Steven Adams likely to miss playoffs, Grizzlies sign Kenny Lofton Jr.

The Memphis Grizzlies will likely be missing a key piece during this year's playoffs.

Grizzlies center Steven Adams is expected to miss the entire postseason as he recovers from a right knee injury, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Adams received a stem cell injection last month and was trying to get back on the court, but the PCL sprain that has kept him sidelined since late January needs more time to heal.

This season, Adams appeared in 42 games, averaging 8.6 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks, while shooting 59.7% from the field. Adams' impact goes beyond what shows up in the stat sheet, and there's no question that Memphis has missed him over the last few months.

In an effort to add some frontcourt depth for their postseason run, the Grizzlies waived guard Kennedy Chandler (whom the Grizzlies selected with the No. 38 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft) and signed two-way rookie Kenny Lofton Jr. to a four-year, $7 million contract, per Wojnarowski.

Lofton was the G League's Rookie of the Year, averaging 20.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 54.1% from the field. He has also appeared in 23 games with the Grizzlies since he was on a two-way deal.

The Grizzlies are the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference with a 51-30 record. Memphis has the NBA's second-best defense (allowing just 108.3 points per 100 possessions) and 13th-ranked offense (scoring 112.4 points per 100 possessions).