MEMPHIS – The Grizzlies entered the offseason with priorities to address needs for an impactful center and improved perimeter shooting.
By the end of the two-day NBA Draft, Memphis took initial steps toward fulfilling both goals.
A day after using the No. 9 lottery pick to land one of the biggest and most accomplished centers in college basketball history, the Grizzlies used second-round picks Thursday to snag two of the nation’s best 3-point shooters.
By adding two-time National College Player of the Year in Purdue’s 7-foot-4 big man Zach Edey on Day 1, the Grizzlies have plugged a gaping hole in the middle. The franchise spent Day 2 of the draft using the No. 39 pick on Washington State forward Jaylen Wells. The Grizzlies also agreed in principal on a four-team trade to acquire the rights to Connecticut guard Cam Spencer, who was selected with the No. 53 pick.
The Grizzlies are aiming to regroup from an injury-riddled 27-55 season in which they ranked last among the NBA’s 30 teams in rebounding and were 29th in 3-point shooting accuracy.
Although he was brought in to be more of a developing role player alongside veteran All-Star forward Jaren Jackson Jr., Edey’s massive presence and production should help inside. He’s coming off a season in which he led the nation in scoring (25.2 points per game) and was second in rebounding (12.2 boards) on a Purdue team that lost to UCONN in the NCAA title game.
Both Spencer – a member of UCONN’s team that knocked off Edey’s Boilermakers – and Wells will be developmental players for the Grizzlies who could provide some outside shooting punch.
Spencer, a 6-3 combo guard, ranked as one of the NCAA’s top 3-point shooters at 44-percent last season while averaging 14.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Wells, a 6-7 swingman, shot 42-percent from deep while averaging 12.6 points and 4.6 rebounds at Washington State.
“We have options now,” Grizzlies president of basketball operations Zach Kleiman said between the draft’s two rounds of bolstering the roster. “When we think about the push we’re making to take this team all the way to a championship, you see it’s really difficult to get through four rounds of the playoffs. With our frontcourt now, there are many different ways we can play.”
The Grizzlies formally introduced their incoming draft class Friday afternoon at FedExForum. Edey elected to bypass the traditional experience of attending the first round of the draft in New York alongside other lottery hopefuls chosen Wednesday.
Instead, Edey was attending a gathering of teammates, family and friends near Purdue’s campus in Indiana when he watched his name called by commissioner Adam Silver as the ninth pick.
Kleiman acknowledged that Edey’s size and traditional skillset make him a polarizing selection among some who question if his game fits today’s more space-and-pace oriented NBA. But with the Grizzlies having traded their starting and backup centers last season, and desiring to pair Jackson with a bigger and more physical presence up front, Edey could be ideal for Memphis.
“It can be a tough thing when people want to take down your game when you play a certain way,” Edey said of those who may wonder if his impact will transition to the NBA. “At the end of the day, teams put stock into rebounding. Teams put stock into having strength in the paint and all that stuff. But I know who I am. I know what I’m good at, what I can stick to and hang my hat on. There are areas I will improve at this level. The team that wants me wants me for who I am.”
After drafting Edey, Kleiman echoed that sentiment. He also suggested the Grizzlies have a plan for their new center’s NBA development and the gradual impact he’ll have in the league.
It starts with the versatility in lineups the Grizzlies can deploy in a power rotation that includes Jackson, Edey, Brandon Clarke and Santi Aldama. And it includes the possibilities of lethal pick-and-roll sets with the massive Edey creating space for electrifying point guard Ja Morant.
Kleiman also can see moments in games when coach Taylor Jenkins will have the opportunity to dump it inside to Edey, who can generate offense with a methodically efficient low-post game.
“I’m not going to say Zach’s career is going to be this or that, but we believe he’s going to be a meaningful, impactful player for our group who can help us achieve high-end outcomes,” Kleiman said. “Zach is incredibly unique in that you have to deal with him. From a size standpoint, a physicality standpoint, that’s something other teams are going to have to grapple with. Let them figure out how to deal with us. That is something that really intrigued us.”
The Grizzlies have also added more outside shooting to complement a bigger inside threat.
With limited roster spots available and free-agency looming, the prospect of picking up a couple of experienced college players on rookie-scale salaries was also appealing for the Grizzlies. Wells and Spencer will likely get ample opportunities in next month’s summer league play and potentially in fall training camp to work their way into roster spots.
Wells attended Day 2 of the draft Thursday in New York, where he appeared during the ESPN broadcast and celebrated with his family. ESPN’s NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony referred to Wells as “one of the best stories of the NBA Draft” after his journey started at Division II Sonoma State and saw him barely play when he first transferred to Washington State.
“It definitely wasn’t the most traditional,” Wells said of his path to the NBA. “I just stayed positive, put my head down and kept working. I really showed my versatility. I really showed I can shoot it this year and showed a full range of scoring ability.”
The Grizzlies took full advantage of an NBA Draft that expanded to a new format.
So far, the offseason retooling is off to a productive start.
Two days of drafting. Two areas of need initially addressed.