Following his death in May, Brandon Clarke‘s family and estate is expected to receive the full $12.5MM salary that he had been owed for the 2026/27 season in the final year of his contract with the Grizzlies, according to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports.

An earlier report from Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports indicated that the Grizzlies wouldn’t be paying out that $12.5MM because Clarke’s contract didn’t include language protecting his salary in the event of his death. However, O’Connor says the team had agreed to cover a life insurance policy for the 29-year-old, reporting that the full $12.5MM is expected to be paid through insurance.

“It was very disappointing to see the misinformation that was reported,” agent Mark Bartelstein told O’Connor. “Brandon’s contract was fully protected for a God-forbid occurrence. So Brandon’s family and his estate are fully protected in Brandon’s contract.

“The Grizzlies have been an incredible partner in supporting Brandon from the moment they drafted him,” Bartelstein added. “The support that the entire Grizzlies organization has shown to Brandon’s family during this devastating time has been beyond words. And we all could not be more appreciative.”

The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office announced last Friday that Clarke died due to an accidental overdose of heroin and cocaine. The brief report also cited the “combined effects of multiple prescription medications” as a significant factor in Clarke’s death.

Clarke’s contract was terminated in July by the Grizzlies, who won’t carry his $12.5MM on their salary cap during the 2026/27 season.