Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke has died, the team announced Tuesday.
He was 29. The Grizzlies’ statement did not say how he died.
According to NBC Los Angeles, Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a 911 call of a medical emergency at a home in the San Fernando Valley on Monday evening. When they arrived, they found Clarke dead.
Drug paraphernalia was found in the home, and the incident is being investigated as a possible overdose, law enforcement sources told NBC Los Angeles.
Clarke was acquired by the Grizzlies in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft and spent his entire career with the team. After he underwent knee surgery last fall, he appeared in only two games during the 2025-26 season.
“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies said in a statement. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten. We express our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
Clarke was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, before his family eventually settled in Phoenix. He went to Desert Vista High School, where he led his team to the Arizona Division I championship game in 2015.
Clarke spent his first two years of college at San Jose State before he transferred to Gonzaga. He declared for the NBA in 2019 and was originally selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 21st pick, but he was traded to Memphis in a draft-day deal.
A forward-center hybrid, Clarke averaged 12.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in his first year with the Grizzlies and was named to the 2019-20 All-Rookie First Team. He largely played off the bench and was a key figure on the 2021-22 Grizzlies team that won 56 games.
Injuries affected Clarke later in his career.
He tore an Achilles tendon in March 2023, and he appeared in only six games the following season. He played 64 games during the 2024-25 season but only two this season because of knee and calf issues.
In April, Clarke was arrested in Arkansas on charges that included speeding, possession of a controlled substance and trafficking of a controlled substance.
“We are all beyond devastated by the passing of Brandon Clarke. He was so loved by all of us here, and everyone whose life he touched. He was the gentlest soul who was the first to be there for all of his friends and family,” Clarke’s agency, Priority Sports, said in a statement. “Our hearts are so broken as we think about his mom, Whitney, his entire family, and all of his friends and teammates.
In a statement, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said: “We are devastated to learn of the passing of Brandon Clarke. As one of the longest-tenured members of the Grizzlies, Brandon was a beloved teammate and leader who played the game with enormous passion and grit. Our thoughts and sympathies are with Brandon’s family, friends and the Grizzlies organization.”
