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Grizzlies are the biggest dark-horse NBA title contender
Even with Ja Morant (10), Desmond Bane (seven) and Marcus Smart (10) missing a chunk of games thus far, the Grizzlies have stayed above water with an impressive 12-7 record. And now that they're nearly healthy and whole again, Memphis is firing on all cylinders.
In their ongoing four-game winning streak, the Grizzlies are averaging 128.3 points and 33.3 assists at 52/42/77 shooting splits. Head coach Taylor Jenkins' team has been scoring in bunches by committee , with as many as eight players averaging in double digits.
The emergence of Scotty Pippen Jr. as a backup floor general and scorer has given Memphis a strong four-man guard rotation and a host of quality bigs such as Jaren Jackson Jr., Santi Aldama, Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke.
The Grizzlies are somewhat undersized on the wings, but Jekins' decision to start Jackson and Clarke — two versatile big men — has lent switchability to the perimeter defense. While Jaylen Wells has made the three-spot his own, Memphis could eventually start Bane at small forward if they go with the Morant and Smart backcourt.
Due to all the injuries, Jenkins has used up to 10 different starting units already, but it appears he will be trotting Jackson, Clarke, Wells, Bane and Morant for now, with Smart coming off the bench. That unit has been excellent in its limited time together, especially on defense. One of the deepest and most talented teams in the NBA, the Gr izzlies have the luxury of bringing Smart, Aldama, Edey, Pippen Jr., Luke Kennard and other quality role players off the bench.
Memphis checks every box for a title contender. It boasts of the superstar go-to option, two ex-Defensive Player of the Year winners, multiple playmakers, shooters and a deep bench. Its 25-year-old defensive ace, Jackson Jr., is enjoying a career year as a scorer and leading the team in points.
It's easy to forget that this team won 50-plus games for two consecutive seasons before its injury-ravaged 2023-24 campaign. Morant and Co. were next in line in the West but were put on the back burner for some of their own doing. The Grizzlies seem poised to announce themselves again.
More must-reads:
- Bradley Beal's injuries continue to derail Suns' momentum
- Knicks starters' workload a worry as season progresses
- The '1995-96 Vancouver Grizzlies' quiz
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Malik Beasley cleared in gambling probe: Three teams that could sign the sharpshooter
While it was once a possibility that his NBA career had come to a sudden close, Malik Beasley is once again free to sign with any NBA team. After knocking down 309 three-pointers in 2024-25 and nearly inking a new three-year, $42 million deal with the Detroit Pistons, Beasley's plans for the future were quickly put on hold. In June, authorities began investigating the sharpshooter before launching an official investigation into allegations of gambling within the league. Now, nearly two months later, Beasley has been officially exonerated from this federal gambling investigation. In some ways, the damage has already been done, though. The contract Beasley once hoped to sign with Detroit is long gone after the team brought in Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson. But that doesn't mean his time with the Pistons is over. Here are three teams that could sign Beasley now that his professional future is no longer hanging in the balance. Detroit Pistons While it seems likely that the 28-year-old returns to the Pistons after a career renaissance, the most Beasley could sign for 2025-26 is $7.2 million, according to ESPN front-office insider Bobby Marks. Detroit made sure to retain its final roster spot while closely monitoring Beasley's situation. But if he does decide to find a new home, it won't happen because of a massive payday. Beasley's best chance outside of Detroit is joining a bona fide contender on another "prove it" deal. At this point in the summer, free-agency money has already dried up. But that doesn't mean the nine-year veteran isn't a coveted asset for teams with championship aspirations. New York Knicks The New York Knicks are the main known team outside of Detroit that has shown significant interest in Beasley. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, New York has kept close tabs on him since the Knicks' first-round playoff bout with the Pistons. New York already shored up its guard depth in a big way with the signing of Jordan Clarkson. But the team would be delighted to add another capable scorer in Beasley, especially on a veteran's minimum deal. After using the taxpayer portion of the team's mid-level exception on Guerschon Yabusele, New York wouldn't have much to offer Beasley outside of a shot at a title. Following a year that saw him average 16.3 points on a blazing 41.3% from deep, accepting the minimum may be too tough a pill to swallow for Beasley. If not, though, he could be an underrated addition to a Knicks roster with a serious chance to bring home the city's first title in over 50 years. Oklahoma City Thunder Malik Beasley joining the Oklahoma City Thunder would be a classic example of the rich getting richer. After winning the franchise's first title last season, the Thunder don't have any notable weak spots. With reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading a talented cast of well-rounded scorers and defenders, a prominent role wouldn't be a guarantee for Beasley. But he would have the opportunity to serve in a unique role as OKC's lone experienced sharpshooter. Beasley would be the third-oldest player on an incredibly youthful Thunder squad. He wouldn't have as flashy a role as he did in Detroit last season, but Beasley would be a strong get with a coveted skill set for the reigning champs.
