The Grizzlies' 2024 class is the model for their future

The snow falls and the calendar flips to 2026. The Memphis Grizzlies have churned out some incredible draft picks. We reviewed the 2025 class already; you can read more about that here. It isn’t just time for reflection it’s time to celebrate the Grizzlies’ General Manager, Zach Kleiman, and his staff. They have compiled back-to-back dynamite draft classes. Today, we review the 2024 class and assess its impact on the team.

Zach Kleiman said at exit interviews the Grizzlies needed more dogs, and he thinks all three of their draft picks fit that mold:

"There's a multiplier effect of that, when there's a collective buy-in to going out and imposing our will on a game." pic.twitter.com/7TxfSz7y99
— Matt Infield (@Matt_Infield) June 28, 2025

WHO THEY DRAFTED

The first selection with the 9th overall pick was the mammoth center from Purdue, Zach Edey. Typically, adjectives for athletes can be a little hyperbolic, but Edey is a monster from a different time. Think Jurassic Park.

Then, at pick 39 in the second round, they selected the sharpshooter from Washington State, Jaylen Wells. This is a pick I missed on. Pressed for time, I didn’t get the opportunity to watch him play in college. Glad to see the young man thrive.

Finally, via a trade with Toronto, the Grizzlies selected National Champion Cam Spencer from Connecticut with the 53rd pick. A gritty, hard-nosed floor general who always has something to say especially to teams who passed on him in the draft.

Cam Spencer. Career-high 27 points.

"YOU HAVE TO GET HIM OFF OF ME."pic.twitter.com/LLcQGbf96p
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) December 16, 2025

ZACH EDEY

Edey stands at 7’3”, 299 lbs, with a 7’10” wingspan. The NBA is sizing back up at the center position, and Zach stands as one of the biggest in the entire league. The questions coming out of college from a scouting perspective were clear: How will his conditioning hold up in the space-and-pace era? Can he stay out of foul trouble?

Those questions have been answered with resounding clarity. Yes, he can.

He has played 77 games so far in his NBA career and averages just 2.8 fouls per game. He hasn’t just been effective he has been the Grizzlies’ enforcer on the court. He quickly showed he backs down from nobody. Zach claimed All-Rookie First Team honors in 2024–2025.

In a season that seems lost for Memphis, it has become clear that Edey is a foundation piece they can build on when healthy. This season he is averaging 13.6 points per game, 11.1 rebounds, 3.9 offensive rebounds, and 1.9 blocks. Edey changes the math for the Grizzlies. The real question is the long-term fit with Ja Morant.

JAYLEN WELLS

Wells is an outstanding two-way, sharpshooting wing considering his draft positional value. He has been extremely dependable, missing only three games in his career in the era of load management. He boasts an effective field goal percentage of 52.2% and is knocking down threes at a 34.7% clip.

Along with Edey, he was named to the All-Rookie First Team in 2024–2025. Wells posted a defensive win share rating of 1.4 in his rookie season. He is a strong rotational piece who can fit seamlessly into almost any lineup.

CAM SPENCER

Spencer is 6’3”, 205 lbs of pure grit and skill. His rookie season was a developmental year, as he had to adjust his elite college game to the pro level. He isn’t an elite athlete, and it took some time for him to learn how to get his shot off at this level.

He is off to a blistering start in 2025. He is absolutely shooting the cover off the ball, posting a mind-boggling 65.5% effective field goal percentage. Cam is 36th in the entire NBA in three-point field goals made and second in the league in three-point percentage at 48.5%.

He has also flashed his floor-general abilities, averaging 4.8 assists per game off the bench this season. He takes care of the ball, ranking 46th in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.33. What a find for Memphis that late in the draft.

The future is bright in Memphis for 2026 and beyond. In a redraft of the 2024 class, Edey probably lands in the same range. Jaylen Wells climbs fast. But Cam Spencer is the real conversation starter, does he sneak into the first round? Maybe even higher? Either way, Memphis once again found value where others didn’t. That’s how contenders are built.