Why this player is the Grizzlies' best two-way prospect

The Grizzlies currently have Jahmai Mashack and Javon Small occupying two of their three two-way contracts entering the 2026-27 season, but Mashack has already shown why he could be the most valuable of the two.

The two 23-year-old guards signed two-way deals with Memphis after being selected in the late second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, Small at No. 45 on July 10, 2025 and Mashack at No. 59 on November 16, 2025. The Grizzlies’ third two-way spot is open after Michigan’s Carson Cooper, who signed on June 25 after going undrafted in 2026 and participated in the summer league, is no longer on the roster. Many project 2026 No. 32 pick Richie Saunders, out of BYU, to fill it, though he has yet to sign.

As the Grizzlies dealt with a wave of injuries last season en route to a 25-57 finish, especially in the frontcourt with Zach Edey lost to a season-ending ankle injury and Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jock Landale both traded before the deadline, Mashack stepped up in a way nobody expected.

At 6-foot-3, he played minutes at guard, forward and even center for Memphis. He is the type of player who does whatever is asked to help the team win, even if that means guarding someone a foot taller and 50 pounds heavier.

The Memphis Grizzlies’ shortest player in the starting lineup is their center…

PG - Lucas Williamson (6’5)
SG - Dariq Whitehead (6’6)
SF - Toby Omani (6’8)
PF - Adama Bal (6’7)
……
C - Jahmai Mashack (6’4) pic.twitter.com/8gX4AyGBOL
— ᴄᴏʟᴇ (@CREAMYCOLE) April 11, 2026

In nine G League games with the Memphis Hustle last season, Mashack averaged 12.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists. After being called up to the injury-riddled Grizzlies for 31 games, he put up 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

His shooting does not need to become lethal, just serviceable, as that is the part of his game that he struggles with the most. In his time with Memphis last season, Mashack shot 39.5% from the field, 25.3% from three and 54.3% from the line.

The California native is a potential do-it-all piece for the Grizzlies if he can develop his offense enough to stop being a liability there.

Mashack showed exactly what that potential ceiling looks like in an April 10 matchup against Utah, when Memphis had just six players available for a 147-101 loss to the Jazz. He played all 48 minutes and finished with his first career triple-double with 13 points, 15 rebounds and 14 assists. That game marked the first time in NBA history three players recorded triple-doubles in the same game, with Utah’s Bez Mbeng (27 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists) and former Grizzly John Konchar (11 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) becoming the first pair of teammates to each do it off the bench.

One record from that night Mashack will not want to remember is his minus-46, the lowest plus-minus by a player recording a triple-double in NBA history.

Despite being listed as a shooting guard, Grizzlies fans know Mashack is capable of far more than that label suggests. With Memphis’s current logjam at guard, his versatility allows him to slot into lineups alongside other ball-dominant guards, since he does not need the ball in his hands to be a positive on the floor.

Small, by comparison, saw considerably more run last season in 20.2 minutes a night in 41 games, where he averaged 9.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists. But the role Small plays is more score-first and ball-dominant, the exact opposite of what makes Mashack valuable.

Mashack possesses one of the most coveted assets in today’s NBA: the ability to guard the opponent’s best perimeter threat, switch onto much bigger bodies and stay physical while doing it. If he can become even slightly more serviceable on offense this upcoming season, Mashack may not be on a two-way contract much longer.

Add us as a preferred source on Google