The Memphis Grizzlies are reportedly signing free agent center Charles Bassey via the hardship exception, sources close to the team told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Sunday night.
Grizzlies Add Charles Bassey With Four Players Sidelined
A hardship exception allows a team to temporarily add a 16th man if there are at least four players on the roster who have missed three or more consecutive games and project to remain sidelined for at least two more weeks.
The hardship exception was used by several teams during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Grizzlies have Ty Jerome (calf strain), Scotty Pippen Jr. (big toe surgery), Brandon Clarke (knee surgery), and Zach Edey (offseason ankle surgery) sidelined for extended periods, paving the way for a hardship signing.
The Memphis Grizzlies are planning to sign center Charles Bassey via hardship exception, sources tell ESPN. Grizzlies currently have Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., Brandon Clarke and Zach Edey sidelined for extended periods, clearing way for a 10-day hardship signing.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 27, 2025
Status Report: @memgrizz at @warriors, October 27: pic.twitter.com/iU5kwHOwzL
— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) October 26, 2025
Hardship deals cover 10 days at a time. If the Grizzlies still meet the hardship criteria when Bassey’s first 10-day contract expires, he could be signed to a second 10-day deal.
With all four players expected to miss multiple weeks, the Grizzlies became the first team to qualify for a 10-day hardship exception after their third game of the season, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Bassey Entering Fifth NBA Season
Bassey, who will turn 25 on Tuesday, was selected 53rd overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2021 NBA draft out of Western Kentucky. The 6-foot-10 big man appeared in 23 games off the bench for the Sixers during his rookie season before he was waived in October 2022.
Days after being waived, Bassey signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs. His deal was later converted to a standard contract in February 2023 after multiple double-digit scoring outings.
In San Antonio’s 142-116 blowout loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 23, he recorded a career-high 16 points on 7-of-8 (87.5%) shooting from the field and one made 3-pointer.
Bassey spent the next two seasons with the Spurs after the 2022-23 campaign.
Through 113 career NBA regular-season games (three starts) with the 76ers and Spurs, he’s averaged 4.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 11.1 minutes per contest while shooting 63.1% from the floor and 64.8% from the foul line.
Bassey also averaged 4.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, and 17.2 minutes in a strong preseason performance with the Atlanta Hawks.
