Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke died on May 12 at age 29, according to his agency, Priority Sports, after paramedics found him the previous afternoon at a home in the San Fernando Valley and declared him dead at the scene.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said crews went to the home in the late afternoon on May 11. An NBC4 Los Angeles television report said drug paraphernalia was found, and investigators are focused on a possible overdose. Clarke’s death closed a painful chapter for a player who had been with Memphis since the 2019 NBA Draft and had become one of the team’s longest-tenured names.
He was selected with the 21st pick in that draft and spent all seven of his NBA seasons with the Grizzlies, alongside Ja Morant as the longest-serving player on the roster. Clarke appeared in only two games during the 2025-26 season. He missed the start of the season while recovering from a knee injury and then was sidelined for the rest of the year after a December calf injury.
The Grizzlies said they were heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke, calling him an outstanding teammate and even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community would not be forgotten. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league was devastated to learn of Clarke’s passing, describing him as a beloved teammate and leader who played with enormous passion and grit.
Clarke’s career began far from Memphis, at San Jose State and then Gonzaga, before he reached the NBA. In 2025, he launched the Brandon Clarke Foundation, which aimed to help families struck by tragedies, moms and others throughout Memphis. The foundation donated to ARise2Read, a nonprofit focused on helping children improve their literacy skills outside the classroom, and Clarke also hosted a holiday celebration at the Buckman Boys & Girls Club and made a donation.
That off-court work gave another glimpse of the way he was remembered by people around him. Priority Sports said he was so loved by everyone there, called him the gentlest soul, and said he was the first to be there for friends and family. The agency added that from high school to San Jose State to Gonzaga to the Grizzlies, Clarke touched everyone who was part of his life.
Clarke was also in the news last month for a different reason. He was arrested in Cross County, Arkansas, on April 1 and charged with trafficking a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, fleeing in a vehicle exceeding the speed limit and improper passing. He was released on bond on April 2.
For Memphis, the loss is immediate and personal. Clarke was more than a rotation player whose season had been interrupted by injury; he was a familiar face, a community presence and one of the last links to the team’s recent rise. What investigators conclude about his death will matter, but the larger mark he left in Memphis is already clear.
