Richie Saunders, the No. 32 Pick, Is Reportedly Signing a Two-Way Deal With Memphis.

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Photo: The Dyme.

The Memphis Grizzlies are reportedly signing No. 32 pick Richie Saunders to a two-way NBA contract, agents Andy Shiffman and Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports told ESPN's Shams Charania on Saturday. Saunders is rehabbing a torn ACL from February, has been cleared to increase his on-court work, and the deal lets him practice with the Grizzlies.

The reported deal would end an unsigned stretch of more than four months for a second-round pick who spent October on a G League path with the Memphis Hustle.

Why a two-way, not a standard deal

At media day in September, Grizzlies head of basketball operations Zach Kleiman called Saunders' onboarding a "wait and see" case and said the wing was a strong identity fit while attacking the ACL recovery, per Deseret News. By late October the Hustle listed him on the training camp roster, which Hoops Rumors read as a domestic draft-and-stash move while Memphis carried 15 standard contracts and all three two-way slots.

Hoops Rumors' two-way tracker, updated Friday, still listed those Memphis slots as Javon Small, Jahmai Mashack and Carson Cooper. Saturday's report does not name which of those three moves, only that Saunders is coming onto a two-way. The two-way salary for 2026-27 is $678,882, half the rookie minimum, and a two-way player can be active for up to 50 of 82 regular season games, per that same Hoops Rumors tracker.

The money gap is the point of the story. The pick right after Saunders, No. 33 Isaiah Evans, signed a four-year, $9.26 million rookie deal with Minnesota that included more than $6 million guaranteed at signing, per Deseret News in October. BYU's Daily Universe noted then that a two-way first deal would make Saunders the highest drafted player in league history to start that way. Memphis kept the No. 32 pick on draft night rather than trade it, per Deseret News.

What Memphis bought at No. 32

In 25 appearances last season, he averaged 18.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals on .489/.376/.817 shooting, per Hoops Rumors. Deseret News put his senior averages before the injury at 18.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals, with nearly 40 percent from three across four seasons in Provo. He made all-conference in the Big 12 as both a junior and a senior.

Practice clearance in the reported deal

Charania's report is careful. It does not give a return date, a G League debut date, or a minutes projection. It says Saunders has been cleared to increase on-court activities and can begin practicing with the Grizzlies. Kleiman described the onboarding as wait-and-see in September. Practice clearance does not establish when Saunders will play.

Memphis waived Walter Clayton Jr. and Micah Peavy on Oct. 19 to get to 15 standard contracts, per CBS Sports transactions. The report does not identify the corresponding move that would open a two-way slot for Saunders.

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Sources: Shams Charania / ESPN on X (two-way agreement, ACL rehab, practice clearance, agents Andy Shiffman and Mark Bartelstein), Hoops Rumors (written report of the planned signing), Hoops Rumors (Hustle training camp, 18.0/5.8/2.1/1.7 in 25 games, .489/.376/.817, Big 12 all-conference, roster crunch), Hoops Rumors two-way tracker (updated 11-6-26: Small/Mashack/Cooper, $678,882 salary, 50-game rule), Deseret News (Kleiman media day comments, 18.8/6.0/1.8 before the injury, ~40% from three across four seasons, Evans $9.26M / $6M+ guaranteed, Daily Universe highest drafted two-way note, draft night trade refusals), CBS Sports Grizzlies transactions (Oct. 19 Clayton and Peavy waivers, Sep. 28 Cooper two-way).