The Memphis Grizzlies announced that Ziaire Williams and Derrick Rose will both miss an extended period of time due to injury. According to the team, Williams sustained “a Grade 2 strain of hip flexor and low back muscles” in Memphis’ overtime loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday. As for Rose, he will miss time due to “low back and groin soreness” after exiting the February 28 game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Williams will be re-evaluated in four weeks, whereas Rose will be re-evaluated in three weeks.
This season has been a hectic one for the 21-41 Grizzlies. In addition to Williams and Rose, the team currently has seven players on the injury report. This includes star guard Ja Morant who has officially been ruled out for the rest of the 2023-24 NBA season. Though it is not official yet, it seems inevitable the Grizzlies will miss the postseason entirely this year. And with just 20 games left to play, it would not be shocking if Williams and Rose played their last game of the season.
NBA News: Grizzlies Pair “to Miss Multiple Weeks” Due to Injury
Ziaire Williams
Before his injury, Williams has been a solid wing for the Grizzlies. In 51 games, the 22-year-old is averaging 8.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. This includes a career-high 27-point performance in a February win against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Williams is under contract through the 2024-25 season. Despite this, there is a chance he has played his final game for the Grizzlies even beyond this season. Last month, reports indicated other rival executives believed Williams could be expendable:
Rival executives are also monitoring Memphis’ rookie-scale players under contract, including Ziaire Williams and Jake LaRavia as trade candidates, league sources say. Rival executives believe the emergence of GG Jackson and Vince Williams could make Williams and LaRavia expendable.
Ultimately, the Grizzlies obviously held on to Williams. However, it will be interesting to see if the team moves on from him once all their regular starters return from injury.
Derrick Rose
The 2011 NBA MVP signed a two-year deal with the Memphis Grizzlies this past offseason. This season, Rose has only played 24 games. In his first season with the Grizzlies, the 35-year-old is averaging 8 points and 3.3 assists per game. A few weeks ago, Jaren Jackson Jr. talked about having Rose as his teammate:
“He’s very knowledgeable,” Jackson told The Commercial Appeal of Rose. “He’s vibing all the time. Great human being. He’s somebody that has probably rubbed off on everybody he’s played with.”
At this stage in his career, it is fair to wonder what is next for the former Chicago Bulls star. He has one year left on his contract, but injuries have plagued him for the vast majority of his career. Furthermore, Rose has publicly talked about how contemplating retirement after the 2022-23 NBA season. It is clear the end is near for Rose, and it will be worth seeing if he has played his final NBA game or not.
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