How two New York Knicks wings mirror Cedric Coward's NBA future

The Memphis Grizzlies are counting on 2025 11th overall pick Cedric Coward to be a part of their future core

Apr 1, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward (23) handles the ball as New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) defends during the fourth quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The impact of two New York Knicks wings in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, especially the NBA Finals for one of them, has shown just how valuable Cedric Coward could be in the future for the Memphis Grizzlies.

OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges are both integral pieces of a Knicks team that is on the verge of its first championship in 53 years. Anunoby had the game-winning tip-in to cap off the best playoff game of his career in the Knicks' historic comeback win on Wednesday. He finished with 33 points on 10-15 shooting, including 7-9 from three.

OG ANUNOBY WITH THE PUTBACK.

KNICKS COMPLETE THE 29-PT COMEBACK FOR THE WIN.

LARGEST COMEBACK IN NBA FINALS HISTORY 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ZtWVWY6JsR

— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2026

Bridges has been quiet in the finals outside of a 20-point game two performance, but he was his usual self in the first and second rounds. He has been a rock-solid three-and-D player since his time in Phoenix and has plenty of playoff experience. Bridges is a guy that Coward gets compared to a lot already, so he serves as almost a perfect blueprint for Coward's development.

Both Anunoby and Bridges are players Zach Kleiman has tried to trade for in the past. The Grizzlies reportedly offered four first-round picks for Bridges, who was on the Brooklyn Nets, near the 2023 trade deadline. Zach Lowe, who was with ESPN at the time, reported that Memphis offered three first-rounders at the same deadline for Anunoby, who was on the Toronto Raptors at the time.

Kleiman's aggression in the past for Anunoby and Bridges justifies the equal aggression in trading up for Coward in the 2025 draft. Memphis traded No. 16, Orlando's 2028 first-rounder, and two second-round picks to Portland for No. 11 and selected Coward with the pick.

Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Cedric Coward stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the 11th pick by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Coward's frame at 6-6 with a 7-2 wingspan is textbook for an elite two-way wing like Anunoby and Bridges. He profiles as a player of the same archetype because of that build and his three-point shooting and perimeter defense.

It is worth noting that Coward compares more to Bridges than Anunoby. Both Bridges and Coward are guys who play the 3 that can shift to the 2, while Anunoby is a 3 who doubles as a 4. Anunoby, at 240 pounds, possesses more strength than Bridges and Coward, making him a more versatile defender.

The most important piece to note in the comparison of Coward and the Knicks' wings is where the three players were in their development at age 22. Coward made first-team all-rookie as a 22-year-old and averaged 13.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game on 47.1 percent shooting.

Bridges also debuted at 22, but put up lesser numbers than Coward while playing four fewer minutes per game. He also played all 82 games while Coward played only 62. Bridges averaged 8.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game on 43 percent shooting as a rookie.

OG ANUNOBY TONIGHT:

33 POINTS
10/15 FGM
7/9 3PM
41 MINUTES

FINALS GAME WINNER — GAME OF HIS LIFE

🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/L4Z8dhWDYF

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 11, 2026

Anunoby's rookie season was a little different than Coward and Bridges' because he debuted at age 20. In his third season at 22, Anunoby also put up lesser production than Coward. He averaged 10.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game on 45.3 percent shooting, playing four more minutes per game than Coward.

Bridges and Anunoby's careers so far, and their 22-year-old seasons compared to Coward's, possibly paint a good illustration of the player Coward could turn into. The Grizzlies have a player who already profiles as a future top-40-50 guy as a high-end role player, who could be even more than that.

The final piece of that last sentence is evident by his rookie results and on-ball skillset compared to Bridges and Anunoby.