Mar 21, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. (1) reaches for the ball after blocking a dunk attempt by Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) in the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Scotty Pippen Jr. Named Sleeper to Win NBA Award

Originally posted on Memphis Grizzlies on SI
By Will Despart | Last updated Aug 29, 2025 12:44 PM ET

Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. predicted he would have a big year when TMZ stopped him for an interview at LAX earlier this month. Now, as season previews start to populate the internet, one major outlet believes that Pippen Jr. could be a dark horse candidate for a major NBA award this upcoming season.

Scotty Pippen Jr. Promises 'This Year Is Going To Be Big For Me' https://t.co/6cgZ4NPGxx pic.twitter.com/RiietEH5tN
— TMZ (@TMZ) August 10, 2025

Last season was Pippen Jr.'s first as a full-time NBA player, as he spent his the previous season in Memphis on a two-way deal and his rookie season in Los Angeles on an Exhibit 10 contract that saw him spend nearly the entire season in the G League. Pippen averaged 12.9 points and 4.7 assists per game in 21 appearances with Memphis on that two-way deal in 2023-24, earning a standard four-year contract in October 2024.

With his first secure deal in the NBA this past season, Pippen Jr. was a consistent presence in the Grizzlies' rotation. Pippen Jr. started 21 games in 79 appearances, averaging 9.9 points and a career high 3.3 rebounds per game.

Dark Horse Award Winner?

With Pippen Jr. being the lead contender to lock down the sixth-man role for the Grizzlies, Bleacher Report NBA insider Dan Favale believes that the 24-year-old guard is a dark horse contender to win the league's Sixth Man of the Year Award. If Pippen Jr. were to make good on that prediction, he'd be the seventh-youngest player to ever win the trophy.

"Pippen is a solid offensive steward who has shot the three-ball well each of the past two seasons while playing feisty defense," Favale wrote. "He would rank higher in the pecking order if not for Ty Jerome's arrival potentially infringing on his role. There is also the possibility that Pippen gets too many starts if Ja Morant misses time."

Scotty Pippen Jr in the lab pic.twitter.com/bhU55ZLen6
— Playoff MEM (@PlayoffMem) August 3, 2025

Pippen Jr. would be a true dark horse in the sense that Vegas didn't consider him one of the top 15 players with the best odds to take home the award when the initial betting lines opened. While Favale believes Ty Jerome could infringe on Pippen Jr.'s role, the sportsbooks believe that Santi Aldama (+3000, 14th-best odds) is the Grizzlies' most likely candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year Award.

The Memphis Grizzlies open the season against the New Orleans Pelicans at home on Wednesday, Oct. 22. Tip-off for the game is set for 8:30 p.m. EDT/5:30 p.m. PDT, however, the game is not currently scheduled to be nationally broadcast.

This article first appeared on Memphis Grizzlies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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