SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Jazz forward Jaren Jackson Jr. honored late teammate Brandon Clarke in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
Clarke, 29, who played for the Memphis Grizzlies last season, was found dead in Los Angeles on Monday.
The two had been teammates in Memphis since 2019, before the Jazz acquired Jackson Jr. in February.
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Jaren Jackson Jr. remembers late teammate Brandon Clarke
Clarke was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft, but was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies on draft night.
Born in Canada, the versatile forward played the first two years of his college career at San Jose State before transferring to Gonzaga as a junior.
Clarke averaged 16.9 points and 8.6 rebounds in his lone season with the Zags before leaving for the NBA.
The Grizzlies acquired the Vancouver native one season after drafting Jackson Jr. with the fourth overall pick in 2018.
“I couldn’t imagine a world where this was even a possibility. I love you forever brother, this is absolutely devastating. I just wish I could talk to you,” Jackson Jr. wrote on Instagram.
“You were so much to so many and even more to me. I will never have the words to describe what this feels like. I still can’t believe this. To your family and friends and everyone you were always a light and you were always so genuine and real and our friendship went far beyond anything on the court. I truly lost my twin. I’m still going to be talking to you always. You will be forever loved and forever missed.”
Clarke’s career had been derailed by injuries, having appeared in only 72 games over the last three seasons.
The forward appeared in just two contests during the 2025-26 campaign and six games in 2023-24.
Remembering Brandon Clarke (1996-2026) pic.twitter.com/J3hI7zRSU1
— NBA (@NBA) May 13, 2026
“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies said in a statement on Tuesday. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten.”
Clarke had career averages of 10.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists over 309 games.
The Gonzaga product was arrested and charged with drug possession and speeding in April after police stopped him for driving over 100 mph in Arkansas.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 2-6pm with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone . Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.