Jarnell Stokes

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get-a-peek-inside-grizzlies-summer-pro-league-practice-in-orlando

Get a peek inside Grizzlies Summer Pro League practice in Orlando.

Bennett Hipp

When asked why Memphis worked so hard to acquire the draft rights to Jarnell Stokes on draft night, Grizzlies interim general manager Chris Wallace mentioned Stokes' ability to rebound the basketball as something he liked and something the team expected to quickly translate to the NBA game.

Through three games in the Orlando Pro Summer League, Stokes continues to display why the Grizzlies were right to like that aspect of his game.

After hauling in 12 boards Sunday afternoon against Oklahoma City, he backed that up with another 12-rebound performance Tuesday, leading the Grizzlies to an 80-73 victory over the previously unbeaten Orlando Magic.

Stokes posted his second consecutive double-double (11 points, 12 rebounds) and was one of four Grizzlies players to reach double figures in points as Memphis turned in a balanced and efficient performance on the offensive end.

In addition to Stokes, former Michigan State guard Kalin Lucas poured in a team-high 14 points along with four rebounds and three assists, while forward Okaro White tallied 11 points and two assists.

Native Memphian and former Ole Miss guard Terrico White also contributed ten points and two assists for the Grizzlies, who earned six points in the standings during Tuesday’s game and now have 16 total through three games.

Memphis again showed the toughness and grit that they've displayed throughout the Orlando Summer League, this time battling back from a 30-19 second quarter deficit to take a 41-39 lead into halftime. The Grizzlies carried that advantage over into the second half, extending it to as many as 13 points and never trailing in the final half.

Dewayne Dedmon (13 points, three rebounds, two assists) and 2013 first round pick Victor Oladipo (11 points, seven rebounds) led the way for Orlando.

Memphis is off Tuesday, but will be back in action Wednesday night at 6pm (CT) against the Houston Rockets on NBATV and NBA.com Full schedule and more coverage...

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Grizzlies defeat Magic in third Summer League game

The Memphis Grizzlies declined the opportunity to tender a qualifying offer to power forward Ed Davis, making the 25-year old out of the University of North Carolina an unrestricted free agent while retaining his Bird Rights.

Davis, who was acquired by the Grizzlies from Toronto in a three-team trade on January 30, 2013, averaged 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per game in two seasons with Memphis.

In terms of constructing that roster for the 2014-15 season, priority number one for Wallace and the Memphis front office was bringing back the two-time All-Star in Randolph.

That goal has been accomplished, as Randolph has picked up  his player option for next season and agreed to a two-year extension that will  keep him in Beale Street Blue through the 2016-17 season.

For the Grizzlies, who led the NBA in field goal attempts in  the paint last season, locking up Randolph not only gives them consistent  production down low for the next three seasons, but also brings back a player  who has emerged as a perfect match for the city of Memphis and the Grizzlies’ fan  base.

“We look forward to teaming with Zach to take a run at reaching our ultimate goal, which is an NBA Championship.”

With Randolph under contract, the attention has turned to  determining who will play behind him in the rotation. One of those players will be Leuer, an athletic six-foot-ten, 228-pound big man who can stretch the floor  and knock down jumpers from behind the arc.

Leuer received only limited minutes after being traded to  Memphis from Cleveland during the 2012-13 season, but came into his own this past  season under head coach Dave Joerger.

He averaged career-highs in points, rebounds and three-point  percentage while posting his first career double-double on December 9th against  Orlando and scoring a career-best 23 points twice, on December 3rd against  Phoenix and January 5th against Detroit. The improvement of Leuer’s  game is something that Wallace expected, and continues to expect going forward.

“He’s a good player. He can stretch the floor with his  shooting, he can rebound and he has a variety of skills and is just getting better  and better in his own right. I think the best days for Jon Leuer with the Grizzlies are in front of us.”

While Leuer gives Memphis a versatile option behind  Randolph, one of the newest members of the Grizzlies profiles as a much more  traditional backup.

Jarnell Stokes, who was selected 35th overall in  the 2014 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz and traded to the Grizzlies shortly after,  is a six-foot-eight, 260-pound forward out of the University of Tennessee who  led the Southeastern Conference in rebounding as junior.

While warning that it’s tough for young players to break  through early on a veteran-laden playoff team like the Grizzlies, Wallace see’s  a bright future for the Memphis native.

