How The Grizzlies Are Carrying A 22-Man Roster

During the NBA’s regular season, teams are typically limited to carrying a maximum of 18 players — 15 on standard contracts (full-season or 10-day) and another three on two-way deals.

However, a team dealing with major injury issues can be granted a hardship exception, allowing that club to temporarily exceed the usual 18-man maximum. A team qualifies for a hardship exception when it meets all of the following criteria:

1. It has at least four players unavailable due to injury or illness.
2. All four of those players have missed at least three consecutive games.
3. All four of those players are expected to remain sidelined for at least two more weeks.

A team becomes eligible for a single hardship exception when it has four players who meet the criteria, but it can also qualify for an additional hardship exception for each additional injured player beyond those initial four.

For instance, a team with five players who have missed at least three games due to injuries and will remain out for another two weeks would be eligible for two hardship exceptions, allowing that club to complete a pair of 10-day signings beyond its usual 18-man roster limit.

The banged-up Grizzlies have taken this rule to the extreme as of late. The team currently has seven players who meet the hardship criteria. The following seven players have all been ruled out for the season:

• Zach Edey (left ankle/elbow surgery recoveries): Out since Dec. 7
• Brandon Clarke (right calf strain): Out since Dec. 20
• Ja Morant (left elbow UCL sprain): Out since Jan. 21
• Santi Aldama (right knee surgery recovery): Out since Feb. 4
• Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (right fifth finger surgery recovery): Out since Feb. 11
• Scotty Pippen Jr. (right big toe surgery recovery): Out since Mar. 7
• Jaylen Wells (right big toe surgery recovery): Out since Mar. 23

As a result, the team qualifies for four hardship exceptions — one for the first four players above, then an additional one for each of the remaining three.

That means the Grizzlies are currently carrying 22 players. They have 15 players on full-season (or multiyear) deals, three on two-way contracts, and four on 10-day hardship pacts. DeJon Jarreau and Tyler Burton are under contract through Wednesday night, with Adama Bal‘s hardship deal running through next Monday and Lucas Williamson‘s expiring next Thursday night.

As our 10-day contract tracker shows, Jarreau and Burton are on their second 10-day deals with Memphis. Neither players is eligible to sign a third one, and unless the Grizzlies plan to waive one of their full-season players, there’s no room to promote them to the standard 15-man roster. That means there’s a good chance the team will be bringing in two new players on hardship deals as soon as Thursday.