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Grizzlies Nightly Desk · transactions · Sunday, September 27

Lawson Lovering Joins the Memphis Grizzlies

Free agent→Memphis Grizzlies
Lawson Lovering
C · 23 · 1 seasons · 7.0 ppg 2025-26
The move
Joins the Grizzlies
official roster · Sep 27, 2026
2026-27 cap hit
Not on file yet
public salary data lags a signing by a day
Grizzlies payroll
$161.1M
under the cap · cap $165.0M · tax $200.4M
Roster
21 players
standard limit 15 + 3 two-way
By the Grizzlies Nightly Desk · 3 h ago

Lawson Lovering is on the Memphis Grizzlies roster as of Sunday, Sep 27, arriving from free agency with no prior roster spot. The center's contract terms are not yet on file, and the move was not preceded by any logged report.

The move

Lawson Lovering is on the Memphis Grizzlies roster as of Sunday, Sep 27, according to the official roster. The 23-year-old center, who has one season of NBA experience, joins from free agency after not being on a roster. No report on the move was logged ahead of the transaction, so there is no earlier indication of when talks started or on what terms he joined Memphis.

The money

Lovering's contract is not on file yet; public salary data can lag a roster move by a day, so his cap hit and any years on the deal are not available. The Grizzlies carry $161.1 million across 22 contracts for 2026-27, putting them under the $165.0 million salary cap. Memphis sits well below the $200.4 million tax line, the $209.0 million first apron and the $221.7 million second apron.

The fit

Lovering played two games last season, averaging 24.6 minutes, 7.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Memphis' rotation last season leaned on Jaren Jackson Jr. at 30.7 minutes and 19.2 points, with Santi Aldama logging 27.9 minutes and 14.0 points in the frontcourt. The Grizzlies now carry 21 players on the roster, above the standard 15-man limit because of three two-way spots.

Where does Lovering come from?

He joins from free agency; he was not on an NBA roster before joining Memphis.

What is his contract worth?

Not on file yet; public salary data can lag a roster move by a day.

How does he fit positionally?

He is a center. Memphis' returning frontcourt options from last season include Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama.

How many players are on the Grizzlies roster now?

21, above the standard 15-man limit because of three two-way contracts.

By the Grizzlies Nightly Desk, from the data on this page, rewritten when the data changes. How the desks work.
No contract on file yet: public salary data usually catches up within a day.

Grizzlies rotation

tracker →
Jerami Grant29.7 min · 18.6 pts
Jaylen Wells26.4 min · 12.5 pts
Zach Edey25.8 min · 13.6 pts
Cedric Coward25.8 min · 13.6 pts
Cam Spencer23.8 min · 11.1 pts
Kris Murray23.4 min · 5.8 pts

Moves are detected from the official rosters, so the mechanism (trade, signing, waiver claim, two-way conversion) comes from the linked report when there is one. Salary figures are cap hits from public salary data.