Jets coaches try to calm situation in wake of Justin Fields' comments
According to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, New York Jets starting quarterback Justin Fields did not throw a pass that traveled 10 yards in the air during his two preseason appearances. Some have voiced concerns about the Jets' passing attack with Fields in the lineup, but he insisted while speaking with reporters on Tuesday that he's "fine with taking eight-yard completions every play." On Wednesday, Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand addressed Fields' comment. "He's going to play the play the way the defense allows him to play it," Engstrand said about Fields, per Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. "So if they're going to allow him to take a shot down the field, he's going to take it. If they don't allow him, he's going to check the ball down, and we'll move on to the next play. We're all good with that." Fields completed just one of five passes for four yards in the Jets' 31-12 loss to the New York Giants on Saturday. According to Fox Sports, he connected on four of nine pass attempts for 46 yards across his first two preseason appearances of the summer. Despite such lackluster numbers, first-year Jets head coach Aaron Glenn suggested on Tuesday that he is ignoring "the noise that happens on the outside" regarding the team's passing offense. On Wednesday, Jets passing game coordinator Scott Turner praised Fields for knowing when to take a checkdown and when to challenge an opposing defense. "I think you've seen a lot of quarterbacks in this league, Josh Allen pops into mind, who really cut down his turnovers last year and won MVP by not always trying to make the big huge play, but make the right play. Justin has done a nice job with that," Turner said. ESPN stats show that Fields averaged 6.9 yards per pass attempt over six starts and 10 appearances with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. Per Pro Football Reference, 22 qualified quarterbacks had a better yards per pass attempt average for the 2024 campaign. Dan Graziano of ESPN noted Wednesday that the $10M guaranteed that the Jets owe Fields for 2026 "won't prevent them from" looking for an upgrade at the position next year if he doesn't make "a major leap as a passer." It's still early into this experiment, but there's no sign that such a leap is coming anytime soon.
CFB Week 0 winners, losers: Fourth-down decisions loom large in ranked Big 12 showdown
Phillies get terrible injury news on ace starting pitcher
The Philadelphia Phillies received the update they did not want to hear on Saturday. Starting pitcher Zack Wheeler is going to miss the remainder of the 2025 season due to thoracic outlet syndrome, the team announced. He will have surgery to correct the issue with a recovery time of six to eight months. There is no way to sugarcoat this for the Phillies — this is brutal news and a potentially crushing blow to their World Series chances in the National League. While they still have a strong rotation and two excellent front-line starters in Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez, Wheeler is their unquestioned ace and has been one of the best overall pitchers in the National League since he joined the Phillies prior to the 2020 season. The Phillies are still pretty much a playoff lock at this point and entered the weekend with a six-game lead over the New York Mets in the National League East standings. But taking a front-line starter away from them this late in the season is going to be impossible to replace. With Wheeler, Sanchez and Suarez, they would have had a fierce trio to throw at teams in a short series (or a best-of-seven series) that could have stacked up with anybody. Sanchez and Suarez are still going to give them a great chance, but it's definitely not what they wanted. Prior to Saturday's announcement, Wheeler had a 2.71 ERA and was leading the league in both strikeouts (195) and strikeouts per nine innings (11.7) pitched. He also has the lowest WHIP (walks/hits per innings pitched) in the league (.935).
Insider Believes Fan Favorite 'Done' With Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to have to make some tough cuts when it comes to narrowing down their roster to the 53-man limit going into the season. One of the position areas that has a surplus of talent is the secondary, as while there are only a couple top players, the depth is there more than it has been in the last two seasons. One player who could possibly be left on the outside of the cut line next week is defensive back Beanie Bishop. Bishop was an undrafted free agent out of West Virginia University in the 2024 NFL Draft class and shined in moments throughout the beginning of last season before being mostly replaced by Cam Sutton after his suspension ended last season. Now, Bishop has been unable to make an impact in camp. This was obvious from the comments made by defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, who made it clear Bishop would have to fight for his spot on the roster. Then, he was nowhere to be seen in the team's final preseason game. Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show attempted to figure out the reason as to why he was left out on an appearance on 93.7 The Fan. "I'm totally confused about this," Kaboly said. "Maybe he was hurt. That's the only reason I can think of. I don't know to take it. I take it as you're done. Maybe we don't play you, we can get you on the practice squad type of situation. But to have a guy play no snaps in a game your DC calls important for him? I just don't know where Beanie Bishop fits in here." Bishop will have to compete with a tough group that also includes players like Jalen Ramsey and new draft pick Donte Kent, and could see himself on the practice squad to begin the season. Last year, the secondary was completely ravaged by injuries throughout the season, so Bishop may see significant playing time even if he starts on the team's practice squad.
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