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Grizzlies Forward Brandon Clarke Dies at 29

The seven-year NBA pro played in only two games this past season after dealing with injuries.
Brigid Kennedy|
Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke died this week at age 29. He spent his seven-year NBA career in Memphis.
Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke died this week at age 29. He spent his seven-year NBA career in Memphis. | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

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Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke has died, the team and his agency announced Tuesday. He was 29.

ESPN and ABC News reported Clarke died from a possible drug overdose on Monday with no evidence of foul play, according to the LAPD.

“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies wrote in a statement. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on our organization and the greatest Memphis community will not be forgotten. We express our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

“We are beyond devastated by the passing of Brandon Clarke,” said the forward’s team at Priority Sports. “He was so loved by all of us here, and everyone whose life he touched. He was the gentlest soul who was the first to be there for all of his friends and family. Our hearts are so broken as we think about his mom, Whitney, his entire family and all of his friends. From high school to San Jose State to Gonzaga to the Grizzlies, Brandon impacted everyone who was part of his life.”

The Thunder selected Clarke, a Gonzaga export, with the No. 21 pick in the 2019 NBA draft. He was traded to Memphis shortly after and spent the rest of his seven-year NBA career with the team.

He played just two games in the 2025–26 season due to issues with his right knee and calf, and the Grizzlies shut him down for the season in March. In April, Clarke was arrested in Arkansas on drug and speeding charges.

“We are devastated to learn of the passing of Brandon Clarke,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “As one of the longest-tentured players of the Grizzlies, Brandon was a beloved teammate and leader who played the game with enormous passion and grit. Our thoughts and sympathies are with Brandon's family, friends and the Grizzlies organization.”

For the first four seasons of his career, Clarke served as a strong contributor off the Grizzlies’ bench, averaging 10.7 points and 5.6 rebounds. In October 2022, he agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $52 million. But his 2022–23 season ended prematurely when he tore his left Achilles tendon in March 2023. That same injury limited him to just six games the following season.

Clarke played 64 games in the 2024–25 season and averaged a career-low 8.3 points during that time. He also sustained a PCL injury toward the end of that campaign, and the issue then carried over into ’25-26.

Born in Vancouver, Clarke was raised in Phoenix, where he attended Desert Vista High School. In college, he played for two years at San Jose State before transferring to Gonzaga.

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Brigid Kennedy
BRIGID KENNEDY

Brigid Kennedy is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, she covered political news, sporting news and culture at TheWeek.com before moving to Livingetc, an interior design magazine. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, dual majoring in television, radio and film (from the Newhouse School of Public Communications) and marketing managment (from the Whitman School of Management). Offline, she enjoys going to the movies, reading and watching the Steelers.

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