Scotty Pippen Jr. has been a success story in his short time in the NBA. Undrafted in 2022, Pippen Jr. is the son of NBA legend Scottie Pippen, who won six championships with the Chicago Bulls.
Joining the Memphis Grizzlies in January of 2024, Pippen Jr. has performed quite well as their lead guard, whether coming off the bench or starting in place of an injured Ja Morant. Pippen Jr. has yet to play this season, but Kevin Pelton of ESPN believes that the Minnesota Timberwolves could make sense as a team that could look to acquire him.
While the Timberwolves were previously connected to Morant, Pippen Jr. would be the more attainable and better-fitting guard from Memphis.
Pippen Jr. may find it harder to receive minutes once he returns to the Grizzlies
Now 25 years old, Pippen Jr. has been sidelined all season with an injury to his left big toe. There is no definitive timetable for his return, but when it was announced that he needed to undergo a procedure on that toe on October 18, it was said that Scotty would be out at least 12 weeks. That date is January 10, but it doesn’t seem like he will be ready for his season debut by then.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. will undergo a procedure for a left big toe injury and will be re-evaluated in 12 weeks, sources tell ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 18, 2025
In his absence, the Grizzlies have seen 25-year-old Cam Spencer turn into a valuable part of their rotation. He currently has an assist-to-turnover ratio of greater than 3, and he is connecting on an incredible 47.1 percent of his 3-point tries.
Memphis is also waiting on free agent signing Ty Jerome to make his debut this season. He has been out with a right calf strain. The 28-year-old finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers while shooting 43.9 percent from beyond the arc.
With Spencer’s ascension and Jerome’s eventual return, perhaps the Grizzlies will see Pippen Jr. as being expendable. His contract also won’t make it difficult to construct a deal for him.
Would satisfy needs of the Timberwolves
Pippen Jr. has a very inexpensive contract, which helps a team like the Timberwolves, who are rather close to the second apron. He has a minimum salary deal this season and next (with a $2.8 million club option in 2027-28).
Two obvious needs for the Timberwolves would be fulfilled if they were to acquire Pippen Jr: improved point guard play and more bench production. In 79 games (21 starts) last season, the 6-foot-2 guard posted averages of 9.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.3 steals in 21.3 minutes. He also made 39.7 percent of his attempts from 3-point distance.
While there hasn’t been much noise surrounding Pippen Jr. as a trade candidate, it’s understandable why Kevin Pelton believes that the Grizzlies could look to deal him, and the Wolves should be all over him if he's available.