Richie Saunders Selected with No. 32 Pick: Scouting Report, Fit and More

The 2026 NBA Draft is churning along, mid-way through the second night of action.

The first round saw several of the top talents in the class find landing spots, such as Wizards’ wing AJ Dybantsa, Jazz guard Darryn Peterson, Grizzlies forward Cameron Boozer and Bulls’ forward Caleb Wilson. Additionally, there were several other players that landed in the perfect spot for their short and long-term development.

While it will be harder to find the talent in the second round, it’s sure to be there, with several players ready to hit the ground running or offer upside swings.

One such player is BYU’s Richie Saunders, who was selected with the No. 32 overall pick by the Grizzlies.

Saunders played four seasons with the Cougars, topping out at 18.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals in his senior season. He suffered a season-ending injury, but still projects to be an impactor moving forward.

Below you can find Saunders’ scouting report, as well as how he’ll fit with the Grizzlies:

Richie Saunders Scouting Report

College: BYU

Class: Senior

Position: Wing

Height: 6-5

Wingspan: 6-8

Draft age: 24.8

Strengths:

Off-ball scoring

Shooting

Connective play-making

Areas of Improvement:

Defensive upside

Creation

Outlook:

Saunders is an off-ball scoring wing who should be able to score well at two levels.

His 3-point shooting is a coveted skill, with him having shot 38% from three on a blistering 6.8 attempts per game as a senior. Additionally, he’s able to slash and make quick decisions in getting downhill, a perfect wing compliment for most teams.

Saunders’ knee injury is likely to keep him out awhile longer, though a team with patience could make it out of the ’26 draft with a great wing. He needs to get better at defense as a whole to maintain his minutes in the NBA, as well as create for himself as much as possible.

Role: Off-ball wing

Impact: Late-Rotation

Swing skills: Defense, Creation

Read the full scouting report

Fit with Grizzlies

Saunders profiles perfectly as a Grizzly, though he'll need time to return from injury. Once he does, he'll add the toughness and trenchwork that the organization values in roles players, especially in the core of Cameron Boozer, Zach Edey, Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wells and more. He projects to be a two-way player, leaning more toward the offensive side of the ball.

Memphis has built out a talented wing core through the draft, which should pair perfectly with an elite passer in Boozer.

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