Yahoo Sports: Your Hub for all Things Athletic

Scotty Pippen Jr.'s journey to this point began last season when he stepped up as a two-way contract player for a Memphis team decimated by injuries. He showed his potential by starting the final 11 games of the season and in April, he put up impressive numbers with an average of 15.1 points and 5.3 assists per game. His outstanding performance continued into the Las Vegas Summer League, where he averaged an impressive 21.5 points and 8.7 assists per game for the Grizzlies. His hard work and determination have brought him to this moment, poised for success in the upcoming season.

That same production has continued in the preseason, and it led to this: The Grizzlies have moved Pippen — the son of Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen — from a two-way deal to a fully guaranteed contract for this season, something that had been rumored since

Derrick Rose retired

officially broken by Shams Charania of ESPN

Official ✅ pic.twitter.com/y8NgVyoSOq

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) October 16, 2024

Memphis has been impressed enough with Pippen that they gave him a four-year contract with the first two seasons fully guaranteed,

reports Keith Smith of Spotrac

Pippen is expected to be a regular part of the rotation, backing up Ja Morant at the point. Give the Grizzlies credit, while their core stars — Morant, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr. — are moving toward their prime, the franchise has built a quality young group behind them with Zach Edey, GG Jackson II, Vince Williams Jr., Jaylen Wells and now Pippin.

With all that youth, the Grizzlies want to run past teams and play at one of the fastest paces in the league this season. Memphis is finally mostly healthy after a rough season of injuries and will return to being one of the most entertaining teams in the league — and they could return to their 50-win season pace and top-six seed as well. Don't sleep on the Grizzlies.