There’s no mystery about Zach Edey’s value when he’s actually out there. The issue, as Memphis has learned early in his career, is keeping him there.
Edey has appeared in just 77 games so far and injuries have been a constant part of the story. The Grizzlies have handled him carefully because of that, but this season changes the equation a bit. Memphis is deep into a rebuild, and with a wave of young talent trying to shape the franchise’s next chapter, the Grizzlies need Edey to be a real part of it.
Last season, the difference was enormous. Memphis was 27.8 points per 100 possessions better with Edey on the floor, according to Cleaning the Glass, with a +1.7 offensive rating and a -26.1 defensive rating. That was the best individual net-rating differential in the league.
The expectation is that Edey will be back by the start of the regular season, and he is not expected to play in the preseason. From there, the bar is pretty clear: the NBA’s 65-game threshold matters now, and that is the number that defines the best-case scenario for him this season.
If he gets there, the on-court profile is already easy to imagine. Edey does not need a reinvention.
He is a dominant interior presence and should roll to a double-double average if he stays healthy. A frontcourt featuring Edey alongside Cameron Boozer, Cedric Coward, and Jaylen Wells would give Memphis a strong base to build around, and with the team’s depth, that group could draw plenty of attention.
And if he reaches 65 games, the defensive awards conversation gets real. Edey already stuffs the box score with 1.9 blocks per game, and the rim protection numbers are even more striking: opponents shoot 21% lower than expected at the rim when he contests.
The other side of it is the same old concern. Another injury would send the season in the wrong direction fast.
If Edey proves he can handle a full NBA season, Memphis then has a difficult decision to make about his future. He has a team option for next season that has to be picked up by 10/31, and that choice likely gets made.
After that, he would be under contract for the next two seasons before reaching restricted free agency in 2028/29.
That rookie deal matters for the Grizzlies, especially if the worst-case version of this season shows up again. Edey is not being paid Embiid money to play in short bursts, so the financial risk is manageable. The basketball risk is the real one.
Memphis needs a healthy season from its center. If it gets one, Edey can be a major piece of the rebuild. If it doesn’t, the picture around his future in Memphis gets a lot less clear.
In Other News...
Grizzlies Already Have An Injury Concern They Really Didn't Need
The Grizzlies were hoping to use the preseason to get a cleaner look at their frontcourt mix, but the early returns have already brought a familiar kind of unease. Isaiah Stewarts first game in a Memphis uniform ended almost as soon as it began against Atlanta, and Zach Edey remained sidelined as he continues recovering from ankle and elbow surgeries, leaving the club short on the size it wants to evaluate before the games start to count.
For a team that has spent recent seasons navigating one injury hit after another, including a record number of man-games lost last year, any new setback carries extra weight. Stewarts status is still being sorted out, and his absence for the next home preseason game against Orlando only adds to the sense that Memphis is once again trying to build continuity while the roster is already being tested. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies Get An Early Test Of The Style Theyre Trying To Build
The Grizzlies are still early in preseason, but Mondays showing offered a useful glimpse at the style they want to sharpen before games start to count. Memphis is set to host Orlando on Oct. 7 at FedExForum, and the recent tune-up against Atlanta gave the roster another chance to settle into the faster, more aggressive pace this staff is looking to build.
Ty Jerome said the group settled in after the opening minutes and began to look more like itself as the game moved along. He pointed to the need for cleaner possessions as the next step, noting there were still stretches when Memphis gave away too much with sloppy play, including a few miscues from him that the team will want to tighten up before the preseason winds down. [Read more 🡒]