Grizzlies exercise 2022-23 contract options on Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke and Desmond Bane

The Memphis Grizzlies today announced the team exercised 2022-23 rookie scale contract options on guard Ja Morant, forward Brandon Clarke and guard Desmond Bane.

Morant, the 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year, has appeared in 130 games (all as a starter) and has averaged 18.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 7.3 assists in 31.7 minutes since he was drafted second overall in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Murray State. The 22-year-old, who was selected to the 2019-20 NBA All-Rookie First Team, guided the Grizzlies to the 2021 NBA Playoffs and averaged 30.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 40.6 minutes in his postseason series debut against the top-seeded Utah Jazz.

Clarke has competed in 117 games (20 starts) and has averaged 11.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 23.2 minutes since he was selected with the 21st overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Gonzaga. The 25-year-old, who was named to the 2019-20 NBA All-Rookie First Team, has shot 56.7 percent from the field overall and set an NBA single-season rookie record for field goal percentage (among qualified players) by shooting 61.8 percent during the 2019-20 season.

Bane appeared in 68 games (17 starts) as a rookie last season and averaged 9.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 22.3 minutes after he was drafted 30th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft out of TCU. The 23-year-old, who was selected to the 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie Second Team, set a franchise rookie record by shooting 43.2 percent from 3-point range, which led all rookies last season and marked the third-best 3-point percentage among first-year players since the 2009-10 season.