Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will undergo surgery to repair an upper body injury
The The Memphis Grizzlies now rely entirely on punting in the 2025-26 season, if recent injury developments after the trade deadline are any indication. Ja Morant’s status is already up in the air amid his battle with a sprained UCL, and now, his fellow linebacker, Kentavious Caldwell-Popewill be undergo surgery to address “the misalignment of his right little finger,” according to ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel.
The Grizzlies are currently ranked 11th in the West, which theoretically puts them in the running for a spot in the tournament. But they seem to have no interest in competing for a postseason spot, especially after trading Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz before the deadline.
This at least gives the Grizzlies’ remaining veterans time and space to recover from any knocks, which is exactly what Caldwell-Pope is doing. The team is in business to compete for improved lottery odds, which means they will prioritize youngsters moving forward.
Caldwell-Pope was purchased by the Grizzlies last offseason in the Desmond Bane trade. He has played in 51 of the Grizzlies’ 53 games this season so far, averaging 8.4 points per game on 41/32/91 shooting.
The Grizzlies are leaning on youth due to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s injury
Caldwell-Pope, on paper, could be a solid addition for the Grizzlies as they try to stay semi-competitive after the Bain trade. But disaster struck the Grizzlies from all directions, amid Morant’s injuries and lackluster performances, as well as injuries to key players such as Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Zach Edey, that Memphis didn’t have much of a chance.
Caldwell-Pope, however, is guaranteed to stay in Memphis next season. He has a player option worth $21.6 million for the 2026-27 season, and that’s the kind of money that wouldn’t go down in any universe.
2026-02-19 03:31:00
