Cedric Coward's brave new Memphis Grizzlies world

The Memphis Grizzlies season has gone pretty poorly. Jaren Jackson Jr. is no longer a member of the franchise. Gone, too, are John Konchar, Vince Williams Jr., and Jock Landale. From 2018 (Jackson Jr.) to 2025 (Landale) and everywhere inbetween, the "#GrzNxtGen" era ended with Jackson Jr. in particular exiting Memphis for the Utah Jazz.

No offense to Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke. But if Memphis could have gotten something of value for them, they probably would've been traded too - especially Morant.

With the page being turned to a new era, it's natural to look to the 2026 NBA Draft as the space where this new era of Grizzlies basketball will begin. After all, that's what all this tanking is for anyway, right? To maximize the chances at getting the next great Memphis star?

Perhaps. But the likelihood of the Grizzlies bringing in another "very good, maybe great" player is higher than them jumping in to the superstar stratosphere. And if that is the kind of player Memphis can most likely look forward to joining the franchise, at least they won't be alone.

And at least that player - whoever it is - won't need to be the "face" of this new era. At least not at first.

That honor will belong to Cedric Coward. At least...it should.

An undefined ceiling

There are few prospects in the NBA who combine rookie season production with elite physical possibilities like Cedric Coward does. Even in a season where he surely has both missed and lost more games than he'd like to, his impact has undoubtedly been felt.

When he is on the floor, he makes Memphis better on both ends of the floor. His efficiency rating is the best on the Grizzlies for anyone that has played at least 300 minutes this season, and among the best in the NBA. He scores the ball efficiently, he defends multiple positions, and he has shown flashes of growing ability as a creator of offense with the ball in his hands.

When he can put all that ability together in one sequence? It pops off the screen. And while you cannot be sure he WILL be the next Kawhi Leonard, you certainly cannot definitely say he will not be either.

That intrigue is intoxicating. For a Memphis team that desperately needs things to look forward to in these down times, the pursuit of what Cedric Coward can be exactly is exactly what the Grizzlies should be investing in at this point of the process.

And for all the dominance of Zach Edey in a very limited sample size this season, it is Coward that has both the minutes advantage and the versatility to be better suited in the modern NBA to carry the mantra of the team's true "star" - even if that burden will be shared between multiple players.

Be it Coward, Edey, or whoever Memphis selects in the 2026 NBA Draft.

No "Coward" in the spotlight

When you hear Cedric Coward speak, he immediately gets your attention. It's not just his deep voice - it's the confidence that echoes behind it. He definitively defends Ja Morant. He accepts responsibility when times get tough. On and on you can go if you look long enough for examples of Coward not shying away from the attention that comes with being an NBA player.

That matters in a market like Memphis that just lost that "face of the franchise" player in Jaren Jackson Jr. Coward can fill the void left behind in terms of speaking out on behalf of the team, be it with fans or for his teammates. He has been through so much to get to this place - from Division III basketball to the NBA in just a few years, he has a level of perspective and pride in his journey that is rare for someone his age.

Only one voice can be heard at a time. And while the collective for Memphis moving forward may best define the team's common good, there will need to be someone leading the public charge. Coward seems best prepared for that reality.

The show goes on

Cedric Coward will likely return to play this season for Memphis. The Grizzlies will continue to be undermanned most nights, with an eye to a team in the future that is not yet assembled.

But when that roster does come together, Cedric Coward will be at the forefront of that crew. His game, his voice, and the needs of the Grizzlies make it so. Memphis needs Cedric Coward - and he appears ready to answer that call once his moment fully arrives.