The Grizzlies announced in a statement Tuesday that Clarke has passed away at the age of 29. Clarke was acquired by the Grizzlies with the 21st pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and spent seven seasons in Memphis, including being named to the All-Rookie First Team. In college, Clarke was a standout at San Jose State before transferring to Gonzaga, where he racked up awards. He was named the 2019 WCC Newcomer and Defensive Player of the Year while also taking home First-Team All-WCC and Third-Team All-American honors.
Clarke needs additional time to recover from a right calf strain and has been ruled out for the rest of the 2025-26 season. Clarke has been sidelined since Dec. 20 after suffering a Grade 2 calf strain. The Grizzlies conducted a re-evaluation of the Gonzaga product's injury, and it was determined that while he's making solid progress, he won't be ready to return in the next few weeks, effectively ending his 2025-26 campaign. The team expects that he'll be ready for the start of the 2026-27 season.
Clarke (calf) will remain on the inactive list for Friday's game against the Celtics. Clarke has been out since Dec. 20, and continues to get ruled out a full day in advance of tipoff, suggesting he's made little progress in his recovery from the calf injury. The Grizzlies are going nowhere fast, so there's not much incentive for Clarke to get back out there. Until Memphis provides a timetable for Clarke, he should be viewed as week-to-week.