“With both of our draft picks, we’re looking down the line.  Now, if they get something early on, that’s gravy,” said Wallace. “Jarnell was  drafted because he was one of the most productive rebounders in this draft  class. That rebounding skill set and his toughness fit well with our team’s  Grit and Grind style of play.

As the NBA calendar turns to free agency, teams like the  Grizzlies will look to make improvements to their roster wherever they can.  However, Wallace and the Grizzlies are extremely happy with the group of  players they have put together at the power forward position.

“They all have different skills, so that gives us  flexibility with the rotation, and they have all been really productive before  whether it’s at the NBA level or at the collegiate level,” said Wallace. “Every  team is always looking to upgrade, but if the season started tomorrow, we’re  confident and content with that group.”

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Grizzlies elect not to extend qualifying offer to Ed Davis; Team keeps options open

MEMPHIS, July 1, 2014 – The Memphis Grizzlies have elected not to extend a qualifying offer to forward Ed Davis, making him an unrestricted free agent, the team announced.

Davis (6-10, 225) has averaged 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds on .529 shooting in 15.2 minutes in 99 games (eight starts) with Memphis since he was acquired from the Toronto Raptors in a three-team trade also involving the Detroit Pistons on Jan. 31, 2013. 

Drafted in the first round (No. 13 overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft, the 25-year-old holds career averages of 6.9 points and 5.9 rebounds on .542 shooting in 20.8 minutes in 275 games (58 starts) for Toronto and Memphis.  The Washington, D.C. native owns postseason averages of 1.3 points and 1.7 rebounds on .364 shooting in 4.9 minutes in 15 playoff contests with the Grizzlies.

grizzlies-elect-not-to-extend-qualifying-offer-to-davis

Grizzlies elect not to extend qualifying offer to Davis

The Memphis Grizzlies introduced Jordan Adams, the No. 22 overall pick in tonight’s 2014 NBA Draft, and Jarnell Stokes, the 35th overall pick acquired in a draft-night trade with the Utah Jazz on Friday, June 27. Watch the press conference live stream here on grizzlies.com.

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Grizzlies 2014 Draft Pick Press Conference

MEMPHIS, June 26, 2014 – The Memphis Grizzlies acquired the draft rights to University of Tennessee forward/center and native Memphian Jarnell Stokes, who was selected with the No. 35 overall pick in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft, from the Utah Jazz for a 2016 second round draft pick, the team announced.

Stokes (6-9, 263) played three collegiate seasons at the University of Tennessee, averaging 13.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.08 blocks on .530 shooting in 29.7 minutes in 87 games.  The 20-year-old leaves the Volunteers ranked fourth in school history in double-doubles (40), eighth in total rebounds (836) and 14th in blocks (94).  He led the Southeastern Conference in offensive rebounding in each of his final two years in Knoxville.

A First Team All-SEC selection as a junior last season, Stokes posted 15.1 points and a conference-best 10.6 rebounds on .531 shooting in 32.4 minutes in 37 games, guiding Tennessee to three NCAA Tournament victories and a trip the the Sweet 16. He upped his averages to 18.0 points and 12.8 rebounds in four tournament games, including a 26-point, 14-rebound performance on March 21, 2014 vs. Massachusetts.

Stokes was named Second Team All-SEC after posting 12.4 points and 9.6 rebounds on .528 shooting in 28.8 minutes in 33 games as a sophomore and earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors after averaging 9.6 points and 7.4 rebounds on .534 shooting in 25.6 minutes in 17 games in his first collegiate season.

A native Memphian, Stokes was an honors student at Southwind High School in Memphis and enrolled at Tennessee for the 2012 spring semester after graduating from Southwind at the mid-year mark.  While in high school, Stokes was rated a consensus national top 20 prospect by PrepStar.com (No. 11), Rivals.com (No. 11), Scout.com (No. 11), CBSSports.com (No. 16) and ESPNU (No. 18) and was ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the state of Tennessee by PrepStar.com and Rivals.com.

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Grizzlies acquire draft rights to Jarnell Stokes

The Memphis Grizzlies will hold their third pre-draft workout on Monday, June 9 at the Grizzlies Practice Facility inside FedExForum.

Monday's workout will include Isaiah Austin, Semaj Christon, K.J. McDaniels, Casey Prather, Russ Smith, and Jarnell Stokes

The Grizzlies own the No. 22 overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft, which will be held on Thursday, June 26.

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Grizzlies to hold third pre-Draft workout

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