The estate of NBA forward Brandon Clarke will receive the full $12.5 million from his final year contract, according to reports. Clarke, 29, died in May from an accidental overdose of heroin and cocaine, as confirmed by the Los Angeles County medical examiner.
Clarke was in the final year of a four-year, $50 million contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. Despite initial speculation that the team might void the final year of his salary, it has since emerged that his contract was fully protected for death.
This protection is facilitated through life insurance, a common practice negotiated into player contracts across the NBA to safeguard against such tragic events. Priority Sports, the agency representing Clarke, confirmed that his family and estate are fully protected.
"Brandon's contract was fully protected for a God-forbid occurrence," said Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports. "So Brandon's family and his estate are fully protected in Brandon's contract…. The support that the entire Grizzlies organization has shown to Brandon's family during this devastating time has been beyond words."
Clarke, originally from Vancouver, played college basketball at Gonzaga before being drafted by the Grizzlies in 2019. In the weeks leading up to his death, Clarke had been involved in an incident in Arkansas where he was arrested for allegedly passing multiple vehicles at high speeds. During that arrest, authorities found kratom, also known as 'gas station heroin,' in his vehicle. The American Food and Drug Administration advises against kratom use due to potential health risks, including liver toxicity, seizures, and, in rare cases, death when combined with other substances.