could have expected.
After getting minimal playing time during the Grizzlies' first two games in Summer League play in Salt Lake City, the team gave him a starting nod in its final game in Utah. He took full advantage of that opportunity, going for 21 points behind a 5-for-11 shooting effort from beyond the arc.
That was a hard performance to ignore, but unfortunately for Hausen, he had to wait a little bit before seeing the floor again. As the Grizzlies continued their Summer League schedule in Las Vegas, he was held out of two straight games before returning to action on Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors.
He was ready. In 19 minutes of playing time off the bench, he continued his hot shooting, scoring 20 points and finishing 6-for-8 from beyond the arc. It came in a winning effort for Memphis.
Overall this summer, he is shooting 52.0 percent from deep.
The success has to feel good for the former college journeyman, whose senior season didn't go as planned at all. He averaged just 10.2 minutes per game at Iowa and received a number of DNPs while never cracking the starting lineup. Meanwhile, his production wasn't great, as he shot just 32.8 percent from beyond the arc.
In his previous three collegiate seasons (two at Villanova and one at Kansas State), he was far more reliable as a shooter, knocking down 39.1 percent of his 3-point attempts.
For him to go from a fringe rotation player as a senior to a rising Summer League star is a nice story.
And with that being the case, Hausen is giving the Grizzlies something to think about. If he continues to produce at such a high level, the team may have to consider giving him a look beyond Summer League. A team can never have too much shooting, and Hausen may be a candidate to provide that at the NBA level.
For now, he has to focus on giving Memphis some more quality minutes (assuming he gets them) as Summer League rolls on, starting with Thursday's matchup against the Atlanta Hawks.
