Grizzlies draft grades: What does Memphis get for 1st-round pick of Purdue's Zach Edey?
The Memphis Grizzlies made their first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft: Zach Edey.
Edey — a 7-foot-4, 300-pound center — dominated college basketball during his career at Purdue and led the Boilermakers to the national championship game in 2024. He fills an obvious need for the Grizzlies, who were looking for a big man to play next to Jaren Jackson Jr.
Memphis has had success with Steven Adams and Jonas Valančiūnas but needed a center after Adams was dealt ahead of the trade deadline. General manager Zach Kleiman said he planned to address the position in the offseason and did that right away by selecting Edey with the No. 9 overall pick.
He'll be a fascinating NBA prospect, with plenty of questions about his mobility and how his game will translate to the NBA.
Grizzlies NBA draft grade for Zach Edey
Grade: B
The Grizzlies needed a big man and they got a big man, so Kleiman and the front office have to get credit for that. Edey significantly raised his draft stock in 2023-24 by improving across the board and showing that he can dominate games on both ends of the floor.
Edey drew fouls at a stunning rate in college, routinely causing opposing bigs to foul out and frustrating fans of opposing teams. He averaged 25.5 points and 12.2 rebounds per game as a senior.
But there are questions about his ability to play against NBA competition, when he'll face more physical defenders and will have to face questions about his shooting ability. Edey said throughout the pre-draft process that he's been working on his jumper, and fans will be looking to see that right away.
Edey, though, figures to have a shot at immediately playing a role for a Grizzlies team that's expected to compete at the top of the Western Conference. Memphis could still add another big in the offseason, but Edey projects as the kind of player who could slot in next to Jackson on defense and allow the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year to go back to the roaming style of defense that he had so much success with in 2022-23.
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Grading Grizzlies' selection of Purdue's Zach Edey with 1st-round pick
