The Memphis Grizzlies got hammered with bad news on Wednesday, announcing that Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke will miss the rest of the 2025-26 season as they recover from separate injuries. Both are expected to be ready for the 2026-27 campaign. Rookie big man Zach Edey also underwent a procedure, and the team has not given any timetable for his return.
What the team said
In a medical update, the Grizzlies said Morant is rehabbing a UCL sprain in his left elbow. Outside consultants recommended a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection, which will require a period of rest before he can return to basketball activities. The team also reported that Clarke is working back from a right calf strain and that follow-up X-rays showed he needs additional time to heal. Edey, meanwhile, had a procedure on Tuesday to address lingering discomfort in his left elbow. All three are expected to make a full recovery in time for next season, according to Action News 5.
Morant's elbow and PRP
Morant was originally diagnosed with a sprained UCL earlier this year and has been coming in for periodic checkups as imaging showed the ligament was not fully healed. The club has tracked his progress with follow-up scans, and, as NBA.com reported, the latest imaging pushed Memphis toward a more conservative plan this month. Platelet-rich plasma injections are a non-surgical treatment designed to promote tissue repair, but they generally come with a prescribed rest window and a gradual return-to-play schedule, according to Penn Medicine.
Clarke's setbacks and the frontcourt
Clarke has been in and out of the lineup throughout the season with knee and calf problems, and the team’s latest tests indicated he needs a longer recovery runway. Earlier in the year, he was dealing with a Grade 2 right calf strain that cost him weeks of action and added to an existing history of knee procedures and missed games. That combination has thinned Memphis’s frontcourt and pushed the Grizzlies to lean harder on the remaining big men and younger players while Clarke rehabs, as noted by CBS Sports.
What this means for Memphis
Losing Morant and Clarke for the stretch run removes two of Memphis’s most important playmakers and shifts a heavy load onto role players and reserves. The Grizzlies have been fighting injury trouble all season, and this latest update, combined with Edey’s procedure and the absence of a clear return date, adds another layer of uncertainty to both short-term playoff hopes and long-term roster planning. The ongoing injury toll and the strain on depth have been closely followed by Sports Illustrated as the organization tries to balance immediate competitiveness with getting its core healthy for next year.
