Taylor Hendricks Heads to Memphis in Blockbuster Trade - Can a Fresh Start Spark His NBA Rise?
Taylor Hendricks is packing his bags for Memphis - and with him comes a chance to reset the trajectory of a career that’s seen both promise and pause.
The UCF product was part of a headline-grabbing trade that sent Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah. In return, Memphis picked up Hendricks, rookie guard Walter Clayton Jr., veteran forwards Georges Niang and Kyle Anderson, plus three first-round picks. The Grizzlies also shipped out guard Vince Williams and forward John Konchar in the deal.
For Hendricks, this move could be the turning point he’s been waiting for.
Drafted ninth overall by the Jazz in 2023 - the highest pick in UCF men’s basketball history - Hendricks entered the league with the kind of upside NBA teams crave: a 6-foot-9 wing with length, shooting touch, and defensive instincts. And while he’s shown flashes of that potential, consistency has been the missing piece.
This season, Hendricks is averaging 4.9 points and 3 rebounds while shooting 45% from the field. Not eye-popping numbers, but they don’t tell the whole story.
Just ask the Grizzlies - on December 23, Hendricks lit them up for a career-high 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting, adding four rebounds and three steals. It was a glimpse of what he can bring when it all clicks.
That performance was especially encouraging considering where he was just months earlier. In only his third game of the 2024-25 season, Hendricks suffered a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle against the Mavericks - a brutal injury that ended his season before it ever really got going.
Before that setback, Hendricks had a solid rookie campaign. He averaged 7.3 points and 4.6 rebounds while hitting nearly 38% from beyond the arc - strong numbers for a first-year player adjusting to the speed and physicality of the NBA. His blend of perimeter shooting and defensive versatility made him a natural fit in today’s league, where three-and-D wings are gold.
Now healthy and with a new jersey on his back, Hendricks has a shot to reestablish himself as one of the league’s rising young forwards. And he’s not lacking in motivation.
"I'm a very competitive person, so you know I always feel like I could do more than I can," Hendricks said. "So the eagerness is always there."
That drive has been evident since his college days at UCF, where he put up 15.1 points, 7 rebounds, nearly 2 blocks per game, and shot a blistering 39.4% from deep. His game translated quickly to the NBA, but the challenge - as with so many young players - has been adjusting to the nuances of the pro level.
“NBA guys are a lot better, so they know how to manipulate it,” Hendricks said, talking about the difference in defensive rules like hand-checking. “That’s a huge jump to try and learn.
I feel like no one can ever really master guarding that. But the more reps you get, you can pick up on tendencies and [know] when certain players will try to get you in foul trouble.”
That’s the kind of insight you get from a player who’s been through the fire early - who’s tasted both the highs of a breakout game and the lows of a season-ending injury. Hendricks isn’t a raw rookie anymore. He’s a third-year pro with real experience, a developing basketball IQ, and a clean slate in Memphis.
And for the Grizzlies, who just moved on from a franchise cornerstone in Jaren Jackson Jr., there’s opportunity to go around. The door is wide open for Hendricks to carve out a role, earn real minutes, and remind everyone why he was a top-10 pick not that long ago.
A fresh start. A new system. A hungry young forward with something to prove.
Memphis might just be the perfect place for Taylor Hendricks to reignite his rise.