Undrafted Rookie Lawson Lovering Notches Double-Double in Memphis Win

Things have not gone as planned for the Memphis Grizzlies this season.

After reaching the postseason in 2024-25, Memphis entered the 2025-26 campaign with a first-year head coach and a few changes to the roster. Star guard Ja Morant dealt with more injuries and reports that the 26-year-old no longer wanted to play for the team, though, and Memphis' season began to go sideways.

Then, at the trade deadline, the Grizzlies sent former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah, receiving multiple young players and draft picks in return.

As a result, Memphis has seemingly entered a rebuild, focusing on exploring the roster by giving young players more minutes and improving draft odds for the rest of this season. On Friday, rookie Lawson Lovering made the most of his opportunity, notching a double-double in his first NBA start.

In just his second NBA game, Lovering tallied 11 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, a block and one turnover in more than 31 minutes of action, helping the Grizzlies to a 123-114 win against Utah. The undrafted rookie shot 5-of-8 from the field and 1-of-3 from the free throw line.

Lovering's first NBA appearance came on Feb. 11 in a 122-116 loss against the Denver Nuggets. In that contest, the 22-year-old logged 3 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and a turnover while shooting 1-of-2 from the field and 1-of-2 from the free throw line in more than 17 minutes on the floor.

In addition to his two games with the Grizzlies this season, Lovering has appeared in 13 games for Memphis' G League team, the Hustle. In those contests, the first-year center is averaging 8.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 59.3% from the field.

Lovering spent his first two years of college basketball at Colorado before finishing his career with two seasons at Utah. As a senior, the 7-footer averaged 8.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 53.1% from the field.

While his college stats may not be eye-popping, Lovering seems to have developed into a decent player at the next level. To become a consistent rotation player, the big man will likely need to continue improving his shot, but Lovering has the potential to stick in the NBA as a depth center.

To earn a spot with Memphis, Lovering will have to continue to perform well down the stretch this season, but the rookie could add another solid young piece alongside the team's other players.

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