The Memphis Grizzlies today announced the team exercised 2023-24 rookie scale contract options on wings Desmond Bane and Ziaire Williams and forward Santi Aldama.
Bane (6-6, 215) has appeared in 144 games (93 starts) and has averaged 14.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 26.3 minutes since he was acquired by Memphis with the 30th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft out of TCU. Last season, the 23-year-old Indiana native increased his scoring average to 18.2 points per game in his second NBA campaign and set single-season franchise records for 3-point field goals made (228) and free throw percentage (.903). He ranked second in the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage (.436) last season after placing 11th as a rookie in 2020-21 (.432).
Williams (6-8 ¼, 185) competed in 62 games (31 starts) as a rookie last season and averaged 8.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 21.7 minutes after he was drafted 10th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft following his freshman year at Stanford University. The 21-year-old shot 49.8 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from 3-point range over his final 29 regular season games last season and saw action in 10 postseason games (one start) to help the Grizzlies advance to the 2022 Western Conference Semifinals.
Aldama (6-11, 224) appeared in 32 games off the bench as a rookie last season and averaged 4.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 11.3 minutes after he was selected 30th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft out of Loyola University Maryland. The 21-year-old native of Spain averaged 12.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.20 blocks in 25.2 minutes while shooting 57.5 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from 3-point range while starting all five games during the 2022 preseason.