Brandon Clarke Arrested On Drug, Fleeing Charges

Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Cross County, Arkansas, on charges of trafficking a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, fleeing in a vehicle exceeding the speed limit and improper passing, Lucas Finton and Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal write in a subscriber-only story.

The sheriff’s department refused to comment on the arrest, with Chief Deputy Larry Jones emailing a statement to the authors that read, “At this time, there is no additional information that can be released.”

Head coach Tuomas Iisalo also offered little insight during a session with reporters before tonight’s home game against New York, according to Finton and Cole. “I’m aware of the report but don’t have any comments,” Iisalo said.

Clarke was only available for two games this season, as he missed the start of the campaign while recovering from a procedure on his right knee and then quickly suffered a right calf strain. After recent medical imaging, he was declared out for the season last week.

Injuries have derailed a promising career for the 29-year-old Clarke, who finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year race in 2020 and was a reliable big man off the bench for the successful Grizzlies teams earlier this decade. He was limited to six games during the 2023/24 season, and then rebounded for 64 a year ago before hurting his knee.

Clarke is earning $12.5MM this season and has the same amount fully guaranteed for next year before becoming a free agent in the summer of 2027.