Rabb decision pushed back
The Grizzlies and Ivan Rabb are pushing the third-year post player’s contract guarantee date to mid-october, a source confirmed to The Commercial Appeal on Sunday.
Rabb’s contract for next season was set to become fully guaranteed at $1.6 million on Monday.
By pushing Rabb’s guarantee date back, the Grizzlies will get a longer look at Rabb before determining whether to keep him on the roster for the regular season. The franchise’s “Grind City Media” first noted the pushed back date.
Rabb has appeared in four summer league games for Memphis, averaging 5.3 points on 25% shooting and 7.5 rebounds in 24 minutes per game.
For a third-year player still searching for his footing in the NBA, Rabb’s summer outings disappointed.
But by agreeing to an extended guarantee date, Rabb is slated to get another shot to prove himself to a new coaching staff and new front office during training camp.
Rabb finished high school as the nation’s No. 7 overall prospect in the class of 2015. He played two seasons at California before entering the 2017 NBA draft.
Orlando selected Rabb 35th overall and traded his draft rights to Memphis.
Rabb averaged 5.8 points and 4.2 re
bounds in 14.7 minutes per game during 49 appearances with the Grizzlies this past season.
He began to show improvement from the 3-point line after a stint in the G-league designed to improve his comfort with long-range shooting. But he often appeared overmatched defensively against large NBA centers.
In a modern NBA that requires power forwards to guard smaller, faster players, Rabb has not yet shown the versatility needed to thrive at the four spot.
The Grizzlies selected Brandon Clarke at No. 21 overall in this year’s draft, and the 6-foot-8 former Gonzaga forward is impressing with his play in summer league. Clarke could be in line for a role as a rookie.
Second-year pro Jaren Jackson Jr. and re-signed veteran center Jonas Valanciunas are in line to be the Grizzlies’ starting frontcourt.
As the roster stands now, Rabb probably would be in competition with veteran center Miles Plumlee for playing time. Plumlee is built like a true center at 249 pounds, whereas Rabb is still listed at 220 pounds, according to Basketball Reference.
Still, despite concerns over his size and versatility, Rabb’s interior offensive game is smooth.
He reached double-figures 11 times last season, including five times in a six-game span from Jan. 30 through Feb. 9.
Asked the day after the season ended about whether he is a power forward or a center, Rabb struck a resolute tone about his future versatility in the NBA.
“You can do both,” he said. “You want to be good at everything. That’s kind of the thing about basketball today is just being able to do a little bit of everything. That’s what I plan to do.”
Reach Grizzlies beat writer David Cobb at david.cobb@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @Davidwcobb.