In a move to bolster their roster, the Memphis Grizzlies have added four new faces to the team, according to announcements plastered across various outlets today. The Grizzlies, looking to shape up their lineup ahead of the next NBA season, are taking a gamble on a mix of international talent and undrafted blood.
Eying growth from collegiate accomplishments to professional benchmarks, Armando Bacot, a 6-foot-11 forward/center, found his way to the Grizzlies although he was apparently overlooked during the 2024 NBA Draft. Action News 5 reports that Bacot comes off a five-year stint with North Carolina, bearing the badge of the Tarheel's all-time leader in games played, total rebounds, and double-doubles.
Stature notwithstanding in the world of basketball, 5-foot-8 Yuki Kawamura is making waves all the way from the Japanese B.League. As Local Memphis puts it, this guard snatched the MVP title in the 2022-23 season and sports international experience with appearances in both the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The journey from the Ivy League to the NBA has been a narrative for Miye Oni, a guard with experience on 80 NBA games' courts, courtesy the Utah Jazz. While he had his G-League stints, as disclosed by Yardbarker, Oni's collegiate achievements as the 2018-19 Ivy League Player of the Year at Yale remains a highlight on his CV. Most recently, his talents served the Nigerian team in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
And lastly, we've got the Brazilian flavor added to the Grizzlies' mix with forward Maozinha Pereira. Like a Swiss Army knife, not just played in, Pereira flaunts versatility having been around the court block with experience in the G League's Mexico City Capitanes and his homeland's NBB. His stats of 6.9 points and 5.3 rebounds in seven games last season for the Grizzlies caught attention enough to warrant these new official papers with the team, as indicated by Action News 5.
