The Memphis Grizzlies have officially signed Scotty Pippen Jr., son of six-time NBA champion and seven-time All-Star Scottie Pippen, to a multi-year contract, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The Grizzlies reached this deal with Pippen Jr.’s agents, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports and Shy Saee. Initially joining the Grizzlies on a two-way deal in January, Pippen Jr. has now been moved up to the team’s main 15-man roster. He played 21 games last season, starting 16, and averaged 12.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game.
His strong performance has continued into the preseason, where he has helped the Grizzlies achieve a 3-1 record while averaging 10.3 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.5 rebounds over four games. Standing 6-foot-1, Pippen Jr. went undrafted in 2022 and initially signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, spending the 2022-23 season with the team and their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.
His time with the South Bay Lakers earned Pippen Jr. a spot in the G League’s Next Up Game, although he saw limited action with the Lakers, averaging 2.3 points in just six games. After playing the latter part of the 2023-24 season with the Grizzlies and their G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, Pippen Jr. has found greater stability with the Grizzlies. Before his NBA career, he played three successful seasons at Vanderbilt, starting 89 of 90 games. As a freshman, he averaged 12.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists, earning a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team, and he averaged over 20 points per game in his subsequent years, being named first-team All-SEC both times. Scotty Pippen Sr. is well-known for his time with the Chicago Bulls, where he played alongside Michael Jordan during the team’s championship runs.
Scottie Pippen was a seven-time All-Star and is a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, having also contributed to Olympic gold medal victories in 1992 and 1996.
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