news-engine

NBA, Phoenix high school star Brandon Clarke’s cause of death revealed PHOENIX (AZFamily/Gray News) — The cause of death has been revealed for Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, according to multiple reports. Clarke died of an accidental overdose, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. The medical examiner determined that his cause of death was the combined effects of heroin and cocaine and ruled his death an accident. Paramedics found Clarke unresponsive in his bedroom on May 11. They arrived at 5 p.m. and pronounced him dead 15 minutes later. The Grizzlies’ original statement said Clarke was “an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten.” Clarke was born in Canada and moved to Phoenix as a young child. He attended Desert Vista High School in Ahwatukee, where he was named an All-Arizona Division I honoree when he led Desert Vista to the state title game in 2015. He was drafted 21st overall in 2019 by the Oklahoma City Thunder and was immediately traded to Memphis. Clarke was a promising rookie in 2019-20 and was named to the All-Rookie team that season. Clarke played in 309 games for the Grizzlies after he was acquired on draft night. In his seven-year career with Memphis, Clarke averaged 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He had been dealing with a calf injury that caused him to miss the majority of the 2025-26 season. See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it. Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description. Copyright 2026 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.