Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke has died, the team, his agency and the NBA said Tuesday. He was 29.
Neither the Grizzlies nor Clarke’s agency, Priority Sports, immediately provided any details about when, where or how Clarke died. His agents wrote on social media that they were “beyond devastated” by Clarke’s death.
Clarke was arrested April 1 in Arkansas for speeding and possession of a controlled substance that was reportedly kratom, an herbal supplement promoted as an alternative pain remedy that is legal to possess in Tennessee. He was released on bond a day later.
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Clarke was the 21st overall pick out of Gonzaga in the 2019 NBA draft by Oklahoma, which dealt his rights to the Grizzlies, who already took guard Ja Morant at No. 2 overall. Clarke joined Morant on the NBA’s All-Rookie team in 2020, and the Grizzlies gave him a multiyear contract extension in October 2022.
He tore his left Achilles tendon March 3, 2023, in a loss to the Denver Nuggets in a showdown of the top two teams in the Western Conference. Injuries limited him to just 72 of a possible 246 games over the past three seasons, including only two this season.
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