Brandon Clarke has spent most of the last two seasons fighting to get back onto the floor. Now, the Memphis Grizzlies forward is dealing with a very different kind of setback.
According to ESPN, Clarke was arrested on April 1 in Cross County, Arkansas, on a series of charges that include possession and trafficking of a controlled substance, fleeing while speeding, and improper passing.
According to the Cross County Sheriff’s Office, the 29-year-old was booked shortly after 1 p.m. local time, roughly 55 miles west of Memphis. Authorities also released a booking photo, though they have not publicly identified the substance involved or whether the charges are misdemeanors or felonies.
The veteran forward appeared in just two games this season after missing the opening stretch while recovering from knee surgery. He briefly returned in December, then suffered a right calf strain in his second game back. Last week, Memphis officially shut him down for the rest of the season after doctors determined he still was not ready for “high-intensity court work.”
Clarke had been expected to spend the summer rehabbing and preparing for next season. Instead, one of the Grizzlies’ most reliable role players is suddenly facing questions that have nothing to do with basketball.
Clarke has been part of Memphis since 2019, when the team acquired him on draft night after he was selected 21st overall. The former Gonzaga Bulldogs star quickly became one of the franchise’s best developmental success stories. He made the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2020, helped Memphis make back-to-back playoff runs, and signed a four-year, $52 million extension in 2022.
At his best, Clarke has been exactly the kind of player every contender wants: high-energy, low-maintenance, and capable of changing a game without needing the ball. During Memphis’ 2022 playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he averaged more than 12 points and seven rebounds while becoming one of the team’s most dependable postseason pieces.
Off the court, Clarke had also built a reputation as one of the quieter and more community-minded players on the roster. Last September, he celebrated his birthday by donating $3,500 to literacy programs for elementary school students in Memphis.
