After months of internal deliberation and fan speculation, the Memphis Grizzlies finally made their intentions known regarding their offseason strategy during the 2024 NBA Draft, as the franchise ended up bolstering its frontcourt rotation by acquiring Zach Edey with their ninth overall pick.
While the decision to add a young center was far from shocking, as the club hasn’t had any legitimate center options since the departure of Steven Adams midseason, it was the ultimate decision to land the Purdue product who can They have been a bit surprising to some.
Equipped with what many have described as limited versatility and limited athleticism, Edey projects more as an old-school, back-to-the-basket player rather than a prototypical modern-era giant at the next level.
While the Grizzlies have certainly had plenty of success in the past using that type of talent as their top five (e.g. Steven Adams), using such a high pick on a prospect with so little upside has certainly rubbed people the wrong way, with some, like Yahoo Sports’ Kryten Peek, going so far as to call their selection “one of the worst picks I’ve ever seen in draft history.”
While there’s still plenty left to be known about the club’s draft-day decisions and, indeed, over time Zach Kleiman and Co. could end up proving the masses wrong, it’s widely believed that the Grizzlies made some serious mistakes during this year’s festivities that, now that both rounds are complete, fans should take note of.
