The Memphis Grizzlies went against the grain and drafted Zach Edey well ahead where many draft pundits believed was his range. However, Grizz GM Zach Kleiman said that the draft played out exactly how they wanted and Edey was the target all along.
Memphis holds two picks in the second round, numbers 39 and 57. There is a roster crunch currently taking place on Beale Street. With Yuta Watanabe opting out and heading overseas, Zach Edey becomes the 14th player under contract for the Grizz. Lamar Stevens, who came over from Houston in the Steven Adams deal, is a current cap hold that Memphis could decide to bring back.
NBA teams also get three, two-way players and Memphis currently has two of those spots filled with Trey Jemison and Scotty Pippen Jr. Therefore, the Grizzlies will likely use one of these picks to fill their final two-way spot and the other to fill their final roster spot.
They could also be busy on Thursday as players like Ziaire Williams, John Konchar, Santi Aldama and Jake LaRavia are all names that could be on the move. Memphis could look to move up for a player that slides, such as Duke’s Kyle Filipowski or Kansas’ Johnny Furphy.
There’s the possibility that Memphis trades out of the second round for future draft considerations or trading players and picks for another big, which Memphis has expressed their desire to sign two centers this offseason.
The Grizzlies could be one of the busiest teams on Thursday as round two kicks off.
