Derrick Rose says he will return to the Grizzlies for the 2024-25 NBA season amid injury rehab

Derrick Rose was limited to just 24 games in the 2023-24 season due to multiple injuries, a disappointing debut season. But he is still under contract through the 2024-25 season at $3.3 million and plans to buy the contract back.

“Yes, I’m coming back,” he said told reporters Monday.

The Grizzlies' season was marred and derailed by injuries, leading the team to field just eight players for Sunday's finale against the Denver Nuggets, a 126-111 loss.

Most notably, Ja Morant lost the season in January due to a torn labrum after being suspended for the first 25 games earlier in the year. But the Grizzlies' injuries piled up throughout the year, culminating in this:

In total, Morant only played nine games. Desmond Bane reached 42. Marcus Smart only played 20. Jaren Jackson Jr. was the only part of the team's core group to play a relatively normal number of games, and he still missed 16 total.

“Every season offers something different,” head coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters after Sunday’s loss. “Obviously this was something no one expected.”

It gave young wingers like Vince Williams Jr. and GG Jackson a chance to gain experience and develop, and both are expected to take on significant roles next season. But for a Grizzlies group with playoff expectations, a 27-55 season was a major disappointment.

As for Rose, his impact was muted when he was healthy, as he averaged eight points and 3.3 assists per game, mostly coming off the bench (seven starts total). He will line up as the de facto point guard behind Morant next season, although Smart could also be used to lead the second unit given his history as a point guard.

A healthy Grizzlies squad is talented and deep and should bounce back in the 2024-25 season. The hope is that this season's injury problems were merely an anomaly and not the start of a trend.