Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke was arrested Wednesday in Cross County, Arkansas, according to jail records and multiple reports, adding an unexpected off-court development to the end of an injury-marred season. Clarke, 29, was booked at 1:03 p.m. local time, according to the Cross County Sheriff’s Department.
The charges listed by the sheriff’s department include improper passing, possession of a controlled substance, fleeing in a vehicle while exceeding the speed limit, and trafficking a controlled substance. Further details about the allegations and whether the charges are classified as misdemeanors or felonies had not been listed on the sheriff’s website.
Before Memphis’ game Wednesday night against the New York Knicks, Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo acknowledged the report but declined to discuss it in detail, saying,
“I’m aware of the report, but don’t have any comments.”
Clarke’s season had already effectively ended. Memphis announced on March 24 that he would miss the rest of the 2025-26 campaign as he continued to recover, after injuries limited him to just two games this season. Clarke had already missed extensive time following right knee surgery and later suffered a right calf strain.
Now in his seventh NBA season, Clarke has been one of the longer-tenured pieces of Memphis’ core since arriving in 2019 out of Gonzaga. Over 309 career games, he has averaged 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds.
