Brandan Wright was supposed to join the Memphis Grizzlies and be a legit bench threat. He was going to be the third big in their rotation behind Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, giving them a different look given Wright’s style of play.
Since Wright inked a deal with the Grizz in the summer of 2015, the big man has only played 12 games with the team and none yet this season. He’s been battling injuries and hasn’t been able to live up to the Grizzlies expectations. He started this season on the shelf and now it appears he’ll be on the injury report for an additional period of time.
The Grizzlies detailed Wright’s procedure in a press release that came out earlier today.
Wright underwent a successful arthroscopic debridement of his left ankle Tuesday afternoon after non-surgical interventions failed to eliminate his posterior tibialis tendinopathy.
The procedure was performed at the Campbell Clinic in Memphis and Wright will begin rehabilitation in Memphis immediately. There is currently no timetable for his return to the court and further updates will be provided when appropriate.
His contract is small at only the ~$5 million mid-level exception but there are some conditions with it. He has a 15% trade kicker and also has another year on his deal after this season. Plus, if the Grizzlies did want to release him, they’d have to shell out about $11 million to do so.
When he’s healthy, Wright can definitely be a difference maker on just about any team. He’s a rim runner who defends the paint and he’s shot 60% from the field in his career. He’s effective but he’s often hurt. He’s only 28 and there could be a few more great years left for him but if he’s not healthy anytime soon, it might not be with Memphis.
