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Grizzlies Sign Richie Saunders to Two-Way Contract After ACL Recovery
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- Grizzlies Sign Richie Saunders to Two-Way Contract After ACL Recovery
(Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)
Richie Saunders can practice with the Memphis Grizzlies now.
Memphis signed the 25-year-old guard to a two-way contract Saturday, 136 days after selecting him 32nd overall in the 2026 NBA Draft. In the same move, the team waived Carson Cooper, a center who had been on a two-way deal since Sept. 28.
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Shams Charania of ESPN reported the signing first , citing agents Andy Shiffman and Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports. Charania reported that Saunders has been cleared to increase his on-court activities, and the contract allows him to begin practicing with the team.
He tore his ACL in February. At that point in his senior season at BYU, Saunders had started all 25 games he played and was averaging 18.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.7 steals in 31.4 minutes.
From the 32nd Pick to a Two-Way Deal
Memphis took him two picks into the second round on June 24. He was 24, listed at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, and about four months removed from the knee injury.
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"It took a little bit, but I'm here," Saunders said with a laugh at his introductory press conference the next day.
"When we're thinking about the type of individuals that embody this team, this organization, you're looking at them," Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman said that day, with Saunders, Cameron Boozer, and Karim López seated beside him.
Kleiman's Update at Media Day
By media day in September, Saunders still had not signed. Kleiman said Memphis would be smart with his case.
"Richie, we're very excited to have him with the group," Kleiman explained. "It's wait and see in terms of what exactly his onboarding is going to look like."
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"Richie is a player we think is a strong identity fit with this group on and off the court," Kleiman continued. "He is attacking his ACL recovery and continues to progress well. We'll be smart with his case, and we're excited to have him join us once we get to that point in time."
Memphis started 6-0, then lost three straight; Saunders remained unsigned.
He joins Javon Small and Jahmai Mashack on the two-way list. Small played 21:07 in Friday's 128-97 loss to Oklahoma City; Mashack played the final 3:46.
A two-way player can play up to 50 NBA regular-season games; otherwise, they're with the Memphis Hustle, the G League affiliate.
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Cooper Waived After Playing in Just One NBA Game
Cooper played three NBA minutes. They came Oct. 31 against the Sacramento Kings, in a 136-105 win, and he finished with 1 point, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist.
The 6-foot-11, 245-pound center went undrafted out of Michigan State in June after four seasons there. He averaged 5.4 points and 4.5 rebounds in 17.2 minutes across 137 games for the Spartans, with 43 starts.
Cooper, 22, is from Michigan. He was inactive Friday against Oklahoma City while on a G League assignment.
Memphis is 6-3 and plays in Toronto on Monday night, with tip-off at 6:30 p.m. CT.
