MEMPHIS, July 31 -- For most of his NBA career, Scotty Pippen Jr. has lived in someone else's shadow. Scottie Pippen's son. Ja Morant's backup. The Grizzlies' most useful piece of furniture. Wednesday, Pippen spoke about Memphis's upcoming season with a specific kind of patience, the kind that has decided it isn't waiting any longer.

Memphis traded Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers this summer, ending a seven-year run defined more by turbulence than triumph. In return, the Grizzlies received Jerami Grant, the forward who averaged 18.6 points per game for Portland last season, along with Kris Murray. The franchise finished 2025-26 at 25-57, fifth in the Southwest Division, and decided the ledger had tipped far enough against staying th...