Karim Lopez is day-to-day with an undisclosed issue and will not play in Sunday's Summer League championship game against the Warriors. His expected return is Oct. 1, ahead of the Grizzlies' regular-season opener.
What happened
The Grizzlies listed Karim Lopez as day-to-day with an undisclosed issue on the injury report Sunday, Sept. 6, at 4:32 a.m. ET. He had not been previously listed. Drew Hill of The Daily Memphian reported that Lopez is out for Sunday's Summer League championship game against the Warriors. No further detail on the injury has been announced. The report lists an expected return date of Oct. 1.
What it means for the Grizzlies
Memphis opens its 2026-27 season at the Hawks on Monday, Oct. 5. The team is 0-0, with the season not yet underway, so there is no record with or without Lopez to cite, and he has no 2026-27 season averages on the books yet. Recent box scores without him on the floor show heavy minutes for Toby Okani (36.2 minutes, 10.0 points), Lucas Williamson (32.0 minutes, 10.4 points), Rayan Rupert (30.9 minutes, 12.2 points), Jaren Jackson Jr. (30.7 minutes, 19.2 points), Dariq Whitehead (30.5 minutes, 16.3 points), Adama Bal (30.2 minutes, 10.4 points), Ja Morant (28.4 minutes, 19.4 points) and Santi Aldama (27.9 minutes, 14.0 points).
What to watch
The Grizzlies will update Lopez's status on the next injury report. His expected return is Oct. 1, four days before Memphis opens the 2026-27 season at the Hawks on Monday, Oct. 5. If that timeline holds, he should be available from the start of the regular season.
Is Karim Lopez playing at Hawks?
Lopez is day-to-day with an undisclosed issue and has not been ruled out for the Oct. 5 opener at the Hawks. His expected return of Oct. 1 falls before that game.
When will Karim Lopez be back?
His expected return is Oct. 1, 2026, four days before Memphis opens the season at the Hawks.