The Memphis Grizzlies chose to take a step back this season in the hopes of taking two steps forward. They traded away Jaren Jackson Jr. for some salary filler and future assets, and they’ve been fielding trade offers for Ja Morant. By all accounts, it looks like they want to give their former No. 2 pick a new home to open up opportunities for others.
Their sacrifices paid off, as the franchise landed the No. 3 overall pick in a loaded 2026 NBA Draft.
The team already has multiple young pieces in place. Zach Edey, when healthy, has been a dominant force and an analytics darling. Cedric Coward‘s exceptional first year was validated by his First-Team All-Rookie selection. Cam Spencer lit it up from three all season, and Jaylen Wells continued to be a game-wrecker on defense.
Now Memphis gets to add three more players to its budding core, including two via the first round of the draft.
Grizzlies Draft Picks:
- Round 1 — No. 3
- Round 1 — No. 16
- Round 2 — No. 32
Grizzlies Draft Needs:
The Grizzlies could go all sorts of directions with their picks. They don’t need a starting center in theory, but given Edey’s already-extensive injury history, depth down low would be smart. The same can be said for Scottie Pippen Jr. at point guard.
Best player available is almost certainly the direction Memphis will go at each stop along the draft.
Grizzlies Draft Targets:
Cameron Boozer — F — Duke
If the Wizards and Jazz let Cam Boozer drop to No. 3, the Grizzlies will be ecstatic.
Boozer has been a winner his entire basketball life. From high school through college, he’s been the focal point of success. While rebounding and defense are his calling cards, he can do everything well.
The “knock” on Boozer is that his athleticism is a step behind his counterparts in the consensus top four of the draft. Caleb Wilson, Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa all have higher perceived ceilings in various ways.
But for the Grizzlies, who have other opportunities ahead of them to add high-ceiling projects, taking the surest thing in Boozer is a no-brainer. He would also slide in perfectly as their starting power forward next to Edey.
Bennett Stirtz — PG — Iowa
Bennett Stirtz is older, and he’s definitely not a high-flying athlete — but he’s an absolute hooper.
Stirtz ascended through every rank of basketball in his collegiate career. From Division II Northwest Missouri State, to the University of Drake, to his final year at Iowa, Stirtz and his coach Ben McCollum won every step of the way.
With all the talent Memphis has onboarded and will continue to onboard, having an experienced, savvy point guard who can set the table for those around him will be extremely helpful. Stirtz is exactly that player.
He’s also an Ironman. He played in every game during his time at Drake and Iowa and averaged 39.3 and 37.8 minutes per game, respectively. With how injured the Grizzlies have been over the past two seasons, they could use a guy who can stay on the court.
Stirtz is mocked as a mid- to late-first-rounder, so grabbing him at No. 16 would make sense.
Tarris Reed Jr. — C — UConn
The Grizzlies could address the aforementioned center-depth issue with Reed. The UConn product averaged 14.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game last season en route to the National Championship game. He shot a commendable 60.7% from the field as well.
Reed would be a stronger, better-rim-running center to pair with Edey. The issue is, when targeting him at pick No. 32, that many teams need a backup center, so he may not be available by the second round. However, if he is, taking Reed at No. 32 would be wise.
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